The purpose of a robots.txt file is to:
- list the pages on a website to manage the content that’s shown to search engines
- instruct search engines on how to handle duplicate content
- instruct search engine bots on how to crawl the pages on a website
- tell HubSpot the user agent of a visitor’s browser
Explanation: The correct answer is ‘instruct search engine bots on how to crawl the pages on a website.’ A robots.txt file serves as a set of instructions for search engine crawlers, detailing which areas of a website they are allowed to access and index. By specifying rules in the robots.txt file, website owners can direct search engine bots to prioritize crawling certain pages while excluding others, thus controlling how their site is presented in search engine results. This helps in optimizing the visibility and accessibility of the website’s content to search engines, ultimately influencing its search engine ranking. The other options are incorrect because while managing content for search engines and handling duplicate content are important aspects of search engine optimization (SEO), they are not the primary purpose of the robots.txt file. Additionally, telling HubSpot the user agent of a visitor’s browser is not related to the function of a robots.txt file, as HubSpot is a marketing automation platform and not a search engine.