# Botify Agent: Robots.txt Check

**ID:** `robots_txt_check`

Fetch a host's robots.txt and optionally test URLs against a user-agent


    Fetch robots.txt for a domain and optionally check whether URLs are allowed
    or disallowed for a given user-agent.

    Matching uses Google's robots.txt parser. A 2xx body (including an empty
    file) is passed to the matcher. A 4xx response other than 429 is treated as
    no robots.txt, so every URL is allowed. A 429, a 5xx response, or a transport
    failure is treated as a temporary full disallow, so every URL is disallowed.

    The matcher does not fold a more specific bot such as Googlebot-Image into
    Googlebot. Pass the user-agent token you want to test.
    

## Authentication

All endpoints require a **Bearer token** in the `Authorization` header.

```
Authorization: Bearer <your-token>
```

## Calling this agent

This agent supports the following processing modes:

| Mode | Type | Description |
|------|------|-------------|
| **Process** | Synchronous | Single-item processing. Best for real-time requests with immediate response. |
| **Batch Process** | Synchronous | Process multiple items in a single request for efficiency. |
| **Async Process** | Asynchronous | Single-item processing for long-running tasks that exceed timeout limits. |
| **Async Batch Process** | Asynchronous | Large-scale batch jobs with background processing. |

# Synchronous Processing

Synchronous calls block until the result is ready. Use these for quick operations where you need immediate results.

## Single Item Processing

Process a single input and receive the result immediately.

```
POST https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/process
```

### Request body

```json
{
  "item": {
    "domain": "<domain>"
  }
}
```

### Response

Returns a single processed item (HTTP 200).

### cURL example

```bash
curl -X POST "https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/process" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "item": {
    "domain": "<domain>"
  }
}'
```

## Batch Processing

Process multiple inputs in a single synchronous request. More efficient than making individual calls. Items are processed concurrently on the server.

```
POST https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/batch_process
```

### Request body

```json
{
  "items": [
    {
      "domain": "<domain>"
    }
  ]
}
```

### Response

Returns an array of results. Each element is either a successful processed item (`"status": "success"`) or an error (`"status": "error"`).

### cURL example

```bash
curl -X POST "https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/batch_process" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "items": [
    {
      "domain": "<domain>"
    }
  ]
}'
```

### When to use synchronous calls

- Processing completes within timeout limits (typically 30 seconds)
- You need immediate results for user-facing features
- Small to medium batch sizes (up to ~100 items)

# Asynchronous Processing

Asynchronous calls return immediately with a batch ID. You then poll for results using the `async_batches/` endpoints.

### Async processing flow

1. **Submit job** -- `POST` to `async_process` or `async_batch_process`
2. **Receive batch ID** -- response contains `batch_id`
3. **Poll status** -- `HEAD` request to check readiness (lightweight, no body)
4. **Get results** -- `GET` request to retrieve processed results

## Async Single Item

Submit a single item for background processing. Use the `/single` endpoint to retrieve the result.

```
POST https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/async_process
```

### Request body

```json
{
  "item": {
    "domain": "<domain>"
  }
}
```

### cURL example

```bash
# Step 1: Submit the job
curl -X POST "https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/async_process" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "item": {
    "domain": "<domain>"
  }
}'

# Response: { "batch_id": "abc123" }

# Step 2: Check if batch is ready (HEAD request -- lightweight check)
curl -I -X HEAD "https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/async_batches/abc123" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"
# Returns 200 if ready, 204 if still processing

# Step 3: Get the result (for single-item async)
curl -X GET "https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/async_batches/abc123/single" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"
# Returns 200 with result, 202 if still processing, 404 if batch not found
```

## Async Batch Processing

Submit multiple items for background processing. The request body uses **JSONL** (newline-delimited JSON) format.

```
POST https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/async_batch_process
```

### Request body (JSONL, `Content-Type: text/plain`)

The first line contains `config` and `batch_config`. Each subsequent line is an item with a unique `id`.

```
{"config": {}, "batch_config": {}}
{"id": "item_1", "item": {"domain": "<domain>"}}
```

### Response

Returns a JSON object with `batch_id`, `status`, and a `Location` header.

### cURL example

```bash
# Step 1: Submit the batch job
curl -X POST "https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/async_batch_process" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: text/plain" \
  -d '{"config": {}, "batch_config": {}}\n{"id": "item_1", "item": {"domain": "<domain>"}}'

# Response: { "batch_id": "xyz789" }

# Step 2: Check if batch is ready (HEAD request)
curl -I -X HEAD "https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/async_batches/xyz789" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"
# Returns 200 if ready, 204 if still processing

# Step 3: Get all results
curl -X GET "https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/async_batches/xyz789" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"
```

## Checking Batch Status

Use a lightweight `HEAD` request to check if your batch is ready without transferring data.

```
HEAD https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/async_batches/{batch_id}
```

```bash
curl -I -X HEAD "https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/async_batches/{batch_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"

# Response headers indicate status:
# HTTP/1.1 200 OK        -> Batch is complete, results ready
# HTTP/1.1 204 No Content -> Still processing
# HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found -> Batch does not exist
```

## Retrieving Results

Once the batch is ready, fetch results using the appropriate endpoint.

```bash
# For async_process (single item) -- use /single endpoint
curl -X GET "https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/async_batches/{batch_id}/single" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"

# For async_batch_process (multiple items) -- use base endpoint
curl -X GET "https://agents.botify.com/{org}/{project}/robots_txt_check/async_batches/{batch_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"
# Returns streaming JSONL where each line is a processed item or error
```

### Async response codes

| Code | Endpoint | Meaning | Action |
|------|----------|---------|--------|
| 200 | `HEAD` / `GET` | Batch complete, results ready | Read results from response body |
| 204 | `HEAD` | Still processing | Continue polling |
| 202 | `GET /single` | Still processing | Continue polling |
| 400 | `GET /single` | All items failed (client error) | Check error in response body |
| 404 | `HEAD` / `GET` | Batch does not exist | Verify `batch_id` is correct |

> **HEAD vs GET:** Use `HEAD` requests for lightweight status checks (no response body). Use `GET` only when ready to retrieve results to minimize bandwidth.

### When to use asynchronous calls

- Processing takes longer than 30 seconds
- Large batch sizes (100+ items)
- Background processing where immediate results aren't required
- Integration with job queues or workflow systems

## Python Example

A complete Python example showing both synchronous and asynchronous patterns.

```python
import requests
import time

API_TOKEN = "your_api_token"
BASE_URL = "https://agents.botify.com/{organization}/{project}"
AGENT = "robots_txt_check"

headers = {
    "Authorization": f"Bearer {API_TOKEN}",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}

single_payload = {
  "item": {
    "domain": "<domain>"
  }
}


def process_sync(payload: dict) -> dict:
    """Synchronous single-item processing."""
    response = requests.post(
        f"{BASE_URL}/{AGENT}/process",
        headers=headers,
        json=payload
    )
    response.raise_for_status()
    return response.json()


def process_async(
    payload: dict,
    poll_interval: int = 5,
    max_retries: int = 60
) -> dict:
    """Asynchronous single-item processing with polling."""
    # Submit job
    response = requests.post(
        f"{BASE_URL}/{AGENT}/async_process",
        headers=headers,
        json=payload
    )
    batch_id = response.json()["batch_id"]

    # Poll for results using HEAD (lightweight check)
    for _ in range(max_retries):
        status = requests.head(
            f"{BASE_URL}/{AGENT}/async_batches/{batch_id}",
            headers=headers
        )

        if status.status_code == 200:
            result = requests.get(
                f"{BASE_URL}/{AGENT}/async_batches/{batch_id}/single",
                headers=headers
            )
            return result.json()
        elif status.status_code == 204:
            time.sleep(poll_interval)
        else:
            raise Exception(f"Unexpected status: {status.status_code}")

    raise Exception("Max retries exceeded")


def process_async_batch(
    items: list,
    config: dict | None = None,
    poll_interval: int = 5
) -> dict:
    """Asynchronous batch processing with polling."""
    import json as _json

    # Build JSONL payload: first line is config, subsequent lines are items
    lines = [_json.dumps({"config": config or {}, "batch_config": {}})]
    for i, item in enumerate(items):
        lines.append(_json.dumps({"id": f"item_{i}", "item": item}))
    body = "\n".join(lines)

    # Submit batch (JSONL, text/plain)
    response = requests.post(
        f"{BASE_URL}/{AGENT}/async_batch_process",
        headers={**headers, "Content-Type": "text/plain"},
        data=body
    )
    batch_id = response.json()["batch_id"]

    # Poll until ready
    while True:
        status = requests.head(
            f"{BASE_URL}/{AGENT}/async_batches/{batch_id}",
            headers=headers
        )

        if status.status_code == 200:
            results = requests.get(
                f"{BASE_URL}/{AGENT}/async_batches/{batch_id}",
                headers=headers
            )
            return results.json()

        time.sleep(poll_interval)


# Example usage
# result = process_sync(single_payload)
# result = process_async(single_payload)
# results = process_async_batch([{"input": "item1"}, {"input": "item2"}])
```

## Billing

Fixed cost per call. A robots.txt we can fetch ourselves adds nothing. When the origin blocks the fetch (401, 403, 407, or 429) or returns a server error, a live page fetch is billed. A 5xx may be retried on harder routes, and only the route that got the file is billed. A private, loopback, or unresolvable host is not retried.

These usage SKUs can be charged on a call.

| SKU | Credits | Description |
| --- | ------- | ----------- |
| Tool call | 1 per request | Charged once per successful item, on top of any usage below. |
| Live page fetch | 5 per 10 page | Fetches a page from the live web as an ordinary visitor would. |
| Live page fetch, hard-blocked page | 75 per 10 page | A page that refused every gentler attempt. Charged instead of them: the attempts it refused cost nothing. |
| Live page fetch, protected page | 25 per 10 page | A page that refused an ordinary fetch and had to be retried. Charged instead of the ordinary fetch, not on top of it. |


## Schemas

### Item

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "domain": {
      "description": "Hostname (www.example.com) or absolute URL. Reduced to an origin (scheme + host + port). https is assumed when the scheme is omitted.",
      "title": "Domain",
      "type": "string"
    },
    "urls": {
      "default": [],
      "description": "URLs to test against the fetched robots.txt. Absolute http(s) URLs, or paths (/private) resolved against the origin. Each URL must use the same scheme, host, and port. At most 20.",
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "maxItems": 20,
      "title": "URLs",
      "type": "array"
    },
    "user_agent": {
      "anyOf": [
        {
          "type": "string"
        },
        {
          "type": "null"
        }
      ],
      "default": null,
      "description": "User-agent token passed to the matcher. Required when urls is non-empty. Not defaulted; a specific bot such as Googlebot-Image is not folded into Googlebot.",
      "title": "User Agent"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "domain"
  ]
}
```

### Config

This agent uses the default config (no custom fields).

### Response

```json
{
  "$defs": {
    "RobotsTxtUrlCheck": {
      "description": "Whether one URL is allowed or disallowed by robots.txt.",
      "properties": {
        "url": {
          "description": "The absolute URL that was matched",
          "title": "URL",
          "type": "string"
        },
        "allowed": {
          "description": "True when the URL passes robots.txt, false when it is disallowed",
          "title": "Allowed",
          "type": "boolean"
        }
      },
      "required": [
        "url",
        "allowed"
      ],
      "title": "RobotsTxtUrlCheck",
      "type": "object"
    }
  },
  "properties": {
    "found": {
      "description": "True when the fetch returned HTTP 2xx, including an empty file",
      "title": "Found",
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "content": {
      "anyOf": [
        {
          "type": "string"
        },
        {
          "type": "null"
        }
      ],
      "description": "robots.txt body on 2xx, truncated to 500 KiB. Null when found is false. Empty file is found=true and content=''.",
      "title": "Content"
    },
    "status_code": {
      "anyOf": [
        {
          "type": "integer"
        },
        {
          "type": "null"
        }
      ],
      "description": "HTTP status of the robots.txt response, or null on transport failure",
      "title": "Status Code"
    },
    "url": {
      "description": "The robots.txt URL that was requested",
      "title": "Robots.txt URL",
      "type": "string"
    },
    "checks": {
      "default": [],
      "description": "One entry per input URL, in order. Empty when urls was omitted. allowed is true when the URL passes robots.txt.",
      "items": {
        "$ref": "#/$defs/RobotsTxtUrlCheck"
      },
      "title": "Checks",
      "type": "array"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "found",
    "content",
    "status_code",
    "url"
  ],
  "title": "RobotsTxtCheckProcessedItem",
  "type": "object"
}
```

## Best Practices

**Use exponential backoff for polling.** Start with short intervals (1-2 seconds) and increase the delay between polls to reduce API load.

**Set reasonable timeouts.** For synchronous calls, configure your HTTP client with appropriate timeout values (30-60 seconds).

**Handle rate limits gracefully.** Implement retry logic with backoff when you receive 429 (Too Many Requests) responses.

**Batch when possible.** Use batch endpoints to reduce the number of API calls and improve throughput.