Are you currently running an online business on Shopify? If so, you’re likely always looking for ways to improve your store and enhance the customer experience. One tool that can help with this is Shopify’s robots.txt file. This file is designed to control how search engines access and index your store’s content, helping to improve your store’s visibility and user experience.

For a detailed explanation of how Shopify’s robots.txt works and how to make the most of it, check out our article, “Shopify Robots.txt: Everything You Need to Know.”

Let’s get started now!

Shopify Robots.txt: An Overview

Shopify Robots.txt has a significant influence on Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It is the file that helps merchants a lot in controlling search robots.

The robots.txt file contains rules for robots and crawlers accessing your website. For example, you can use a “disallow” rule to block certain directories or URLs, asking bots not to access them.

This file is always found at:
yourwebsite.com/robots.txt

Having rules in Robots.txt doesn’t guarantee that bots will follow them. However, most reputable bots, like Googlebot, Ahrefsbot, Bingbot, and DuckDuckBot, will check this file before crawling your site. 

How to Edit Robots.txt.liquid

If you want to edit the robots.txt.liquid file, it’s advisable to work with a Shopify Partner or ensure you have expertise in code editing and SEO. Using Liquid to modify this template allows you to add or remove directives while maintaining Shopify’s automatic updates in the future. This approach is recommended over third-party solutions, as it ensures compatibility and long-term flexibility.

Before proceeding, be sure to remove any previous customizations or third-party services, such as Cloudflare, to avoid conflicts when editing the robots.txt.liquid file.

Step 1: Access Shopify Admin

From your Shopify admin, click “Settings,” then select “Apps and sales channels.”

Step 2: Open the Online Store

On the Apps and Sales Channels page, click “Online store,” and then select “Open sales channel.”

Step 3: Access Themes

Click “Themes,” then click the … button, followed by Edit Code.

Step 4: Create a New Template

In the code editor, click “Add a new template,” and choose robots from the dropdown menu.

Step 5: Make Edits

After creating the template, make the necessary changes to the default robots.txt.liquid file.

Step 6: Save Your Changes

Once you’ve made your adjustments, save the robots.txt.liquid file in your published theme to apply the changes.

How to Delete Robots.txt.liquid Customizations 

If you want to revert to the default robots.txt file in Shopify, you should save a copy of your robots.txt.liquid customizations before deleting the template.

Step 1: Access Shopify Admin

From your Shopify admin, click “Settings,” then go to Apps and sales channels.

Step 2: Open the Online Store

On the Apps and Sales Channels page, click “Online store,” and then select “Open sales channel.”

Step 3: Navigate to Themes

Click “Themes,” then click the … button and choose “Edit Code.”

Step 4: Delete the robots.liquid File

In the code editor, click on “robots.liquid,” and then click “Delete file.”

Step 5: Confirm Deletion

If you’re certain, click “Delete file” again to permanently remove the custom robots.txt.liquid file.

If you need to make changes to the robots.txt file in the future, you can always recreate the robots.txt.liquid file. If you’ve saved your previous customizations, you can easily restore them by copying the saved changes into the new file.

Final Thoughts

The robots.txt file is an essential tool for Shopify merchants looking to optimize their store’s search engine visibility and control how bots interact with their site. Whether you’re blocking specific pages from being crawled, managing duplicate content, or enhancing SEO, understanding and customizing the robots.txt.liquid file can significantly impact your store’s performance.

Shopify Robots.txt: FAQs

1. Is robots.txt still used?

Yes, robots.txt is still widely used by websites. It plays a critical role in controlling how search engine crawlers, like Googlebot or Bingbot, access and index content on a website. While modern search engines have evolved, they still respect robots.txt files to follow instructions about which pages or sections to crawl or avoid.

2. Does my website need a robots.txt file?

Technically, your website doesn’t need a robots.txt file, but it’s highly recommended. Without it, search engine bots will crawl your site freely, which may not always be desirable. A well-configured robots.txt file can prevent unnecessary pages (like admin pages or checkout processes) from being indexed, improving your site’s SEO performance.

3. What is robots.txt used for?

The robots.txt file is used to manage and control search engine bots’ access to certain parts of a website. You can block specific directories, pages, or files from being crawled, or allow certain bots to access specific areas. It’s especially useful for:

• Preventing duplicate content from being indexed.
• Blocking private pages, such as admin or login pages.
• Managing crawl budget by focusing bots on important pages.

4. Why is robots.txt blocked?

A robots.txt file can be blocked or inaccessible for several reasons:

• Deliberate Blocking: The file may contain directives that block specific or all bots from accessing certain pages or directories.
• Misconfiguration: If the robots.txt file is misconfigured, it might inadvertently block important parts of the site.
• Server Issues: The file may be temporarily unavailable due to server problems, which could prevent bots from accessing it.
• Security or Privacy Concerns: Some websites block bots from accessing sensitive or private areas, such as user dashboards, admin sections, or internal test environments.