Avoid blocking paginated pages via robots.txt unless justified.
- Avoid blocking paginated pages via robots.txt unless justified2 cited sources1 category
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Why this matters
Blocking paginated pages in robots.txt prevents crawling, which may hide content and confuse indexing.
Hypothetical standard operating procedure
Adapt this example to your site, access, tools, and change process. It is our suggested procedure, informed by the sources below.
- Fetch and review robots.txt file for Disallow rules affecting pagination paths.
- Identify any wildcards or parameter rules blocking paginated URLs.
- Remove or adjust rules that block important paginated pages.
- Test crawling of paginated URLs using Search Console or crawlers.
- Confirm pages return 200 status and are not blocked in reports.
Watch for
Blocking useful paginated pages can prevent search engines from discovering and indexing valuable content.
Definition of done
robots.txt allows access to all valuable paginated page URLs without disallow directives.
Sources & attribution
Original checklist wording and example SOP by Best SEO Checklist, using source-grounded AI assistance. Editorial contact: Ted Kubaitis, @tedkubaitis on Teams. Check current source guidance before implementation.