Creating a Robots.txt file in Prestashop: step by step

You may have heard about this file. Did you know that creating it in your e-commerce can give you many benefits? That's right, the robots.txt file in PrestaShop is ideal for the correct functioning of your e-commerce in this CMS. In this article we will explain how to create it in the latest versions so that you can avoid the tracking errors that occur when you do not have this protocol on your website. Let's get started! ?

What is a Robots.txt file?

A robots.txt file is a fundamental element in the strategic management of a website . This file plays an important role in the interaction between websites and search engines, as well as with other web robots. By understanding its function and correct implementation, as website owners we can decide which parts of the content are accessible to search engines and which are not. If we dig a little deeper, a robots.txt file is a text file used on websites to communicate with search engines . It tells crawlers that crawl and collect information which URLs on your site they can access. But… What exactly is the function of a robots.txt file? We'll tell you below!

Robots.txt function in PrestaShop

The robots.txt file in PrestaShop plays a fundamental role in managing the visibility of your online store. Below, we tell you what its functions are and how it can become your ally in optimizing the visibility and performance of your online store:

1. Limit crawling of certain parts of your website. This will help you optimize your resources , as search engines will not crawl pages that you do not want to be indexed and therefore ranked. This limitation could also prevent crawl requests from overloading your web server.
2. Avoid duplicate content tracking , as it is common to have products displayed in multiple categories or pages.
3. If you have information or pages that you want to restrict access to, with the robots.txt file you can prevent them from being shown organically in search engines by not being indexed. These pages can be, for example, shopping cart pages, internal search pages, login pages, etc.
4. Using the robots.txt file, you can also prevent image, video, and audio files from appearing in Google Search results.

It is important to note that the robots.txt file is a guide for search engines, but it does not guarantee that the page you want to limit access or visibility to will not appear in Google search results. To do this, you must combine the use of robots.txt with other SEO practices and configuration in PrestaShop. And at Línea Gráfica we can help you if you need it! To do this, we will use modules that allow you to perform this task and we will talk about some of them below.

Best modules to generate Robots.txt in PrestaShop

In the search to optimize the visibility and performance of your online store, a module to generate robots.txt in PrestaShop can be the solution, and these are some of the options you can use:

• Robots.txt editor for PrestaShop to query or generate new rules to block or allow certain URLs to be crawled. Edit your file from your ecommerce admin.
• XML Sitemap & Robots.txt Generator – While primarily focused on generating XML sitemaps, this module also includes tools to create and manage your robots.txt file. This is an option if you want to manage both aspects.
• Smart SEO URL module , which optimizes all URLs and navigation through your online store, automatically updates the robot.txt and sitemap, etc.

Before choosing a module, check its compatibility with the PrestaShop version of your store. In the case of the module developed by Línea Gráfica, it is updated as new versions of PrestaShop are released. If you want to know more, just ask us! We will be happy to help you.

Steps to create the Robots.txt file in PrestaShop

Below we show you the steps you need to follow to create your robots.txt file in PrestaShop and to make sure you have done it correctly:

1. In PrestaShop, you need to go to “Preferences” and then to “SEO & URLS”.
2. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you will find the “Robots File Generation” section.
3. There you will find the “Generate robots.txt file” button. By clicking on this button, the file will be created for your PrestaShop store.

To verify that it has been created correctly, simply go to the browser search bar and type the main URL of your website followed by “/robots.txt”. For example, “www.lineagrafica.es/robots.txt”.

Why create the Robots.txt file in PrestaShop?

In the competitive world of e-commerce, visibility is essential. To optimize your presence on search engines and improve user experience, it is important to create a robots.txt file in PrestaShop for the following reasons:

• It allows you to optimize your SEO strategy by allowing you to focus crawling on pages and content of greater relevance. This is achieved by limiting search engine access to certain non-essential resources.
• Review the changelog for any previous rules or modifications.
• Revert to previous versions of your website.
• Monitor your robots.txt file configuration from the Google Search Console tool to detect and fix any issues or errors that may arise in your robots.txt file configuration.

As you can see, creating the robots.txt file in PrestaShop is essential for the correct and effective indexing of your website in search engines. At Línea Grafica we have the necessary resources so that, by standing out in search engines, your ecommerce can achieve a greater number of organic traffic thanks to the configuration of your website's robots.txt file, among other strategies. Contact us!

Frequently Asked Questions about Robots.txt in Prestashop

How to edit Robots.txt files?

To edit Robots.txt files you will need a module, such as “SEO NOindex, follow”, that allows you to do so. Once you have installed it, access the module configuration and there you will be able to edit the file comfortably from the same panel.

Where to find the robots.txt file in PrestaShop?

The file is located in the root of your website. You can access it via the main URL of the site followed by “/robots.txt”. For example, “www.lineagrafica.es/robots.txt”.