AI crawler index
What is Claude-SearchBot?
Claude-SearchBot is Anthropic's crawler for AI search. Navigates the web to improve the quality of the search results Claude gives its users.
At a glance
| Operator | Anthropic |
|---|---|
| Purpose | AI search |
| User agent | Not documented by the operator |
| Obeys robots.txt | Yes, according to the operator |
| Published IP ranges | https://claude.com/crawling/bots.json |
| How to verify it | Anthropic says a source IP on its published list indicates the crawler is from Anthropic. |
| Official documentation | https://support.claude.com/en/articles/8896518-does-anthropic-crawl-data-from-the-web-and-how-can-site-owners-block-the-crawler |
Should you block Claude-SearchBot?
It builds the index an AI search engine cites from. Blocking it can remove your pages from that engine's answers and links, so if you want to be cited there, allow it.
Anthropic says blocking it may reduce your visibility and accuracy in Claude's search results. It is separate from ClaudeBot, the training crawler.
How to block or allow Claude-SearchBot in robots.txt
Block it everywhere:
User-agent: Claude-SearchBot
Disallow: /Allow it everywhere:
User-agent: Claude-SearchBot
Allow: /Rules are matched by the token on the User-agent line. Test the result with the robots.txt tester before you publish it.
Other Anthropic crawlers
- ClaudeBot: AI training
- Claude-User: User-triggered fetch
Check your own site
The AI crawler checker tells you which AI crawlers your robots.txt lets in, and the log file analyzer shows how often each one actually visits. For the bigger picture, see what AI crawlers are and the full AI crawler index.
FAQ
Claude-SearchBot questions
Start tracking your brand in AI search today
Monitor how AI engines cite your brand, track keyword positions, and benchmark against competitors, all in one platform.