Robots.txt Generator
Generate robots.txt file to control search engine crawlers
Common Paths
/admin/ - Admin panel
/wp-admin/ - WordPress admin
/private/ - Private content
Free Robots.txt Generator - Control Search Engine Crawlers
Welcome to DevToolVault's free robots.txt generator, the essential tool for managing how search engine crawlers interact with your website. Create custom robots.txt files that protect sensitive areas, manage crawl budget, and ensure search engines access the right content.
Understanding robots.txt
The robots.txt file is a plain text file placed at your website's root that communicates with web crawlers using the Robots Exclusion Protocol. It tells search engine bots which URLs they can access and which they should avoid. While it's a powerful tool for crawler management, remember it's a directive, not a security measure—it requests compliance but doesn't enforce it.
How to Use This Generator
Select your target user-agent (all bots, Googlebot, Bingbot), add paths you want to disallow or allow, and optionally include your sitemap URL. Click "Generate robots.txt" to create your file, then copy it and upload to your website's root directory. Test using Google Search Console's robots.txt tester.
robots.txt Syntax Reference
# Comment - ignored by crawlers User-agent: * # Applies to all crawlers Disallow: /admin/ # Block admin directory Disallow: /private/ # Block private directory Allow: /admin/public/ # Exception within blocked dir User-agent: Googlebot # Google-specific rules Disallow: /tmp/ Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap.xml
Common Use Cases
Block admin areas (/wp-admin/, /admin/), staging environments, internal search results pages (prevent duplicate content), user account pages, shopping carts, thank-you pages, print versions, and development files. Don't block CSS, JS, or image files needed for proper page rendering.
robots.txt vs. Meta Robots Tags
robots.txt controls crawling; meta robots tags control indexing. If you want to prevent a page from appearing in search results, use <meta name="robots" content="noindex">. Blocking in robots.txt can actually cause indexed pages to remain indexed because Google can't access them to see the noindex tag.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is robots.txt and why do I need it?
robots.txt is a file at your website's root that tells search engine crawlers which pages to access or avoid. It helps manage crawl budget, prevent indexing of sensitive areas (admin, staging), and control how bots interact with your site.
Does robots.txt hide pages from search engines?
No! robots.txt only controls crawling, not indexing. Pages blocked by robots.txt can still appear in search results if other sites link to them. To prevent indexing, use meta robots noindex tags or X-Robots-Tag headers instead.
What is the correct syntax for robots.txt?
Basic syntax: User-agent (which bot), Disallow (paths to block), Allow (exceptions), Sitemap (XML sitemap URL). Each directive on its own line. Wildcards (*) and path endings ($) are supported for patterns.
What's the difference between Allow and Disallow?
Disallow blocks crawlers from specified paths. Allow permits access to paths within a blocked directory. For example, Disallow: /admin/ blocks admin, but Allow: /admin/public.html permits that specific file.
Should I block CSS and JavaScript files?
No! Google recommends allowing access to CSS and JS files so it can render pages correctly. Blocking these files may hurt your rankings because Googlebot can't see your site as users do. Only block truly sensitive resources.
How do I add my sitemap to robots.txt?
Add a Sitemap directive with the full URL: Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap.xml. This helps search engines discover your sitemap. You can include multiple Sitemap lines for multiple sitemaps.
Can I have different rules for different bots?
Yes! Create separate User-agent blocks for different crawlers. Use User-agent: Googlebot for Google-specific rules, User-agent: Bingbot for Bing, etc. User-agent: * applies to all bots not specifically mentioned.
Where do I put my robots.txt file?
Place robots.txt in your website's root directory (e.g., https://example.com/robots.txt). It must be at the root—robots.txt in subdirectories is ignored. Ensure it's accessible with a 200 status code.
Related SEO Tools: Try our Sitemap Generator, Meta Tag Generator, and Redirect Checker for more SEO optimization tools.