The user-agent is a statement, not proof of identity. Before granting an exception or interpreting an activity like that of an engine, check the query according to the operator's methods. Keep the results and take into account the network intermediaries.
Start with a specific request
Record the time, requested path, status and observed address at the appropriate infrastructure layer. If a proxy or CDN sits in front of the server, check how the originating address is passed on and which sources are trusted. A header that any client can supply is insufficient to identify a machine. Investigate a few cases before drawing conclusions across all logs.
Apply the official method
Google documents the verification by its address lists and the DNS method. For a DNS check, you must check the name obtained and then confirm that its direct resolution corresponds to the initial address, with the suffix expected for the category. Do not validate a name only because it contains the word Google. Check out the official information during the implementation.
Link the observed address to the correct robot category
The Google documentation distinguishes several categories of crawlers and recovery tools. Addresses and name patterns are not to be interpreted out of this category. Before concluding that a query comes from Googlebot, use the appropriate official method and address actually observed at the reliable border of your infrastructure. An address copied from an unverified header can be chosen by the client sending the request.
| Step | Control | Shortcut to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| starting address | Identify reliable source in logs | Trust any header received |
| reverse resolution | Get the name associated with the address | Accept a name containing only the word Google |
| Name and category | Check the expected domain according to the documentation | Confusing tool triggered by a current user and robot |
| direct resolution | Find the initial address from the name you got | Stop at reverse resolution |
| Authorization | Apply the intended access perimeter | Open a private area because identity is recognized |
A suffix should be checked with a domain boundary, not by a simple text search. A name like googlebot.com.example.net does not belong to the Googlebot.com domain. However, comparing the name alone is not enough: keep the direct resolution check or use the published address lists according to the method chosen.
Separate identity and authorization
An identified robot should only access the resources intended for it. A public page and an administration interface do not have the same scope. Document firewall exceptions and their purpose. Identification helps analyze load and errors; It does not replace an access policy, appropriate limitation and protection of sensitive functions.
Fictitious example: an increase in queries
A site sees many accesses bearing an engine name, with unusual paths. The team checks a sample and finds that some addresses do not match published validation methods. It then separates verified traffic and declared traffic to understand the load. It does not conclude that the official engine launched this activity on the sole basis of a wording.
Run a spot check and keep track
From a Windows prompt with the nslookup tool, start with the query address you are reviewing, and then query the name actually obtained. The two lines below are models to replace, not a control result. Do not publish your raw journals or settings that may contain sensitive information to illustrate an article.
nslookup ADRESSE_IP_OBSERVEE
nslookup NOM_RETOURNE_PAR_LA_PREMIERE_REQUETE- Note the start request, date and infrastructure level where the address was collected. If a proxy intervenes, document the configuration that makes this address reliable.
- Confront solving name and results with Official Google Methods. If a step is unavailable or ambiguous, keep the status to check rather than confirm by default.
- For a large volume, prepare an appropriate automated verification with an update and error management policy. Avoid slow or blocking dependency on each public request.
- Then analyze the access and load separately. A verified identity proves neither successful indexing nor the quality of the response served.
The useful result is a traceable classification: identity verified according to such method, unconfirmed identity or incomplete verification. Link this information to CDN and firewall diagnostics To understand a refusal of access, without confusing the declaration of the robot with the decision of your infrastructure.
Make control maintainable
Plan to update lists, manage temporary failures, and log limited to the necessary items. Avoid blocking DNS searches on every public query; Choose a suitable architecture with your technical team. After correction, check Errors and Useful Access. Complete with the Diagnosis of CDN blockages To distinguish an identity problem from a response problem.