Robots.txt Generator
Create robots.txt rules for search engine crawlers.
Configuration
About Robots.txt Generator
Generate a robots.txt file from the crawler rules you provide. Configure a user-agent, Allow and Disallow paths, an optional Sitemap directive, and optional Crawl-delay.
How to use Robots.txt Generator
- Choose the default Allow or Disallow policy.
- Select the user-agent the rule group applies to.
- Add Allow or Disallow paths, with one path per line.
- Optionally add a Sitemap location and enable Crawl-delay.
- Generate, review, copy, or download the robots.txt file.
Best Practices
- Review Disallow rules carefully before publishing.
- Be especially cautious with Disallow: / because it blocks compliant crawlers from crawling the site for that user-agent.
- Use robots.txt for crawler access rules, not as a reliable method of preventing indexing.
- Do not place secrets or sensitive URLs in robots.txt expecting them to become private.
- Include a Sitemap directive when appropriate.
- Use paths beginning with / because this implementation ignores other path entries.
- Review the final generated file before uploading it.
Benefits
- Build a robots.txt file from manually configured crawler rules.
- Add Allow and Disallow directives for selected paths.
- Add a Sitemap location to the generated file.
- Optionally include Crawl-delay for crawlers that support it.
- Copy the generated text or download it as robots.txt.
- Generate the file locally in the browser.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Accidentally using Disallow: /
- Assuming robots.txt prevents indexing.
- Exposing sensitive paths in a publicly accessible robots.txt file.
- Entering paths without a leading /.
- Assuming the tool checks live website behaviour.
- Assuming Crawl-delay applies to every crawler.
- Forgetting to publish the downloaded file at the appropriate site location.
- Assuming generation automatically updates the live website.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a robots.txt file do?
It provides instructions that tell compliant search engine crawlers which pages or files they can or cannot request from your site.
Does robots.txt prevent pages from being indexed?
No. A robots.txt file primarily controls crawler access. A URL might still be indexed if linked from elsewhere, even if crawling is blocked.
What happens if I use Disallow: /?
It blocks compliant crawlers covered by the specified user-agent group from crawling any part of the site.
What is the difference between Allow and Disallow?
Disallow tells a crawler not to access a specific path, while Allow explicitly permits access (often used to override a broader Disallow rule).
Does Crawl-delay work with every search engine?
No. Crawl-delay is an optional directive that some crawlers may support. You should not assume it works universally or controls all crawlers.
Does this tool upload robots.txt to my website?
No. It only generates the text file locally. You must manually upload and publish it to the root of your web server.
Are the rules I enter sent to a server for generation?
No. Robots.txt generation is performed locally in your browser; the rules you enter are not uploaded for generation.
In-Depth Guide Available
Learn how to get the most out of Robots.txt Generator with our step-by-step editorial tutorial.