Downloads content for AI model training without direct attribution.
Recommended action: Review robots.txt policy and decide if training access is acceptable.
Category
AI Data Scraper
Primary use case
AI model training
Trust level
Review recommended
Trust Levels
- Trusted
- Generally safe
- Review recommended
- Caution advised
Trust levels are an indication based on category, operator, and robots.txt compliance. Always review bot activity for your specific situation.
Learn how we assess trustrobots.txt
Respected
ClaudeBot Traffic (Last 90 Days)
What is ClaudeBot?
ClaudeBot is Anthropic's training-data crawler. It systematically downloads pages so Claude's underlying language models can learn from your content during training cycles. This is a one-way relationship: ClaudeBot takes content, but it doesn't link back or cite you in user answers (that's what Claude-User does). If you want Anthropic to use your content for model training, leave it allowed; if you don't, blocking ClaudeBot prevents inclusion in future training datasets without affecting how Claude cites you in live conversations. Anthropic exposes the live IP allowlist as a JSON file, which means BotSights can verify each visit and flag anything spoofing the ClaudeBot user-agent.
What ClaudeBot means for your site
ClaudeBot downloads your content to include in datasets used to train AI models, operated by Anthropic. Your text becomes part of the AI's general knowledge, but without direct attribution or links. This is a key distinction: training crawlers take your content, AI assistants cite it. You can control training access via robots.txt without affecting citations.
What should you do?
- Decide whether you want Anthropic to train on your content
- Block via robots.txt if unwanted: User-agent: ClaudeBot / Disallow: /
- Monitor crawl patterns for unexpected spikes
- Review BotSights data to see which pages are targeted
See ClaudeBot on your own site
BotSights tracks every ClaudeBot visit in real time, including which pages it crawls, how often, and from where.
How to identify ClaudeBot
ClaudeBot uses the user-agent "ClaudeBot" and respects robots.txt. It crawls broadly and systematically, often downloading full page content.
ClaudeBotclaudebotHow to block ClaudeBot
Three robots.txt options below. Pick the one that matches your goal. Each snippet lists every known ClaudeBot user-agent pattern so the rules apply regardless of which one the bot announces.
Edit robots.txt with care
A single misplaced line can de-index your entire site. Common mistake: pasting User-agent: * followed by Disallow: / blocks every bot, not just ClaudeBot, including Googlebot. Always paste the snippet between existing rules (not over them), keep the User-agent line scoped to ClaudeBot's patterns, and verify with Google's robots.txt tester before deploying. If you are not sure, ask a developer first.
Option 1: Block all access
Tells ClaudeBot not to crawl any URL on your site. Use this when you want the bot completely off your content.
User-agent: ClaudeBot
User-agent: claudebot
Disallow: /Option 2: Block specific paths only
Keep public content crawlable but exclude sensitive or non-public sections. Add one Disallow: line per path. Replace the example paths with your own.
User-agent: ClaudeBot
User-agent: claudebot
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /private/
Disallow: /checkout/Option 3: Slow down with a crawl delay
Crawl-delay is a voluntary directive that asks the bot to wait the given number of seconds between requests. Useful when ClaudeBot is hammering your origin and slowing the site down for real visitors, but you do not want to block it outright. The value is in seconds, so 10 means at most one request every ten seconds. Not all bots honour this directive (Googlebot ignores it; Bingbot, Yandex, and many AI crawlers do respect it).
User-agent: ClaudeBot
User-agent: claudebot
Crawl-delay: 10Frequently Asked Questions
What is the User-Agent for ClaudeBot?
ClaudeBot identifies itself with the User-Agent string "ClaudeBot" (alternate forms: claudebot). Use this exact string in robots.txt rules to control access.
Can I stop ClaudeBot from using my content for AI training?
Yes. Add this to your robots.txt: User-agent: ClaudeBot / Disallow: /. Anthropic commits to respecting robots.txt for training data.
Will blocking ClaudeBot affect my AI citations?
No. ClaudeBot is a training crawler, separate from real-time AI assistants. For example, blocking ClaudeBot does not block Anthropic's user-prompt assistants from citing your content live.
What's the difference between ClaudeBot and an AI assistant bot?
ClaudeBot crawls broadly to build training datasets — your content becomes part of the model's general knowledge but without direct attribution or links. AI assistant bots (like ChatGPT-User, Claude-User) fetch specific pages in response to user prompts and cite sources back. They use separate User-Agents and can be controlled independently.
How do I verify that a request is really from ClaudeBot?
User-Agent alone is not enough — anyone can claim to be ClaudeBot. Anthropic publishes verification details in their docs. BotSights flags spoofed traffic automatically.
Is my content being used without permission?
Training crawlers collect publicly accessible content. The legal landscape around this is rapidly evolving (lawsuits in the US, EU AI Act, etc.). Robots.txt remains the most practical opt-out mechanism today, plus emerging standards like ai.txt.
How often does ClaudeBot crawl?
Training crawlers usually visit periodically — weekly or monthly waves rather than daily. If you see sudden spikes, monitor whether the bot is honoring Crawl-delay directives in your robots.txt.
See which pages AI training crawlers target
Monitor training-oriented bots, identify the content they access most, and decide what to allow or block.
- Track training crawler activity per page
- See exactly which content is being scraped
- Make smarter allow or block decisions
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