Introduction:
A robots.txt file is an essential part of any website’s search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. It tells search engines which pages on your site they can crawl and index, and which ones they should ignore. In this article, we will explain how to write a robots.txt file in Yoast SEO.
Step 1: Access the Robots.txt File
The first step is to access the robots.txt file on your website. In Yoast SEO, you can do this by going to “SEO” in the left-hand menu and then clicking on “File Editor.” From there, select “robots.txt” from the drop-down menu.
Step 2: Add Disallow Directives
The next step is to add disallow directives to your robots.txt file. These directives tell search engines which pages on your site they should not crawl or index. To do this, you can use the following syntax:
Disallow: /path/to/page/For example, if you want to prevent search engines from crawling and indexing your login page, you could add the following directive:
Disallow: /login/Step 3: Add Allow Directives
If there are any pages on your site that you want search engines to crawl and index, but they are located in a directory that is blocked by a disallow directive, you can use allow directives to override the disallow directive. To do this, you can use the following syntax:
Allow: /path/to/page/Step 4: Add Sitemap Directives
Finally, if you have a sitemap on your site, you can use the robots.txt file to tell search engines where it is located. To do this, you can use the following syntax:
Sitemap: /sitemap.xmlConclusion
In conclusion, writing a robots.txt file in Yoast SEO is a simple process that can have a significant impact on your website’s search engine optimization strategy. By following the steps outlined above, you can ensure that search engines are crawling and indexing the right pages on your site, while ignoring the ones that are not relevant to their algorithms.
