Robots.txt
/ˈroʊ.bɒts/ˈtɛkst/noun
A text file used to instruct web robots on how to crawl and index a website.
Did you know?The term 'robot' originates from the Czech word 'robota', meaning forced labor, first popularized in the 1920 play 'R.U.R.' by Karel Čapek.
Etymological Timeline
1920s
Czech
robota
“forced labor or servitude, reflecting a sense of toil and subjugation.”
1920s
English
robot
“a mechanical being performing tasks, inspired by the concept of labor in Čapek's play.”
1990s
English
robots.txt
“a file format created to guide web crawlers, linking the idea of robots to the digital realm.”
Modern English
English
robots.txt
“a standard file on websites, symbolizing control over automated processes.”