Robots.txt Generator
Create, validate, and customize robots.txt files for search engine crawlers with our visual builder and live preview.
Global Settings
User-Agent Rules
Generated robots.txt
Validate Existing robots.txt
Features
Visual Builder
Build robots.txt files visually with an intuitive interface. No need to memorize syntax or formatting rules.
Live Preview
See your robots.txt file update in real-time as you add rules, user-agents, and directives.
Validation
Validate existing robots.txt files to ensure proper syntax and catch common errors before deployment.
Presets
Start with common presets like allow all, block all, or platform-specific configurations like WordPress.
All User-Agents
Support for Googlebot, Bingbot, and all major search engine crawlers with wildcard options.
Export Options
Copy to clipboard or download as robots.txt file ready to upload to your website root directory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a robots.txt file?
A robots.txt file is a text file placed in your website's root directory that tells search engine crawlers which pages or sections of your site they can or cannot access. It's part of the Robots Exclusion Protocol and is the first file crawlers check when visiting your site.
How do I use the robots.txt generator?
Start by choosing a preset or adding user-agent rules manually. For each user-agent (like Googlebot or Bingbot), specify which paths to allow or disallow. Add global settings like crawl-delay and sitemap URLs. The live preview shows your generated robots.txt file, which you can copy or download.
What user-agents should I include in robots.txt?
Common user-agents include: * (all bots), Googlebot (Google), Bingbot (Bing), Slurp (Yahoo), DuckDuckBot (DuckDuckGo), Baiduspider (Baidu), and YandexBot (Yandex). Use * to apply rules to all crawlers, or specify individual bots for granular control.
Should I block all crawlers from my website?
No, in most cases you should not block all crawlers. Blocking all crawlers prevents your site from appearing in search results. Only block specific directories like /admin/, /private/, or /temp/ that contain sensitive information or duplicate content you don't want indexed.
What is the crawl-delay directive?
Crawl-delay specifies the number of seconds a crawler should wait between requests to your server. This helps prevent server overload from aggressive crawlers. Note that Google doesn't support crawl-delay; use Google Search Console to adjust crawl rate for Googlebot instead.
Where should I place the robots.txt file?
The robots.txt file must be placed in the root directory of your website, accessible at https://yourdomain.com/robots.txt. It cannot be placed in a subdirectory. Each subdomain requires its own robots.txt file if you want different rules.