Why does chrome request a robots.txt?

@arlo 

Chrome (and other web browsers) requests a robots.txt file as a standard practice to check whether a website allows or disallows web crawlers, such as search engine bots, from accessing and indexing certain parts of the website.

The robots.txt file is a text file located in the root directory of a website that provides instructions to web crawlers about what can and cannot be accessed on the site. It contains rules and directives that inform search engine bots which pages or sections of the website they are allowed to crawl and index.

When Chrome requests a robots.txt file, it is simply following the common protocol for web crawlers to check if there are any specific instructions that need to be followed. This helps to ensure that search engine bots respect the website owner's preferences for what should or should not be indexed in search engine results.

By adhering to the instructions in the robots.txt file, Chrome and other web crawlers can avoid accessing and indexing sensitive or private content, preventing it from being exposed to the public through search engine results.