Google has removed a section from its multilingual documentation that previously provided guidance on using robots.txt to block automatically translated pages. This change represents a documentation-only update with no behavioral modifications to Google's systems.
Alignment with Updated Spam Policy
The documentation change was implemented to align with Google's spam policy update that took effect in March 2024. The removed section specifically dealt with blocking all automatically translated pages through robots.txt configuration.
Scaled Content Abuse Policy Context
This update relates to Google's broader initiative to address scaled content abuse, which the company defines as the generation of many pages primarily for manipulating Search rankings rather than helping users.
The policy targets abusive practices focused on creating large amounts of unoriginal content that provides little to no value to users. Google's approach encompasses content created through various methods, including:
- Automation
- Human efforts
- Combined human and automated processes
Policy Evolution
The new scaled content abuse policy builds upon Google's previous spam policy regarding automatically-generated content. This expansion ensures Google can take action against scaled content abuse regardless of the production method used to create the content.
The March 2024 policy update represents Google's continued effort to maintain search quality by addressing content that manipulates rankings without providing meaningful value to users.
