X-Robots-Tag

X-Robots-Tag

What is the X-Robots-Tag?

The X-Robots-Tag is a directive used in the HTTP response headers of a web page, similar to the meta robots tag but applicable to non-HTML files as well. It provides instructions to search engine crawlers on how to index and follow the content of a web page or other types of files, such as images, PDFs, or text files.

Key Differences from Meta Robots Tag:

• Scope: Unlike meta robots tags, which are used in HTML pages, X-Robots-Tags can be applied to any file type through HTTP headers.
• Flexibility: X-Robots-Tags can be used to apply directives globally or to specific types of content, providing a more flexible approach compared to meta robots tags.

Why is the X-Robots-Tag Important?

1. Flexibility Across File Types: X-Robots-Tags can control indexing and crawling for non-HTML files, which meta robots tags cannot. This is useful for managing the SEO of various types of content beyond traditional web pages.
2. Global Control: It allows you to apply directives across multiple files or an entire subdomain, which can simplify managing SEO for large sites or specific file types.
3. Specific Directives: Using X-Robots-Tags can help you implement directives such as noindex, nofollow, noarchive, and others on files that are not directly editable through HTML.

Common Directives Used with X-Robots-Tag:

• noindex: Prevents the file or page from appearing in search engine results.
• nofollow: Instructs crawlers not to follow any links within the page or file.
• none: Equivalent to noindex, nofollow, meaning neither indexing nor following of links is allowed.
• noarchive: Prevents search engines from displaying a cached version of the page.
• nosnippet: Stops search engines from showing a snippet or preview in search results.

How to Set Up the X-Robots-Tag:

1. Apache Server:

• You can configure X-Robots-Tags in the .htaccess file or httpd.conf file.
• Example to apply noindex and nofollow to all PDF files:
  apache <FilesMatch "\.pdf$"> Header set X-Robots-Tag "noindex, nofollow" </FilesMatch>

1. NGINX Server:

• Configure in the site’s .conf file.
• Example to apply noindex and nofollow to all PDF files:
  nginx location ~* \.pdf$ { add_header X-Robots-Tag "noindex, nofollow"; }

1. Specifying Crawler Directives:

• You can target specific crawlers by naming them. For instance, to apply directives only for Googlebot:
  apache Header set X-Robots-Tag "googlebot: noindex, nofollow"

Where to Find the X-Robots-Tag:

• Browser Developer Tools:
• Open the URL in a browser like Google Chrome.
• Right-click and select “Inspect” to open Developer Tools.
• Go to the “Network” tab and reload the page.
• Click on the file of interest, and view the HTTP headers in the right panel.
• SEO Tools:
• Tools like Ahrefs SEO Toolbar can simplify checking for X-Robots-Tags. The extension shows the X-Robots-Tag in the “Indexability” section if present.

Conclusion

The X-Robots-Tag is a powerful tool for managing SEO across various file types and applying global directives. It extends the capabilities of meta robots tags by allowing control over non-HTML files and providing flexible options for managing indexing and crawling behavior. Properly utilizing X-Robots-Tags ensures that you can fine-tune your site’s SEO strategy across a diverse range of content.