AhrefsBot Explained: Should You Block It or Let It Crawl?

Deeba

Last Updated on 30/04/2025

If you run a website, you’ve most certainly encountered the word “Ahrefsbot” in your server logs or web analytics reports. But what exactly is AhrefsBot, and should you be worried about its presence on your website?

Ahrefsbot crawls your site regularly. It behaves just like Googlebot, coming in and disappearing when it likes. This isn’t always an issue, but it may be significantly worse if it overloads your server and slows down your site.

So, the question is, where does Ahrefsbot stand on this spectrum?

Is it a friend or foe for your website?

Let’s explore!

What is Ahrefsbot?

AhrefsBot is a web crawler run by Ahrefs, a market-leading SEO software suite. This bot continuously explores the web, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to create and update the backlink database, enabling Ahrefs to provide its users with the most accurate and up-to-date data.

It is one of the internet’s most active crawlers. Every minute, AhrefsBot crawls 5 million web pages. According to third-party research, it exceeds Yahoo and Yandex crawlers and is undoubtedly the most active crawler among other SEO tool providers.

Ahrefsbot has performed exceptionally well in its role, propelling the company to the top of the industry, with an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $100 million by 2023.

The bot indexes current, reliable information on websites, their content, and how they relate to one another. This data is beneficial and can be used in many ways:

Search with Yep to get high-quality content and all of the information you need while supporting an alternative search engine dedicated to putting money in the pockets of your favorite content producers.

If you run a website, use Ahrefs to analyze its structure, content, and backlinks to gain insights into its performance. Then, optimize it to enhance user experience, rank better in search engines, and increase traffic.

When it comes to web-scale research, Ahrefs enables you to track the growth in popularity of a website or a specific topic over time, identify which websites link to particular types of content, and determine how frequently a brand has been mentioned recently, among other metrics.

Additionally, AhrefsBot, like any good bot, carefully adheres to the rules specified in the robots.txt files, does not display advertisements on websites, and does not artificially inflate Google Analytics traffic.

How Does AhrefsBot Work?

Ahrefsbot crawls as many websites as possible. It records high-quality link data on each crawl and returns it to the Ahrefs database.

Here’s a quick overview of how AhrefsBot works:

a. Crawling

AhrefsBot begins by crawling the Internet, accessing websites, and requesting pages from servers. Every 24 hours, it searches over 6 billion web pages and refreshes the link index every 15 to 30 minutes. During the crawling process, it follows links on pages to look for new content. The aim is to create a complete index of online pages.

b. Discovering New Pages

AhrefsBot finds new pages by following links from existing ones in its index. This helps it identify and index new information as it becomes available online.

c. Data Collection

AhrefsBot scans pages and gathers data on a variety of SEO-related variables, including but not limited to:

1. Backlinks: AhrefsBot finds and tracks backlinks to a particular page, including its linking domain and anchor text.

2. Keywords: It analyses page content to determine targeted keywords.

3. On-Page SEO Components: AhrefsBot may collect data on on-page elements, including meta tags, headers, and other SEO-related aspects.

d. Site Audit

AhrefsBot conducts site audits, including a comprehensive website analysis for common SEO issues such as broken links, duplicate content, missing meta tags, and other on-page and technical SEO concerns.

e. Indexing

The data from AhrefsBot is subsequently analyzed and indexed in the Ahrefs database. Ahrefs users can gain insights into their own and competitors’ websites by accessing this indexed data via the Ahrefs platform.

f. Regular Updates

Ahrefs Bot often visits websites to update its index with fresh information. This promises that Ahrefs users get the most up-to-date information about their site’s performance and that of competitors in their field.

g. Respect for the Robots.txt and Noindex Meta Tags

AhrefsBot, like other web crawlers, follows the restrictions set by websites via the robots.txt file and meta tags such as “noindex” and “nofollow.” If a website directs AhrefsBot not to crawl specific pages or parts, it will follow those instructions.

AhrefsBot User-Agent String (Latest Version)

When analyzing your server logs or monitoring bot activity, you’ll often come across AhrefsBot — the official crawler used by the Ahrefs SEO toolset. It scans websites to gather backlinks and keyword data for Ahrefs’ database.

Here’s the latest AhrefsBot user-agent string you’ll typically see:

lessCopyEditMozilla/5.0 (compatible; AhrefsBot/7.0; +http://ahrefs.com/robot/)

This user-agent identifies the crawler when it visits your website. Referencing this exact string is essential if you want to block AhrefsBot or filter its activity. Most server logs will log this line when Ahrefs crawls your site, making it easy to detect.

Note: You can also verify if the crawl is coming from the real AhrefsBot by using their official verification tool.

Whether you’re fine-tuning your robots.txt or protecting your site from unnecessary bots, knowing this user-agent helps you take informed action.

Benefits Of Ahrefsbot

Ahrefs is well-known for its complete backlink analysis and SEO-related capabilities. The AhrefsBot collects data for Ahrefs’ index and provides helpful information to those trying to improve their website’s SEO performance.

Here are some of the benefits offered by Ahrefsbot:

1. Practical SEO Data

Ahrefsbot data is extremely valuable to the SEO and marketing communities. The data it collects helps SEOs and marketers learn how to optimize their websites for significant search engines like Google.

Allowing Ahrefsbot to crawl your website ensures its database is constantly updated. Your website provides the most accurate data, which you may compare to your competitors.

This will help you:

Optimize your website.
Prioritize what you need to work on to improve your ranking.

2. Web Crawling

AhrefsBot crawls the web and indexes sites in the same way as search engine bots do. It identifies and collects data from websites, creating a complete database that Ahrefs users may access.

3. Backlink Analysis

One of Ahrefs’ key features is its backlink analysis tool. It facilitates the collection of backlink data, such as the number of backlinks, referring domains, anchor text, etc. This information is helpful for SEO specialists who want to understand their website’s link profile and that of competitors.

4. Keyword Research

Ahrefs provides a set of keyword research tools. AhrefsBot helps discover new and existing pages relevant to specified keywords, providing the data needed for keyword analysis, such as search traffic, keyword difficulty, and click-through rates.

5. Rank Tracking

Ahrefs lets users watch their website’s rankings for specific keywords over time. AhrefsBot contributes to the collection of ranking data by crawling and indexing pages regularly to establish their position in search engine results for particular keywords.

Drawbacks of Ahrefsbot

You should be aware of AhrefsBot’s drawbacks. Each can cause undesirable problems on your website and may not be worth the risk.

1. AhrefsBot Can Slow Down Your Site

When Ahrefsbot crawls your site, it loads like any other user, consuming bandwidth. If Ahrefsbot crawls your website too often, it might consume too much bandwidth, making the site load slower for other visitors.

Speed is an important Google ranking criterion that hurts user experience.

2. AhrefsBot Can be Used by Spammers

As website owners, we must be aware of spammers. Nothing is worse than receiving a flood of uninvited spammy referral traffic that clutters your Google Analytics report and affects your website’s performance.

Spammers may use the Ahrefsbot user agent to:

Repeatedly spam your website.
Send out phony referral traffic.
Scrape important data.

If you are receiving a lot of traffic from Ahrefsbot, you should examine and compare it to the official Ahrefs IP address ranges.

How to Manage Ahrefsbot On Your Site?

AhrefsBot can be blocked or limited using your robots.txt or .htaccess file.

Method 1: Block Ahrefsbot Using Robots.txt

Ahrefs states that Ahrefsbot follows robots.txt guidelines. You can block Ahrefsbot by adding new rules to your robots.txt file.

You’ve got two choices here:

Change the frequency at which AhrefsBot can visit your site.
Completely prevent AhrefsBot from viewing your website.

To adjust the frequency with which Ahrefsbot visits your website, add the following code to your robots.txt file:

The crawl-delay value represents the time the delay was recorded in seconds. Set this value to delay the number of seconds between each Ahrefsbot crawl.

Want to block Ahrefsbot completely?

To do this, add a disallow tag to your robots.txt file. Use the following attribute:

Ahrefsbot should follow the robots.txt rule that you just set up.

Method 2: Block AhrefsBot Using the .htaccess file

This strategy is quite good in blocking AhrefsBot and gives you more control.

Unlike approach 1, which relies on the Ahrefsbot to follow the rules you establish, method 2 gives you complete control over the server.

You will add the Ahrefsbot’s IP address range and ban it based on those addresses.

Now the question arises here…

Should You Block Ahrefsbot?

Before using the term “block,” analyze its pros and cons:

Blocking Ahrefsbot conserves server resources and may improve page performance.
If you are concerned about the disclosure of sensitive data, blocking can help.

Then, it may be suitable to block it.

Blocking Ahrefsbot may prevent you from accessing backlink analysis, competitive research, and keyword data.
Ahrefs’ tools rely on Ahrefsbot data; disabling it can decrease your website’s visibility in its reports and rankings.

Then, don’t block Ahrefsbot since you want to keep your website updated in the Ahrefs index.

Finally, this question can help you decide whether to use the Ahrefsbot.

“Does this benefit my website or hurt my website?”

You can only figure this out by reviewing your site’s access records.

AhrefsBot vs Other SEO Crawlers (SemrushBot, Moz, etc.)

AhrefsBot isn’t the only SEO crawler visiting your website. Other popular SEO tools like Semrush, Moz, and Screaming Frog also run bots to collect data. Here’s how AhrefsBot compares to them in terms of behavior and usage:

Bot Name	User-Agent Example	Purpose	Crawl Frequency	Respect robots.txt?
AhrefsBot	`AhrefsBot/7.0 (+http://ahrefs.com/robot/)`	Backlink and SEO data collection	High	Yes
SemrushBot	`Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; SemrushBot/7~bl; +http://www.semrush.com/bot.html)`	SEO audits, keyword data	Medium-High	Yes
Moz’s RogerBot	`rogerbot/1.0 (http://moz.com/help/pro/what-is-rogerbot)`	Link metrics, Moz index	Medium	Yes
Screaming Frog SEO Spider	Custom user-agent (can be set by user)	On-demand site audits	User-controlled	Yes

Key Differences:

AhrefsBot is one of the most aggressive crawlers in frequency, especially if your site has backlinks or is being monitored via Ahrefs projects.
SemrushBot and Moz’s RogerBot are more moderate and usually tied to user-triggered audits or periodic index updates.
Screaming Frog doesn’t crawl your site unless someone uses the tool manually — it’s not automated like the others.

If you’re experiencing high bot traffic, it’s worthwhile to identify which SEO bots are hitting your server and decide whether they add value or need to be blocked.

Tip: Use your server logs or tools like Cloudflare analytics to track how often each bot visits and what pages they hit.

Conclusion

Now, we have the choice to treat Ahrefsbot as an enemy to be defeated or a friend to be mastered. Understanding Ahrefsbot’s real nature and using the proper measures will allow us to take advantage of its potential while lowering any hidden risks.

We can change it from a dangerous enemy to a firm friend, bringing our websites to the heights of achievement.

Don’t forget to check out our recent blog posts:

FAQs

What is AhrefsBot?

Ahrefsbot is a web crawler used by Ahrefs, a well-known suite of SEO tools and services. It systematically browses and indexes webpages, gathering information for Ahrefs’ many SEO analysis and reporting tools.

Is Ahrefsbot helpful or harmful to my website?

Depending on how you manage Ahrefsbot’s presence on your site, it might be a friend or an enemy. Its crawling and data-gathering skills can give important SEO information, making it a valuable ally. However, unmanaged activity may strain server resources or disclose vulnerabilities, making it a potential risk.

How Can I See AhrefsBot’s Activity on My Website?

Think of Ahrefsbot as a kind visitor who leaves a calling card with each visit. Here’s how to figure out its activity:

User-agent string: When Ahrefsbot visits your website, a unique “user-agent string” is left in the server logs. Look for the following signature: AhrefsBot/7.0; +http://ahrefs.com/robot/

Log Analysis: Examine your server logs to determine Ahrefsbot’s behavior. Look for its IP addresses (which change occasionally; see Ahrefs’ official documentation for updates) and the exact pages it has crawled.

How do I block AhrefsBot from crawling my website?

To block AhrefsBot, add the following lines to your robots.txt file:

User-agent: AhrefsBot
Disallow: /

– This tells the bot not to crawl any pages on your site.

Can blocking AhrefsBot affect my SEO?

Blocking AhrefsBot will not directly impact your Google rankings, but it may prevent Ahrefs users, including SEOs and marketers, from viewing your backlink profile and keyword data. This might reduce your site’s visibility in competitive analysis tools.

How do I know if AhrefsBot is crawling my site?

You can check your server logs for the following user-agent:

Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; AhrefsBot/7.0; +http://ahrefs.com/robot/)

Alternatively, you can filter traffic by bot user-agent or IP address using Cloudflare, Jetpack, or other analytics platforms.

What IPs does AhrefsBot use?

AhrefsBot uses a set of IP addresses owned by Ahrefs. If you’re unsure whether a crawl is legitimate, use their IP verification tool to confirm.

Deeba

Deeba a Savvy SEO Techie with experience in both on-page and off-page optimization. She uses a comprehensive methodology to drive long-term website traffic growth. Outside of work, she enjoys reading novels, appreciating aesthetics, and exploring IT as a novice, with a strong educational background in the field.