Robots.txt specific query

[IanTurner]

if a robots.txt file has

useragent *
Disallow: /this.htm

will this disallow the robots from all instances of this.htm within the site or just from the home directory?

[Rumbas]

IMO the syntax you describe would disallow the file - this.htm - no matter where you place it.
But let's see what the experts say ;)

In the mean time you can take a look at WebmasterWorld's own

Robots Checker [searchengineworld.com]

It validates a robots.txt file and has some nice info on robots-txt.

[Brett_Tabke]

This is a question where ambiguity reigns. According to spec, it will only block it, if the url STARTS with that match:

This can be a full path, or a partial path; any URL that starts with this value will not be retrieved. For example, Disallow: /help disallows both /help.html and /help/index.html, whereas Disallow: /help/ would disallow /help/index.html but allow /help.html

useragent *
Disallow: /this.htm

That would only get:
/this.htm

But would also get:
/this.htm/rocks

The problem is, that I don't believe all spiders follow the spec that way. They tend to do sliding regexs.

[IanTurner]

Hmm and I thought this was going to be easy for an expert on robots.txt files.

Oh well of to W3C again - though this probably won't help

[bufferzone]

It is my understanding, that spiders works in very different wayes (and most of the times mysterios). Somtimes it even seemes that some spiders "eat" in directoryes, they are not allowed in.

Regards
Kim (snipped URL.....please no signatures)

(edited by: agerhart at 6:51 pm (gmt) on Sep. 24, 2001

[agerhart]

Bufferzone,

What I think you are referring to are rogue spiders and the ones that do not adhere to or abide by the robots.txt, which is the not the case for the major search engines.

[bufferzone]

agerhard>>Thank's and sorry for the URL, I now know it is not alowed

Kim

[agerhart]

No problem Kim.....I hope that you enjoy the forums. There is a whole lot of great information here.