How to use this tool
- Paste the robots.txt content (a preloaded example is shown by default).
- Enter the user-agent to test (use * for "all crawlers", or a specific bot name like Googlebot).
- Enter the path to test, e.g. /blog/post-1 — the result updates live.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Remember robots.txt rules are case-sensitive for paths — /Admin/ and /admin/ are different as far as matching goes.
Why test robots.txt in the browser?
This parses the robots.txt text you paste using the same directive-matching logic crawlers use — groups by user-agent, longest-path-wins matching — entirely in your browser, so you can test rules before publishing them live.
Frequently asked questions
- Where do I find a site's robots.txt?
- It's always at the domain root, e.g. https://example.com/robots.txt — open that URL and copy the plain text content.
- Which rule wins if multiple rules match my path?
- The most specific (longest) matching path wins, which is the common convention most crawlers (including Googlebot) follow — this tool applies the same logic.
- Does "Blocked" mean the page is removed from search results?
- Not necessarily — robots.txt only asks crawlers not to fetch the page. A blocked page can still appear in search results (e.g. via links from elsewhere) without its content being crawled. Use a noindex meta tag to actually prevent indexing.
How GetByteRush compares
Most free tools for this online work the same way: you upload your file to their server, wait, then download the result — which means your file (and often your email, for a "free" account) sits on someone else's infrastructure. Here's the actual difference:
| Feature | GetByteRush | Typical online robots.txt testers |
|---|---|---|
| Test before publishing | Yes — paste any draft content | Usually requires the file to already be live |
| Data ever leaves your device | No — 100% client-side | Often yes |
("Typical online tools" reflects publicly documented behavior of common free file-processing sites as of 2026 — always check a specific competitor's own privacy policy and pricing page, since these details change.)