# Only the essentials, please. The rest? A path to nowhere.
User-agent: *
# Keep the essentials open—CSS, JS, and media. Without ‘em, the whole site falls apart.
Allow: *.css                    # The style.
Allow: *.js                     # The magic.
Allow: /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php # The lifeblood.
Allow: /wp-content/uploads/     # The stories.

# Too much junk gets in the way.
Disallow: /edits/               # Behind the curtain, not for bots.
Disallow: /proofing/            # M-O-O-N that spells proofs.
Disallow: /backlight/           # Serves only gunslingers. Boring.
Disallow: /*/thumbnails/*.jpg$  # Low-value debris. Don’t index it.
Disallow: /*/single.php         # Single pages that ain’t worth indexing.
Disallow: /?s=                  # Duplicates and chaos; not helpful.
Disallow: /blackhole/           # Dangerous grounds but not interesting t'all.
Disallow: /readme.html          # Old notes, not for indexing.
Disallow: /wp-login.php         # Keep the gates locked.
Disallow: /wp-json/             # Unnecessary access to the API.
Disallow: /wp-content/debug.log # Debug logs aren't for indexing.
Disallow: /wp-content/upgrade/  # Behind-the-scenes business.
Disallow: /wp-content/backup/   # Backups are sacred—keep out.
Disallow: /trackback/           # Spam-fodder, not for indexing.
Disallow: /xmlrpc.php           # No one’s getting in uninvited.
Disallow: /refer/               # Referrals? Not worth the time.

# Googlebot-Image? Fine, but only the right pictures. The rest, let ‘em fade away.
User-agent: Googlebot-Image
Allow: /wp-content/uploads/     # Crawl the good media.
Disallow: /wp-content/uploads/2012/08/flourish02.png  # Decorative, not for indexing.
Disallow: /wp-content/uploads/2012/08/flourish01.png  # Another decorative image. No need.

# Some bots are like lobstrocities—big, ugly, and wasteful. Don’t let ‘em in.
User-agent: AhrefsBot
Disallow: /

User-agent: Applebot-Extended
Disallow: /

User-agent: Bytespider
Disallow: /

User-agent: CCBot
Disallow: /

User-agent: CLAUDEBOT
Disallow: /

User-agent: Diffbot
Disallow: /

User-agent: FacebookBot
Disallow: /

User-agent: Google-Extended
Disallow: /

User-agent: GPTBot
Disallow: /

User-agent: Meta-ExternalAgent
Disallow: /

User-agent: omgili
Disallow: /

User-agent: Timpibot
Disallow: /

# For the ones who know the way... here’s the map.
Sitemap: https://www.kennethbenjaminreed.com/sitemap.xml