What function does the robots.txt file serve on a web server?

The robots.txt file serves a specific function in guiding search engine bots regarding the indexing of content on a website. When placed in the root directory of a web server, this file allows the site owner to communicate with automated agents or web crawlers about which parts of the website should not be indexed or accessed. By specifying certain directories or files, webmasters can prevent search engines from indexing sensitive information or pages that are still under development, which ensures that search results only display intended content.

This file acts as a best practice for managing the visibility of a website’s content in search engine results, thereby helping maintain control over what information is publicly accessible. It contains directives that bots respect, which helps them avoid crawling and indexing the specified content, thus serving the intended purpose of this file.