Redfin's robots.txt file provides specific instructions for how web crawlers should behave. Majority of the content is listed under disallow rules, stopping any unwanted scraping or crawling activity on most of the areas of the site. For instance, paths such as Disallow: /stingray/, Disallow: /gates/, Disallow: /jammin/*, and Disallow: /metrics are just a few examples where crawling is restricted. However, there are a few paths where crawling is allowed but under specific conditions.

A good example of this can be found in this section of the robots.txt: User-agent: * Disallow: /, where it suggests that the homepage is disallowed for all user agents, cutting off the key entry point for many website crawlers. The robots.txt file also allows crawling on specific pages, such as Allow: /s/sitemap*. Another key direction to note is Crawl-delay: 1 which indicates crawlers should wait for 1 second between successive requests. From a web scraping view, Redfin's robots.txt file showcases a high level of navigation control it exercises over crawling bots to maintain the website's server load and integrity.

The terms of service of Redfin expressly prohibit data collection through automated means, which includes activities like web scraping. For instance, Redfin's terms state, "You agree not to use robots, spiders, scripts, or other automated means to access the Site for any purpose, including monitoring or copying any of the material on the Site." This clearly highlights that any attempt to automate data collection or access the site programmatically is against their terms and conditions.

Beyond this, the terms also state that violations of these prohibitions have repercussions. The terms explicitly mention, "In the event of any breach of these terms, in addition to any other remedies available at law or in equity, Redfin will be entitled, without the requirement of posting a bond or other security, to equitable relief, including injunctive relief and specific performance." Such penalties can include account deactivation, IP blocking, and potential legal repercussions. Therefore, proper and authorized use of the site's resources is strongly emphasized.