Google No Longer Recommends Robots.txt to Block Auto-Translated Content
Google removed guidance advising websites to block auto-translated pages via robots.txt. This aligns with Google's policies that judge content by user value, not creation method. Use meta tags like "noindex" for low-quality translations instead of sitewide exclusions.
Highlights
- Google ceased sharing instructions for websites to block auto-translated pages via robots.txt.
- This is in line with Google's policies which measure content by the value it provides to the user, not the means by which it was created.
- For a low-quality translation use meta tags like "noindex" rather than site-wide exclusions.
Google has updated its documentation by removing any recommendations about blocking automatically translated pages from search results via robots.txt.
This will be another change in-line with Google's technical docs made consistent with spam policies introduced last year.
"This is a docs-only change, no change in behavior," Google assured in its Search Central changelog.
Why This Matters
Taking out a few lines in the documentation may seem trivial, but it signals that Google's stance toward automated content is perhaps changing.
Because of the rollout of the "scaled content abuse" policies in the past year, Google found this advice to be outdated and removed it.
These policies look at content from the perspective of whether it provides value, no matter how it came into existence.
For sites having multilingual content, this signifies the following.
Old Approach
- Block auto-translated content by robots.txt
- Avoid indexing automated content
New Approach
- Quality of translations is somehow judged on a case-by-case basis
- Focus on value for the user instead of on creation method
- Use page-level controls, such as meta robots tags, instead of blanket blocks
Note that Google never officially stated that all machine translations were spam; rather, earlier guidance seemed to recommend to block them by default. With the new policies, a nuanced evaluation is suggested.
Related: Google On Scaled Content: “It’s Going To Be An Issue”
What To Do Now
While Google does not recommend changing behavior right now, these should be considered:
- The change made in the Google documentation does not put an expectation on webmasters to change their sites overnight.
- It is, however, a good occasion to reconsider the approach taken towards translated content on your site, so here are some specific considerations for site owners and SEOs:
- Consider robots.txt: Check your robots.txt file for rules that may blanket-block translated pages. If you find rules blocking pages in certain languages or pages generated from auto-translation, re-examine their validity. If the translation is pretty good and useful to the user, consider dropping the disallow rules, allowing these pages to be crawled by Google.
- Implement quality guidelines for translation: Automations translations are not always equal in service quality. Go over your otherwise translated pages and do a quality check. Retain those pages hated by good language and well-paying meaning to the original source. Those that are really bad/confusing should have a noindex tag so they are not indexed at all. In essence, keep the good and noindex the bad.
- Think user-first: Once you are deciding how your translated-page structure looks, ask this: Was this page really useful to someone searching in that language? Are you providing value to those users, or are you merely hoping to gain some extra keyword value? If a page is created merely to have some extra languages pumped into your website and truly serves no utility or readability purpose, then don't index it. Thus in user experience, you are going to consider and naturally do what Google advices.
- Select specific page controls rather than site-wide bans: Be selective and begin to turn the corner. Instead of blocking all auto-generated content across your whole site, apply page-level controls such as noindex in the meta or canonical tags to those specific pages that were auto-generated. This way you do not wipe out an entire language section because some pages may have been constructed poorly, which is better for the controls at the page level. This better works in conjunction with what Google advises evolving in their recently updated guidance.
See also: Google On Robots.txt: When To Use Noindex vs. Disallow
Final Thoughts
Small changes in Google's documentation are noticed by some, yet just as quickly some changes are overturned
For SEO specialists with multilingual sites, this is just a reminder not to get stuck in their ways and to focus instead on what works for their users.
FAQs:
Q1: Why did Google remove guidance on using robots.txt to block auto-translated pages?
A: Google updated its documentation to reflect a shift in focus from how content is created to how useful it is for users. Instead of recommending blanket disallows via robots.txt, Google now advises evaluating the quality of each page individually.
Q2: Does this mean Google now allows indexing of auto-translated content?
A: Yes, if the translated content is high-quality, useful, and provides a good user experience, Google may index and rank it. Poor-quality or robotic translations, however, may still be penalized.
Q3: Should I remove robots.txt blocks for translated versions of my site?
A: If your translated pages are accurate and user-friendly, you should consider removing those robots.txt disallows. However, for low-quality pages, use page-level controls like <meta name="robots" content="noindex">.
Q4: What’s the best way to handle low-quality or partial translations?
A: Avoid indexing them by using the <meta name="robots" content="noindex"> tag or canonical tags to point to the original version, instead of blocking them through robots.txt.
Q5: Is automatically translated content now considered “safe” for SEO?
A: Not by default. Google evaluates quality—not the method of creation. Auto-translated content is fine as long as it meets quality guidelines and serves users well.
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