Check whether robots.txt is reachable

SEO specialists and site owners can use this after a release or whenever search engines suddenly stop crawling important pages.

Learn whether robots.txt responds, which status it returns and what crawlers receive, so an accidental access block becomes easier to pinpoint.

How to use

Enter the domain of the site whose robots.txt file you want to check, without adding a page path.
Start the test so the remote service can fetch the file from the target site.
Look at the returned status and the content received to see whether crawlers can read the file.
If the file is missing or returns an error, fix its location or access permissions on the site.

Example

After a redesign, an SEO manager can test the domain to confirm that robots.txt still responds. The result helps spot a redirect, an error page, or empty content before search engines lose access to important pages.

Limits and formats

A status other than 200 may come from a firewall, a redirect, or a custom error page.
The content shown may be shortened by the tool or by the site response, making long rules harder to read.
The test does not show whether crawlers obey the file; it only shows what is reachable.
A correct response does not guarantee that every important page is allowed.

Where processing happens

Your domain is sent to the YOORfree server, which then fetches the robots.txt file from the target site itself. No local file is uploaded, and the status plus the retrieved content are returned for display.

Frequently asked questions

What does a 404 status for robots.txt mean?

A 404 status means the file is not found at the expected address. Crawlers may then treat the site as having no rules. Check that the file is at the domain root and has the correct file name.

Why is the content different from the file in my editor?

The site may serve a cached version, a redirect, or a file changed on the server. Compare the tested address with your local file, then clear the cache if needed before running the check again.

Can I test a subdomain?

Yes, if you enter the full subdomain. Each subdomain can have its own robots.txt file. The result therefore applies only to the host you entered, not to the main domain.