A robots.txt file is a directive placed at the root of your domain that tells search engine crawlers which parts of your site they can or cannot access. It’s an essential tool for controlling how Google and other search engines index your pages. If you accidentally block important areas—like product pages or location pages for Chelmsford or Basildon—search engines won’t discover them, harming your local SEO. Conversely, if you want to keep certain admin or development sections private, robots.txt can help. Regularly review this file to ensure you haven’t inadvertently excluded or allowed the wrong directories. While the robots.txt file alone won’t boost rankings, misconfiguring it can stunt your SEO efforts by preventing vital pages from being indexed. For Essex businesses looking to stand out, a properly maintained robots.txt file is part of the foundational technical setup that allows search engines to see and rank your content.