Bot signals · Web crawler
What is Algolia Crawler?
The Algolia Crawler extracts content from websites and makes it searchable. Given a set of start URLs, it visits those pages, extracts the data relevant for search, discovers other pages through links and sends the data to its customer’s Algolia indices, and it can run on a schedule.
01 · Profile
Algolia Crawler at a glance.
What to look for in your logs, and what the lookup API returns for its addresses.
- Type
- Web crawler
- User agent
Algolia Crawler- robots.txt
User-agent: Algolia Crawler- API flag
risk.is_crawler
A user agent alone never sets a flag. Anyone can claim to be Algolia Crawler; the flag follows the address the request comes from.
02 · In the response
What a match looks like.
A lookup of a Algolia Crawler address sets risk.is_crawler. The flags come with geolocation and network data in the same response, for API keys on every paid plan.
The response says which kind of bot an address belongs to, not which operator. A request that claims to be Algolia Crawler while risk.is_crawler is false should not be trusted as Algolia Crawler.
{
// … location and network fields …
"risk": {
"is_ai": false,
"is_crawler": true,
"is_scanner": false
}
}
03 · Control
Allow or block Algolia Crawler.
User-agent: Algolia Crawler Disallow: /
To enforce it
- robots.txt is a request. Well-behaved bots follow it; impostors using its name don’t.
- Firewall, WAF or CDN. Many offer bot rules you can allow or deny by category. Use them to enforce what robots.txt only asks for.
- In your app. Look up the client address and allow or deny on
risk.is_crawler, alongside the user agent. - Never on the user agent alone. Blocking the name stops only honest clients; allowing it lets anyone in who borrows it.
04 · Questions
About Algolia Crawler.
What is Algolia Crawler?
The Algolia Crawler extracts content from websites and makes it searchable. Given a set of start URLs, it visits those pages, extracts the data relevant for search, discovers other pages through links and sends the data to its customer’s Algolia indices, and it can run on a schedule.
How do I block Algolia Crawler?
Add a robots.txt rule for Algolia Crawler. Algolia says its user agent is Algolia Crawler followed by a version number that changes regularly, so robots.txt rules should name Algolia Crawler without the version. To enforce a block rather than request one, deny it at your firewall, WAF or CDN.
Can I trust a request that says it is Algolia Crawler?
Not on the user agent alone: any client can send “Algolia Crawler” in its user agent. A user agent alone never sets a flag. Check the address with the free bot checker or the lookup API.
Which risk flag does Algolia Crawler set?
Its addresses set risk.is_crawler in the lookup response. The risk flags come with every paid plan.
From the blog
Go deeper.
Related bots
Recognise Algolia Crawler on every request.
is_ai, is_crawler and is_scanner in every lookup, on every paid plan, from 9,00 € a month (VAT included).