Create perfect robots.txt files to control how search engines crawl your website. Set custom rules, block unwanted bots, and optimize your site's crawl budget with our easy-to-use generator.
Enter your website URL for sitemap references
Optional: Delay between crawler requests (0 = no delay)
Use * for wildcards (e.g., *.pdf blocks all PDF files)
# Generated by SevenZerosClub Robots.txt Generator # https://sevenzerosclub.com/robots-txt-generator.html User-agent: * Allow: /
Configure your rules and generate the robots.txt file using our tool.
Copy the content or download the robots.txt file to your computer.
Upload the file to your website's root directory (yoursite.com/robots.txt).
Test your robots.txt file and monitor crawler behavior in search console.
A robots.txt file is a text file that tells search engine crawlers which pages or sections of your website they can or cannot access. It's placed in your website's root directory and helps you control how search engines crawl your site, manage crawl budget, and protect sensitive areas. While not mandatory, it's considered a best practice for SEO and website management.
The robots.txt file must be placed in the root directory of your website, accessible at yourwebsite.com/robots.txt. It cannot be placed in subdirectories or subdomains. Search engines will only look for it at this specific location. Make sure the file is named exactly "robots.txt" (lowercase) and is accessible via HTTP/HTTPS.
Disallow: Tells crawlers NOT to access specific paths or files. For example, "Disallow: /admin/" blocks access to the admin directory. Allow: Explicitly permits access to specific paths, often used to override broader Disallow rules. For example, you might disallow an entire directory but allow access to specific files within it. If no rules are specified, crawlers assume they can access everything.
No, robots.txt is not a security measure and cannot completely block access to your website. It's more like a "please don't enter" sign that well-behaved crawlers respect, but malicious bots or users can ignore it. If you need to truly restrict access, use server-level authentication, password protection, or IP blocking. Also, blocked pages might still appear in search results if they're linked from other sites.
Yes, it's highly recommended to include your sitemap URL in your robots.txt file. This helps search engines discover and crawl your content more efficiently. Use the "Sitemap:" directive followed by the full URL to your sitemap (e.g., "Sitemap: https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml"). You can include multiple sitemap references if you have different sitemaps for different content types.
Crawl delay specifies the minimum time (in seconds) that crawlers should wait between requests to your server. Use it if your server has limited resources or if you notice crawling is affecting site performance. However, be cautious: setting it too high can slow down indexing of your content. Most modern websites don't need crawl delay, and Google ignores this directive, preferring to manage crawl rate automatically through Search Console.
You can test your robots.txt file in several ways: 1) Direct access: Visit yoursite.com/robots.txt to see if it loads correctly, 2) Google Search Console: Use the robots.txt Tester tool to check syntax and test specific URLs, 3) Online validators: Use robots.txt validation tools to check for errors, 4) Monitor crawling: Check your server logs or Search Console to see if crawlers are respecting your rules.