Test your robots.txt file for SEO issues
Search engines need to know which parts of your website they can crawl. A robots.txt file acts like a set of traffic rules, telling search engines which pages they can and can't access. Our tool helps you check if these rules work correctly.
Why robots.txt matters for SEO
Most websites need a robots.txt file - it's one of the first things search engines look for when visiting your site. Without proper rules, search engines might:
- Waste time crawling pages you don't want indexed
- Miss important pages they should be crawling
- Get stuck in endless loops on your site
- Use up your server resources needlessly
What our tool checks
Our robots.txt validator helps you spot problems before they affect your SEO. Enter any URL to check:
- If the robots.txt file exists and is accessible
- Whether specific URLs are allowed or blocked
- Which search engine bots have access
- If your rules work as intended
- Problems with rule syntax or formatting
The tool supports checking multiple URLs at once and lets you test against different user agents like Googlebot, Bingbot, or custom crawlers.
Live checking vs custom rules
The tool offers two testing modes:
Live mode fetches the actual robots.txt from any website, showing you exactly what search engines see. This helps check competitor sites or verify your own live setup.
Custom mode lets you write and test rules before putting them live. You can experiment with different settings to find what works best for your site.
Common robots.txt mistakes
Wrong file location
Your robots.txt must be in your site's root folder. The file doesn't work if it's placed anywhere else. Search engines look for it at:
https://example.com/robots.txt
Case sensitivity
The filename must be all lowercase - 'robots.txt' not 'ROBOTS.TXT'. Many servers are case-sensitive and won't recognize wrong capitalization.
Syntax errors
Small mistakes can break your rules:
- Missing or extra spaces
- Wrong line endings
- Invalid characters in URLs
- Missing colons after directives
Our tool spots these issues before they cause problems.
Understanding the results
When you test URLs, the tool shows:
- Whether each URL is allowed or blocked
- Which specific rule affects each URL
- The line number of matching rules
- Information about the site's robots.txt file:
- Total lines of code
- Number of valid directives
- Any syntax problems
Green results mean search engines can access the URL. Red means they're blocked by a rule.
Best practices for robots.txt
Start with common rules
Block access to:
- Admin areas
- User accounts
- Shopping carts
- Thank you pages
- Print-friendly versions
- Development environments
Choose the right bot
Different search engines have different bots. Use specific user agents when needed:
- Googlebot for Google web search
- Googlebot-Image for Google Images
- Bingbot for Microsoft Bing
- Baiduspider for Baidu
Watch your wildcards
The * wildcard works in user agent names but not in URL rules. Instead, use pattern matching like:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /wp-admin/
Disallow: /cart/
Allow: /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php
Test before going live
Always check your rules in custom mode first. One wrong directive could block important pages from search engines.
Advanced testing features
Our tool includes options for:
- Testing multiple URLs at once
- Checking against specific user agents
- Validating pattern matching
- Finding conflicting rules
- Spotting common configuration mistakes
Checking competitor sites
The tool helps understand how other sites manage their SEO:
- Which pages they block from search
- How they handle different bot types
- Their crawling strategy for different sections
This insight helps improve your own robots.txt setup.
Regular maintenance
Your robots.txt needs regular checks as your site grows:
- When adding new sections
- After changing site structure
- Before major content updates
- If you notice crawling issues
Our tool makes these checks quick and accurate, helping maintain strong technical SEO.