Adding a robots.txt file to a static website is a straightforward process. This file helps guide search engine crawlers on which parts of your site should be indexed. Here’s how you can create and add one to your PHP-based static website.
Step 1: Create the robots.txt File
Create a new file named robots.txt in the root directory of your website.
Step 2: Define the Rules for Crawlers
Open robots.txt in a text editor and add the rules. Here is an example of a basic robots.txt file:
Step 3: Upload the robots.txt File
Upload the robots.txt file to the root directory of your website using an FTP client or your web hosting control panel.
Step 4: Verify the robots.txt File
Visit https://yourwebsite.com/robots.txt in your browser to ensure it’s accessible and displays the correct rules.
Step 5: Test with Google Search Console
- Go to Google Search Console.
- Select your website.
- Navigate to Crawl > robots.txt Tester.
- Ensure your
robots.txtfile is correct and functional.
Conclusion
Adding a robots.txt file to your static PHP website helps control which parts of your site are crawled by search engines, improving your SEO and protecting sensitive areas of your site. Follow these steps to create and verify your robots.txt file, ensuring it’s correctly guiding search engine crawlers.
