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Abisola Tanzako | Jun 04, 2024
If you manage a website, the term “Ahrefsbot” is likely in your server logs or web analytics reports.
What is AhrefsBot exactly, and is its existence on your website a cause for concern?
Ahrefsbot routinely crawls your website.
It acts exactly like a Googlebot, entering and exiting as it pleases.
It may not always be a problem, but it could become one if your server becomes overloaded, causing your website to load slowly.
So, the question is, where does Ahrefsbot fit within this spectrum?
Is it beneficial or detrimental to your website? Read this article to the end.
Bots are systems that perform simple or complex tasks far faster than humans.
They are typically used to support the parts of a process that humans cannot perform, keeping the wheels turning on our behalf.
Examples of good bots include search engine web crawlers, chatbots such as those used in Skype, Slack, or other instant messaging apps, and even front-line help requests for businesses.
The rest, on the other hand, might be terrible, but the outcomes may cause harm.
Bots are being used in more business areas than you may realize, and they’re becoming increasingly versatile.
Some bots are designed to help people at home, while others benefit the organization that created them.
There are various kinds of bots used online.
The four most typical kinds are as follows:
These bots are more helpful to consumers because they can all run different programs.
These bots are regarded as good bots.
However, there are specific bad bots out there.
These bots carry out harmful tasks, like:
They could also create chaos on your website and consume a significant amount of server resources.
Ahrefsbot usually does a great job, although it could be better in some areas.
It has the potential to be utilized for harmful activities.
AhrefsBot is a web crawler controlled by Ahrefs, a renowned SEO software suite.
This bot continuously searches the Internet, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to generate and maintain the backlink database, providing Ahrefs’ users with access to the most precise and current information possible.
It’s one of the busiest crawlers on the internet.
AhrefsBot crawls five million web pages per minute.
Third-party research indicates it is the most active crawler among other SEO tool providers, outperforming Yandex and Yahoo crawlers.
With a projected annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $100 million by 2023, Ahrefsbot has risen to the top of the food chain by excelling in its core capabilities.
Their bot indexes up-to-date, trustworthy data about websites, their contents, and their relationships with each other.
This information is useful and can be applied to various purposes.
In addition, AhrefsBot, like any decent bot, follows the guidelines contained in the robots.txt files, refrains from showing adverts on websites, and doesn’t increase traffic from Google Analytics.
AhrefsBot attempts to crawl as many web pages as it can.
It gathers high-quality link data during each crawl and returns it to the Ahrefs database.
Here’s a brief rundown of AhrefsBot’s functionality:
AhrefsBot starts by navigating websites, retrieving pages from servers, and crawling the internet.
The AhrefsBot refreshes the link index every 15 to 30 minutes and searches approximately 6 billion web pages every 24 hours.
It searches for fresh content by following links on pages as it crawls.
The goal is to compile an exhaustive list of web pages.
AhrefsBot searches its index for new pages by clicking on links from existing pages.
This helps it recognize and index new information as it becomes available online.
AhrefsBot collects information on a range of SEO-related factors by scanning pages, including but not restricted to:
When AhrefsBot conducts a site audit, it methodically examines websites to identify common problems with on-page and technical SEO; examples include missing meta tags, duplicated content, and broken links.
After being collected by AhrefsBot, the data is examined and cataloged within the Ahrefs database.
By accessing this indexed data through the Ahrefs platform, users can learn more about their own websites and those of their competitors.
AhrefsBot frequently visits web pages to add new content to its index.
This ensures that Ahrefs users receive the most up-to-date data on the performance of their website and that of their competitors in the same industry.
AhrefsBot complies with website restrictions via robots.txt files and meta tags, much like other web crawlers.
AhrefsBot will comply with website instructions that direct it not to crawl specific pages or sections.
Ahrefsbot is renowned for its comprehensive backlink analysis and SEO-related features.
AhrefsBot gathers information for Ahrefs’ index and provides valuable advice to individuals seeking to improve the SEO performance of their websites.
The following are some advantages that Ahrefsbot provides:
Ahrefsbot data greatly benefits the marketing and SEO communities.
Its data collection aids marketers and SEOs in learning how to better optimize websites for major search engines such as Google.
By letting Ahrefsbot crawl your website, you can ensure that its database is updated regularly.
The most accurate data is available on your website, which you can use to compare with your competitors.
This is going to help you:
Like search engine bots, AhrefsBot also crawls the internet.
It finds and gathers information from websites to build a comprehensive database that Ahrefs users can access.
Ahrefs’ backlink analysis feature is one of its main advantages.
It makes it easier to gather backlink information, including anchor text, referring domains, and the quantity of backlinks.
SEO experts can utilize this information to learn about the link profiles of competitors’ websites and their own.
Ahrefs offers tools for researching keywords. AhrefsBot helps locate both new and existing pages that are important for given keywords.
It also provides data necessary for keyword analysis, including search traffic, keyword difficulty, and click-through rates.
With Ahrefs, users may track their website’s rankings over time for specific keywords.
By routinely crawling and indexing pages to determine their position in search engine results for particular keywords, AhrefsBot helps collect ranking data.
You should be aware of some of AhrefsBot’s disadvantages.
Each one may not be worth the risk because they can all result in unwanted issues with your website.
Your website loads as it would for any other user when Ahrefsbot crawls it, consuming bandwidth.
AhrefsBot may use excessive bandwidth if it crawls your website too frequently, which can cause slower site loading times for different users.
We are all aware that a crucial Google ranking factor that degrades user experience is speed.
Website owners need to be cautious against spammers.
Nothing is more annoying than getting unsolicited, spammy referral traffic that clogs your analytics reports and affects your website’s performance.
Spammers can use the Ahrefsbot user agent to:
If you discover that you are receiving a lot of traffic, you should investigate and compare the traffic from Ahrefsbot with the legitimate Ahrefs IP address ranges.
AhrefsBots would click on your ads and your website while crawling.
This implies you’ll receive clicks that do not convert into sales.
They also visit several times a week, resulting in significant losses on your ad spend.
You can restrict or block AhrefsBot in any of the following ways.
According to Ahrefs, Ahrefsbot complies with robots.txt recommendations.
Adding new rules to your robots.txt file will allow you to block Ahrefsbot.
This gives you two options:
This method gives you more control and does an excellent job of stopping AhrefsBot.
Compared to step 1, which depends on the Ahrefsbot adhering to the rules you set, step 2 offers you total control over the server.
The Ahrefsbot’s IP address range will be added and banned based on the addresses listed.
ClickPatrol’s superior algorithm is designed to detect and block non-human activity from your website.
Thus, it can effectively detect and block bots like Ahrefsbot both proactively (before they click on your ads) and reactively (after the first click).
The question is: Should Ahrefsbot be blocked?
You must examine its pros and cons to determine if you should block Ahrefsbot.
Obstructing Ahrefsbot may enhance page performance while conserving server resources.
Blocking it is appropriate if you’re worried about private information being revealed.
Blocking Ahrefsbots can prevent access to keyword data, competitive research, and backlink analysis.
Because Ahrefsbot data is essential to Ahrefs’s tools, turning it off may result in your website being less visible in its reports and rankings.
To maintain your website’s current presence in the Ahrefs index, avoid blocking AhrefsBot.
When you ask yourself these questions, you can determine whether or not to use the Ahrefsbot.
Does this benefit or harm my website? You can only find this out by reviewing your website record.
When dealing with Ahrefsbot, you can perceive it as either an opponent to challenge or an ally supporting your website’s growth.
Understanding the true nature of Ahrefsbot and implementing appropriate strategies is key to optimizing its potential while minimizing potential drawbacks.
By adopting a proactive approach and taking the necessary precautions, you can effectively utilize Ahrefsbot’s capabilities to enhance your website’s performance.
Once you grasp the underlying intentions of Ahrefsbot and develop a comprehensive understanding of its functionalities, you can leverage its resources to your advantage.
Rather than viewing it solely as a potential threat, consider how Ahrefsbot can be a valuable asset in your digital toolkit.
Transforming Ahrefsbot from a perceived obstacle into a trusted ally requires more than just a shift in mindset and approach.
It requires a collaborative relationship.
Ahrefsbot may work for you or against you, depending on how you handle its presence on your website.
It is a valuable ally because it can gather data and perform crawling, providing crucial SEO information.
Unmanaged activity, however, is a concern, as it may strain server capacity or expose vulnerabilities.
Think of Ahrefsbot as a courteous visitor who leaves a note each time it stops by. Here are 2 ways you can accurately track its activity:
Ahrefsbot may work for you or against you, depending on how you handle its presence on your website.
It is a valuable ally because it can gather data and perform crawling, providing crucial SEO information.
Unmanaged activity, however, is a concern, as it may strain server capacity or expose vulnerabilities.
Think of Ahrefsbot as a courteous visitor who leaves a note each time it stops by. Here are 2 ways you can accurately track its activity:
