Intro
In a recent LinkedIn post, Google Analyst Gary Illyes challenged the traditional approach of placing robots.txt files on the root domain. He introduced an alternative method that centralizes these files on Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), offering flexibility and improved management.
Key Insights:
- Robots.txt Flexibility:
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The robots.txt file doesn’t need to reside on the root domain (e.g., example.com/robots.txt).
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Websites can have robots.txt files hosted on both the primary website and a CDN.
- Centralized Robots.txt Management:
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By hosting robots.txt on a CDN, websites can centralize and streamline their crawl directives.
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For example, a site could host robots.txt at https://cdn.example.com/robots.txt and redirect requests from https://www.example.com/robots.txt to this centralized file.
- Compliance with Updated Standards:
- Crawlers adhering to RFC9309 will follow the redirect and use the centralized robots.txt file for the original domain.
Practical Benefits:
1. Centralized Management:
- Consolidating robots.txt rules in one location simplifies maintenance and updates across your web presence.
2. Improved Consistency:
- A single source for robots.txt rules reduces the risk of conflicting directives between the main site and the CDN.
3. Enhanced Flexibility:
- This method is particularly beneficial for websites with complex architectures, multiple subdomains, or extensive use of CDNs.
Reflecting on 30 Years of Robots.txt
As the Robots Exclusion Protocol (REP) marks its 30th anniversary, Illyes’ insights highlight the ongoing evolution of web standards. He even hints at the potential for future changes in how crawl directives are managed, suggesting that the traditional "robots.txt" file name might not always be necessary.
How to Implement This Approach:
1. Create a Centralized robots.txt File:
- Host your comprehensive robots.txt file on your CDN (e.g., https://cdn.example.com/robots.txt).
2. Set Up Redirects:
- Configure your main domain to redirect robots.txt requests to the CDN-hosted file.
3. Ensure Compliance:
- Make sure your setup complies with RFC9309 so that compliant crawlers will correctly follow the redirect.
Conclusion
Gary Illyes’ guidance on centralizing robots.txt files on CDNs offers a modern approach to managing crawl directives. This method enhances flexibility, consistency, and ease of management, especially for sites with complex infrastructures. Embracing this strategy can streamline your site management and potentially improve your SEO efforts.
