Glossary

User-agent

The identifying string a client sends so servers can recognize the crawler or browser.

Definition

AI crawlers use distinct user-agents (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, etc.). robots.txt and CDN rules often key off those strings.

In practice

  • Use precise language on public pages so assistants and crawlers share the same meaning
  • Pair definitions with crawlable HTML, metadata, and intentional robots policy
  • Measure outcomes (mentions, citations, pillar scores) after you change signals

See also

Next step

Browse the glossary index, read what is AI visibility?, or measure your site.

Related

FAQ

What is User-agent?

The identifying string a client sends so servers can recognize the crawler or browser.

Why does User-agent matter for AI visibility?

AI crawlers use distinct user-agents (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, etc.). robots.txt and CDN rules often key off those strings.

How can BatSignal help?

BatSignal measures crawl access, content readiness, ChatGPT presence, and related signals so teams can improve AI visibility with evidence—not guesswork.