Migration Guide

Use this guide when replacing another robots.txt setup with Better Robots.txt.

1. Record Your Current Rules

Before changing anything:

• save a copy of the current robots.txt
• note any custom directives you need to preserve
• note whether the current site uses a physical /robots.txt file

2. Remove Conflicts

If another plugin or a hand-written physical file currently controls robots.txt, disable or remove that source first.

The most common blocker is a physical /robots.txt file in the site root.

3. Install Better Robots.txt

Install and activate the plugin, then open the settings wizard.

4. Recreate the Needed Rules

Use the current wizard flow to rebuild what you actually need:

• Global Settings for sitemap lines and core WordPress rules
• Search Engine Visibility for search presets
• AI & LLM Governance for AI-related robots rules
• E-commerce Optimization for WooCommerce cleanup
• Advanced Settings for any custom directives you want to preserve

5. Compare the Preview

Open Step 14 - Review & Save and compare the generated preview to the previous file.

6. Save and Re-Test

After saving:

• visit https://yoursite.com/robots.txt
• verify the sitemap lines
• verify the rules you intended to keep
• verify there is no remaining conflict with a physical file

Important Note

The safest migration path is to review your old rules and recreate the ones you still want in the new wizard.