What is WordPress?

WordPress is a content management system that is open-source and allows website owners to manage and create their website with ease. With security and privacy as a top priority in website management, adding a robots.txt file to your WordPress site is necessary.

Understanding Robots.txt File for WordPress Site

A robots.txt file is a text file that instructs search engine crawlers to differentiate which pages or sections of your site should not be crawled. It basically tells the search engine what to index or not on your website. Having a robots.txt file added to your WordPress site helps protect your sensitive information and data. Also, it improves your search engine optimization by making known which content to index.

Steps to Add a Robots.txt File to Your WordPress Site

Step 1: Create a Robots.txt File

The first step is to create a robots.txt file. It can be created online using various generators that are totally free of charge. An example of these generators is the SEO Chat Robots.txt Generator that will create a robots.txt file for you after entering the URLs you want to exclude. Ensure that the file is saved with the name “robots.txt.”

Step 2: Upload the Robots.txt File to WordPress Site

Upload the robots.txt file you created to the root directory of your website. To do this, an FTP client, such as FileZilla, or the File Manager in cPanel can be used. Ensure that the file is saved with the name “robots.txt.”

Step 3: Test the Robots.txt File

After uploading the robots.txt file to your WordPress site, test it to make sure it’s working correctly. The Google Search Console is recommended for testing robots.txt file. Enter the URL of your robots.txt file in the crawl section select robots.txt tester, then click on test. The tool will display any errors found, allowing you to make necessary modifications.

Step 4: Customize the Robots.txt File

If required, customize the robots.txt file to meet your website’s needs. WordPress includes some default rules in its robots.txt file; however, modifications can be made. Various common customizations can be added, such as permitting search engines to crawl your entire site or specific pages of your site.

Step 5: Save the Robots.txt File

After customizing the robots.txt file to meet your website’s needs, ensure to save it with the name “robots.txt” and keep it in the root directory of your WordPress site.

Conclusion

Website security and privacy are crucial factors for every website owner. With instructions listed above, you can create and customize a robots.txt file that protects your website’s personal and sensitive data while also enhancing your website’s search engine ranking. Test the robots.txt file to ensure it’s working correctly, make necessary modifications, and save it with the name “robots.txt” in the root directory of your WordPress site.