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Glossary of Terms

We have compiled this list of terms and definitions to help you better understand the terminology used within the web development community.

robots.txt

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A robots.txt file lives in the root of your website and tells search engine crawlers which parts of the site they can access and which they should skip. It is one of the most basic SEO tools for managing how bots interact with your content. Getting it wrong can accidentally block important pages.

robots.txt

The robots.txt file is a plain text file at your domain's root (e.g., example.com/robots.txt) that gives instructions to search engine crawlers. It tells bots which directories and pages they are allowed to crawl and which they should ignore. It is the first file crawlers check when they visit your site, making it one of the most powerful — and potentially dangerous — SEO configuration files you have.

Why It Matters

  • It controls crawl access. robots.txt determines what search engine bots can and cannot crawl on your site. Without it, crawlers access everything. With it, you can direct them away from admin panels, staging areas, duplicate content, and other pages that should not be indexed.
  • It manages crawl budget. Search engines allocate a limited crawl budget to each site. By blocking crawlers from low-value pages (search results, filtered listings, utility pages), you direct that budget toward the content that matters for rankings.
  • Mistakes have serious consequences. A single misplaced Disallow: / line blocks your entire site from search engines. These errors can go undetected for weeks while your organic traffic quietly drops to zero.
  • It is publicly readable. Anyone can view your robots.txt by visiting yoursite.com/robots.txt. This means competitors can see your crawl directives, and it also means mistakes are visible to everyone.

How to Set It Up

  1. Place it at your domain root. The file must be accessible at yoursite.com/robots.txt. It will not work if placed in a subdirectory. Make sure it returns a 200 status code, not a 404.
  2. Block admin and utility areas. Disallow paths like /admin/, /cart/, /search/, and /tmp/ that provide no search value. This keeps crawlers focused on your actual content.
  3. Point to your sitemap. Include a Sitemap: directive with the full URL to your XML sitemap. This helps search engines discover your sitemap without having to search for it.
  4. Use specific User-agent rules when needed. You can create rules for specific crawlers using User-agent: Googlebot or apply rules to all crawlers with User-agent: *. Be specific only when different crawlers need different instructions.
  5. Test before deploying. Use testing tools to validate your robots.txt before putting it live. A syntax error or overly broad rule can block critical content. Always verify that important pages are still accessible after changes.

Common Mistakes

  • Blocking the entire site with Disallow: /. This single line prevents all crawlers from accessing any page on your site. It is sometimes left from a development or staging environment and accidentally deployed to production.
  • Blocking CSS and JavaScript files. Search engines need to render your pages to evaluate them. Blocking stylesheets and scripts prevents crawlers from seeing your page as users do, which can hurt your rankings.
  • Thinking robots.txt prevents indexing. Blocking a URL in robots.txt prevents crawling, not indexing. If other pages link to a blocked URL, search engines may still index it — they just cannot crawl it to see the content. Use noindex for pages you want fully removed from search results.
  • Never reviewing it after initial setup. Sites evolve — new sections are added, old ones restructured. A robots.txt written years ago may be blocking content that should now be crawled, or allowing access to areas that should now be restricted.
Bottom Line: Keep your robots.txt focused — block admin areas and low-value pages, include your sitemap URL, test every change before deploying, and review it regularly. It is a small file with enormous power over your search visibility.
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Synonyms: Robots File, Crawl Directives

What Does "Liquid Purple" mean?

noun | / LIK-wid PUR-pul /

  1. (biochemistry) Also known as visual purple or rhodopsin — a light-sensitive receptor protein found in the rods of the retina. It enables vision in dim light by transforming invisible darkness into visible form. Derived from the Greek rhódon (rose) and ópsis (sight), its name reflects its delicate pink hue and vital role in perception.

  2. (modern usage) Liquid Purple — a digital marketing agency specializing in uncovering unseen opportunities and illuminating brands hidden in the digital dark. Much like its biological namesake, Liquid Purple transforms faint signals into clear visibility — revealing what others overlook and bringing businesses into the light.

Origin: From the scientific term rhodopsin, discovered by Franz Christian Boll in 1876; adopted metaphorically by a marketing firm dedicated to visual clarity in the age of algorithms.

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For over 20 years, Liquid Purple has been headquartered in the heart of Southern California, serving clients across Irvine, Newport Beach, Anaheim, and the greater Los Angeles area. While we are proud of our local roots, our digital reach extends far beyond our local area. We support businesses in major hubs like Denver, Dallas, New York, and Miami, as well as international clients. Our ability to operate across time zones means you can often wake up to completed tasks and progress updates—keeping your business moving while you sleep.