Applebot
What is Applebot?
About
Applebot is a web crawler used by Apple to index search results that allow the Siri AI Assistant to answer user questions. Siri's answers normally contain references to the website. You can see how often Applebot visits your website by setting up Dark Visitors agent analytics.
Detail
| Operator | Apple |
| Documentation | http://apple.com/go/applebot |
Type
Expected Behavior
AI search crawlers do not adhere to a fixed visitation schedule for websites. The frequency of visits varies widely based on many factors, and can even happen on-demand in response to a user query.
Agent Analytics
Visits to Your Website
Half of your traffic probably comes from artificial agents, and there are more of them every day. Track their activity with agent analytics.
Top Websites
Robots.txt
Should I Block Applebot?
Probably not. AI search crawlers power AI search engines, which are a useful way for users to discover your website. AI search engine assistants usually cite their sources and provide links to their results.
How Do I Block Applebot?
You can block Applebot or limit its access by setting user agent token rules in your website's robots.txt. Set up Dark Visitors agent analytics to check whether it's actually following them.
| User Agent Token | Description |
|---|---|
Applebot |
Should match instances of Applebot |
# robots.txt
# This should block Applebot
User-agent: Applebot
Disallow: /
Recommended Solution
Instead of doing this manually, use automatic robots.txt to keep your rules updated with the latest AI scrapers, crawlers, and assistants automatically.
Global Bot & LLM Traffic
AI Search Crawlers
The overall volume of internet traffic coming from AI Search Crawlers
See Global Bot & LLM Traffic →