Robots.txt Viewer

A common mistake is using "Disallow: /" which blocks all bots from your entire site. This prevents Google from indexing any content, severely impacting your search visibility.

• Check for "Disallow: /" under User-agent: *
• Remove or modify to specific paths only
• Submit updated sitemap in Search Console
• Request re-crawl for faster recovery

No, blocking CSS/JS prevents Google from properly rendering your pages. Since 2015, Google needs these files to understand your site's mobile-friendliness and user experience.

• Google must render pages like users see them
• Blocked resources = incomplete understanding
• Can hurt mobile-first indexing
• Allow: /*.css$ and Allow: /*.js$ recommended

AI search bots like GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and CCBot are increasingly important for visibility in AI-powered search results. Consider your content strategy before blocking them.

• GPTBot: OpenAI's ChatGPT crawler
• ClaudeBot: Anthropic's AI crawler
• Blocking = no AI search visibility
• Use specific User-agent directives

Robots.txt is case-sensitive. "/Admin" and "/admin" are different paths. Incorrect capitalization means bots will ignore your directives entirely.

• Match exact URL paths from your site
• File must be named "robots.txt" (lowercase)
• User-agent names are case-insensitive
• Test with actual URLs in Search Console

Adding your XML sitemap to robots.txt helps search engines discover it immediately. This is especially important for new sites or after major restructuring.

• Add: Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap.xml
• Use absolute URLs, not relative paths
• Can include multiple sitemap references
• Place anywhere in robots.txt file

For sites with thousands of pages, crawl budget optimization is crucial. Focus bot attention on your most important, frequently updated content.

• Block low-value pages (filters, sorts)
• Disallow duplicate content paths
• Use Crawl-delay carefully (not Google)
• Prioritize fresh, valuable content

Search engines check robots.txt on every crawl, but full effects depend on crawl frequency. Critical fixes may need manual intervention for faster recovery.

• Google: Usually within 24-48 hours
• Use Search Console to request re-crawl
• Submit updated sitemap for faster indexing
• Monitor coverage reports for confirmation

Robots.txt prevents crawling but not indexing if pages have external links. For guaranteed exclusion from search results, use noindex meta tags or X-Robots-Tag headers instead.

• Robots.txt: Blocks crawling, saves bandwidth
• Noindex: Allows crawling, prevents indexing
• Linked pages may still appear in results
• Use both for sensitive content protection