If you have a website, one tiny file named robots.txt has a huge influence on how search engines such as Google view your site. By modifying this file, you can dictate what pages search engines need to or should not crawl.
AdobeSEO is aware that there are times WordPress’s stock robots.txt cannot cut it. That’s when you might need to overwrite it manually. Don’t worry, it is not as difficult as it seems!
What is robots.txt?
The robots.txt file is just a plain text file that provides directions to search engine crawlers. It’s like a “Do’s and Don’ts” for your website.
For instance:
- You can permit bots to crawl your blog entries.
- You can prevent them from crawling sensitive sections such as admin files.
- This makes your site look more structured in search results.
Why Override It Manually?
WordPress auto-generates a default robots.txt, but it might not do exactly what you need. When you override it manually, you can:
- Prevent bots from crawling unnecessary files.
- Direct search engines to valuable content.
- Enhance your SEO performance.
This is exactly what a Leading SEO company in India would recommend for better visibility.
Step 1: Find or Create the File
- Log into your hosting account.
- Use File Manager or FTP to open your site’s root folder (usually public_html).
- If there’s no robots.txt file, just create a new text file and name it robots.txt.
Step 2: Add Your Rules
Open the file in any text editor and add rules like this:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /wp-admin/
Allow: /wp-content/uploads/
Sitemap: https://yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml
User-agent: * means the instruction will apply to all bots.
Disallow: Prevents bots from accessing some folders.
Allow: Allows bots to access specific locations.
Sitemap: Tells bots where to find all your critical pages.
Step 3: Upload and Check
- Save your file and upload it again to the root folder.
- Go to https://yourwebsite.com/robots.txt in your browser to check if it works.
- You can even test it through Google Search Console.
Quick Tips from a Digital Marketing Company in India
1. Make it simple, don’t clutter it with unnecessary directives.
A clean and brief robots.txt is easier for search engine spiders to obey. Too many complicated rules can get crawlers lost and may block vital pages by accident.
2. Always include your sitemap for improved crawling.
Your sitemap functions as a search engine map, directly leading the search engines to your key pages. Including it in robots.txt guarantees that the bots can find and index your site’s content easily.
3. Reupload your file whenever you redesign or redo your website.
Website layouts usually get modified when you introduce new pages or re-design. It is imperative to review your robots.txt periodically so that you don’t end up blocking search engines from crawling new or refreshed content unintentionally.
Plugins vs. Manual Editing
You can also edit the robots.txt from within WordPress using SEO plugins such as Yoast SEO. But manual editing provides greater control, something a Top SEO Company in India always recommends for serious work on SEO.
Why Hire AdobeSEO?
Taking care of small details such as robots.txt can have a big impact on how your website does. We are at AdobeSEO:
- The Digital Marketing Company in India with years of experience.
- A reliable Digital Marketing Agency in India that produces tangible results.
- Committed to assisting websites to grow with intelligent strategies.
Final Thoughts
Manually overwriting the robots.txt file is a simple job if you do it correctly. It’s not much work, but it can make a big difference for your site to be seen. If ever you get lost, you can always consult the pros such as AdobeSEO, your trusted Top SEO Company in India.