Die robots.txt is a text file that is used by webmasters to tell search engine crawlers which areas of a website can and cannot be indexed. This file follows the Robots Exclusion Standard, a protocol that is recognized by most search engines.
The robots.txt file can be used to provide specific instructions, such as excluding specific pages, images, or other types of files from indexing. It can also be used to regulate crawling frequency, i.e. how often search engine bots visit the website.
However, it is important to note that the robots.txt file does not provide full protection. Despite the instructions in the file, content may be captured and indexed by search engines if other routes (such as direct links from other sites) lead to the actually excluded content. Webmasters should therefore not rely on the robots.txt file to completely protect sensitive or confidential data from access by search engines.
