AI Crawler Directory · Perplexity
Perplexity-User:
what it is and how to verify it.
OperatorPerplexity
PurposeUser-triggered fetches
Respects robots.txtNo (user-triggered)
Executes JavaScriptNo
Hits verifiableYes — published IPs
TypeHTTP crawler / fetcher
Perplexity documents that this fetcher generally ignores robots.txt because users directly triggered the request.
Perplexity-User fetches pages when a Perplexity user’s question requires visiting a specific site. It is the live-session fetcher in Perplexity’s stack: one request per user action, with a human waiting on the other end for what your page says.
Because the request is user-initiated, Perplexity documents that this bot generally ignores robots.txt — the same stance OpenAI takes with ChatGPT-User. The enforceable control is the network layer: Perplexity publishes the bot’s IP ranges precisely so site owners can write WAF rules against verified addresses instead of spoofable UA strings.
In AI-attribution terms, Perplexity-User hits are demand signals for the Perplexity channel. Rising hits on a page usually precede rising perplexity.ai referral sessions to it.
Perplexity-User User-Agent string
Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; Perplexity-User/1.0; +https://perplexity.ai/perplexity-user)How to verify Perplexity-User hits are real
The User-Agent header is plain text — any client can claim to be Perplexity-User, and scrapers routinely do. Perplexity publishes Perplexity-User’s IPs at perplexity.com/perplexity-user.json.
https://www.perplexity.com/perplexity-user.jsonFetch the list and check the hit’s source IP against it — for a quick manual look:
curl -s https://www.perplexity.com/perplexity-user.jsonAllow or block Perplexity-User in robots.txt
This is a user-triggered fetcher: each request is a live human asking about your page. Blocking it hides your content from users at the exact moment they want it.
Allow
User-agent: Perplexity-User
Allow: /Block
User-agent: Perplexity-User
Disallow: /
# Note: generally ignores robots.txt — block at the firewall using published IPs if you must.Perplexity-User — frequently asked questions
What is Perplexity-User?
Perplexity-User is Perplexity’s user-triggered fetcher. When a user’s query requires reading a specific page, this bot retrieves it in real time. It supports user actions rather than systematic index crawling.
Does Perplexity-User respect robots.txt?
Generally no. Perplexity’s documentation states it usually ignores robots.txt rules because a user directly requested the fetch. To block it enforceably, filter the published IP ranges at your firewall or CDN.
How do I verify Perplexity-User hits?
Check source IPs against perplexity.com/perplexity-user.json. Perplexity updates the endpoint regularly and recommends it as the source of truth for verification.
Is a Perplexity-User hit a human?
Effectively yes — it represents a real user whose question routed through your page. It is not a human pageview in your analytics (the bot does not run JavaScript), but it is live human attention one step before a possible referral click.
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