Googlebot User-Agent & Blocking Rules
Operated by Google. Verify the official user-agent string and safety status for this bot. Use the tools below to run a live crawlability test and get copy-paste robots.txt rules to manage its access. Crawler info last updated on .
What is Googlebot?
Googlebot is Google's primary web crawling bot. It discovers and indexes new and updated pages to be added to the Google Search index. Blocking this bot will remove your site from Google Search results.
Test if Googlebot can access your URL
Enter URL to test if Googlebot is allowed or blocked.
Is Googlebot safe?
Yes, Googlebot is considered safe.
This bot is verified and generally respected by the SEO community.
For more information about our safety badges, visit our documentation.
User-Agent String used by Googlebot
GooglebotHow to block Googlebot with robots.txt?
Add the following standard robots.txt rule to prevent Googlebot from accessing your site.
User-agent: Googlebot Disallow: /
What happens if I block Googlebot?
Critical Impact
Blocking Googlebot will prevent your website from appearing in search results. This will significantly reduce your organic traffic and visibility. Only block if you intentionally want to remove your site from this search engine.
Common use cases for Googlebot
Understanding how Googlebot is typically used can help you make informed decisions about whether to allow or block it on your website.
- Crawls and indexes web pages for search results
- Discovers new and updated content on your website
- Analyzes page structure, content, and links for ranking
- Renders JavaScript to understand dynamic content
- Checks for mobile-friendliness and page speed