Verify Googlebot and catch fake ones
Paste an IP from your server logs or firewall events. We check it against Google's published crawler ranges and run the reverse and forward DNS test Google recommends.
The check runs in your browser. We do not store the IPs you enter.
How does this check work?
The tool runs three checks and shows all three results:
- Published ranges. We compare the IP with the JSON files Google publishes for Googlebot, special-case crawlers such as AdsBot and user-triggered fetchers, plus Bingbot and GPTBot. The same lists are on our Googlebot IP ranges page.
- Reverse DNS. A real Google crawler resolves to a host on
googlebot.comorgoogle.com. Google's user-triggered fetchers can also resolve togae.googleusercontent.com. Othergoogleusercontent.comhosts are Google Cloud servers that anyone can rent, so they do not count. - Forward DNS. That host name must resolve back to the same IP. Anyone can set a reverse DNS record that says googlebot.com on their own IP, but they cannot make Google's DNS point back to it.
DNS lookups go through Google Public DNS over HTTPS. If your network blocks it, the tool still gives a verdict from the published ranges.
Why fake Googlebots matter
Many sites never block anything that calls itself Googlebot, so scrapers and price bots copy Google's user agent to get through. In server logs they look like search traffic, while they load the server and copy content.
The opposite mistake costs more. A firewall rule or bot setting that challenges the real Googlebot stops crawling, and new and updated pages stop reaching the index. Check a few crawler IPs from your logs before you trust either picture.
Found a problem?
If fake crawlers make up a large share of your traffic, or the real Googlebot gets challenged, a rule set that skips verified bots and blocks the rest usually fixes both.
FAQ
Is it enough to check the user agent?
No. The user agent is a text header any client can set. Only the IP, either through the published ranges or the DNS test, proves the request came from Google.
Why does the tool say "verified by IP ranges"?
The DNS lookup did not finish, usually because a network blocks DNS over HTTPS. The IP is still inside a range Google publishes, which Google also accepts as proof.
Can I check Bingbot or GPTBot IPs?
Yes. The published ranges for Bingbot and GPTBot are included, and a Bingbot host on search.msn.com passes the DNS test.
How do I check thousands of IPs?
Download the CSV files from the IP ranges page and match your logs against them, or send us your traffic for a free bot report.