Robots.txt Checker

Fetch the live robots.txt file from a website and read the rules published for general crawlers. The checker also lists sitemap locations declared in the file.

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Public HTTPS websites only. The submitted URL and result are not stored.

What this robots.txt checker checks

  • Whether robots.txt is reachable
  • Allow and Disallow directives for the selected user agent
  • Declared XML sitemap locations
  • The final robots.txt URL and HTTP status

How to read the result

Robots.txt controls crawling, not guaranteed indexing. Blocking a page can prevent crawlers from seeing a noindex directive. Important public pages should normally be crawlable and linked from the site.

How to use it

  1. Enter the complete public HTTPS URL you want to inspect.
  2. Select the check button and wait for the live response.
  3. Review the result and correct any issue at the website or hosting provider.
  4. Run the checker again to confirm the public response changed.

Common questions

Does Disallow remove a page from Google?

Not reliably. A blocked URL can still appear if Google discovers it elsewhere. Use noindex on a crawlable page when removal is required.

Where should robots.txt live?

At the root of the hostname, such as https://example.com/robots.txt.

Should a robots file include the sitemap?

It is helpful and widely supported. The sitemap can also be submitted directly through search-engine webmaster tools.