Bot intelligence record
Googlebot
Usually allowUse the Googlebot identifier to separate Google search indexing or content discovery traffic from normal visitor requests in server logs.
- Operator
- Family
- Type
- Search
- Source type
- Official
- Last checked
- 2026-05-20
User-Agent Pattern
GoogleGooglebot
User-agent strings are identification signals, not proof of identity. Confirm important allow, block, or rate-limit decisions with logs, DNS or IP evidence, request behavior, or operator documentation when available.
Robots.txt Snippet
Click snippet to copyUser-agent: Googlebot Disallow: /Click the snippet to copy it, or highlight the text manually.
Handling Guidance
DependsThis bot is usually safe to allow when the request source is verified and the traffic matches your site policy.
Search indexing, content discovery, rendering, or search-result freshness checks.
Record Details
Structured data- Operator
- Family
- Type
- Search
- Purpose
- Indexing
- Identity type
- Official Documented
- Confidence
- High
- Last verified
- 2026-04-01
- Last checked
- 2026-05-20
- Source type
- Official
- Verification
- Use Google's official crawler verification guidance because user-agent strings can be spoofed.
- Spoofing risk
- User-agent strings can be spoofed. For allow-listing or low-friction rules, pair the published identifier with operator documentation or cryptographic verification when available.
Notes
Googlebot is listed in the Botcrawl directory as a search crawler from Google. The primary identifier for log review is Googlebot.
Identification
- User-agent pattern:
Googlebot - Family: Google
- Type: Search
- Kind: Crawler
Common use
Search indexing, content discovery, rendering, or search-result freshness checks.
Verification and handling
Use Google's official crawler verification guidance because user-agent strings can be spoofed.
Directory guidance marks the risk level as Safe and the blocking decision as Depends. Do not rely on the user-agent string alone because user-agent strings can be copied or spoofed.
Robots.txt handling: Yes.
Evidence and Source
- Use Google's official crawler verification guidance because user-agent strings can be spoofed.
- Match `Googlebot` as a case-insensitive substring in HTTP user-agent logs. Review bot_aliases for alternate names or product labels. Use bot_http_agent for full user-agent examples when the client sends a longer browser-like string. Do not treat a user-agent match alone as proof of identity for allow-listing.
- Search indexing, content discovery, rendering, or search-result freshness checks.
- User-agent strings can be spoofed. For allow-listing or low-friction rules, pair the published identifier with operator documentation or cryptographic verification when available.
https://developers.google.com/crawling/docs/crawlers-fetchers/google-common-crawlers
Monitor This Bot In Edge
Botcrawl EdgeUse Botcrawl Edge to see matching traffic, create allow or block rules, and control this bot across connected sites.