Robots.txt: Definition, challenges, and explanations

Robots.txt is a text file placed at the root of a website, intended to tell search engine indexing robots (or crawlers) which pages or directories they can or cannot explore.

This file, respected by most search engines, is used to control and optimize the site's natural referencing by directing or limiting the exploration of robots.

It operates according to a protocol called "Robots Exclusion Standard," which specifies the syntax and rules to be followed.

Robots.txt is essential for managing search engine access to certain parts of your site, particularly those that are not relevant for SEO or are sensitive.

Its main purpose is to prevent duplicate content, pages under construction, or private information from being indexed, which improves the overall quality of the site index.

In addition, it helps optimize the crawl budget, i.e., the amount of resources that search engines spend on exploring a site, by focusing attention on important pages.

Robots.txt is a plain text file that follows a specific syntax to communicate with robots.

It consists of directives such as "User-agent," which targets a specific robot, and "Disallow" or "Allow," which authorize or prohibit access to certain URLs.

When a robot visits a site, it first consults this file to find out which pages to explore or ignore, which guides indexing by search engines.

Advantages:

• Allows you to protect certain areas of the site from unwanted bots.
• Optimizes the search engine crawl budget.
• Reduces the risk of duplicate or irrelevant content being indexed.

Disadvantages:

• Does not guarantee complete confidentiality, as some robots may ignore this file.
• Incorrect configuration can block important pages from search engine optimization.
• Do not block direct access via manually entered URLs.

Robots.txt can be used to prevent the indexing of directories such as /admin or /temp, which are often not intended for public viewing.

It is also used to exclude file types (images, scripts) or specific URLs to avoid duplicate content.

Some websites use it to manage access for robots based on their type, for example by allowing Googlebot while blocking other less useful robots.

• Google Developers: Official documentation on the Robots.txt file.
• RobotsTxt.org: Website dedicated to Robots.txt standards and best practices.
• Semrush: Beginner's Guide to Robots.txt in SEO.
• Google Crawling Docs: Robots.txt Technical Specifications.
• Yoast: Complete guide to using the Robots.txt file.