FossickBot (DATAFREAK LTD): what it is and how to allow or block it
Updated · checked against the operator's documentation on
FossickBot is a crawler that checks whether newly registered domains host a real site, for the FirstSited catalogue. Its robots.txt token is FossickBot.
Facts
- Operator
- DATAFREAK LTD
- Category
- SEO tool crawler
- robots.txt token
FossickBot
- Honors robots.txt?
- Yes, per the operator. The operator says it requests robots.txt first and obeys it, including Crawl-delay. To opt out, use User-agent: FossickBot with Disallow: /.
- User-agent example
Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; FossickBot/1.0; +https://fossick.bot)
- User agent we logged
Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; FossickBot/1.0; +https://fossick.bot)Most common variant in our own logs, 189 requests, 19 to 25 Oct 2026. Static snapshot, not the live counter below. A logged string is a claim: anyone can send it.
- Official source
- DATAFREAK: FossickBot
- Compared with the source
What it is used for
Per the operator, it finds new business websites, checks that a real site has gone live and records what it is built with.
Crawls the web for a marketing or SEO tool, mostly to build a backlink or site database. It does not decide whether you rank, and blocking it only removes you from that tool's data.
What happens if you block it
Your new site is no longer checked for the FirstSited catalogue, so it is left out of it.
The operator signs its requests with Web Bot Auth (HTTP message signatures) instead of publishing an IP list, and calls itself a verified bot in Cloudflare Radar's directory; we did not check that independently. It is a new bot. Removal requests go to the contact address on its page.
Is it really FossickBot?
Anyone can send FossickBot as a user agent, so a log line proves nothing by itself. The way to tell is the requesting IP address.
- DATAFREAK LTD signs its requests (Web Bot Auth) and publishes the FossickBot: signature key directory. A valid signature shows a request is genuine whatever its IP address.
- Paste any user agent from your logs into the user-agent lookup, or follow the scripts in Fake Googlebots and PHP scanners.
How to allow or block FossickBot
Add one of these groups to the robots.txt at the root of your domain. A group that names the bot overrides a general User-agent: * group.
User-agent: FossickBot Allow: /
User-agent: FossickBot Disallow: /
Does your site allow FossickBot today? The checker evaluates your robots.txt for this and every other bot.Check my site
What we see on our own sites
Live counter, last 30 days: no request identifying as FossickBot recorded yet. The counter started after the week below, so it does not cover it. Earlier log snapshot (19 to 25 Oct 2026): 189 requests identified as FossickBot.
Counts come from the websites we operate; they hold no IP addresses or URLs, and a user agent is only a claim. See the bot traffic data and the methodology.
Questions about FossickBot
What is FossickBot?
A crawler that checks whether newly registered domains host a real site, for the FirstSited catalogue. Per the operator, it finds new business websites, checks that a real site has gone live and records what it is built with.
Is FossickBot safe and legitimate?
The real FossickBot is an SEO tool crawler run by DATAFREAK LTD. A user-agent string is only a claim, though, so anyone can send it. DATAFREAK LTD signs its requests (Web Bot Auth) and publishes the public keys; a valid signature shows a request is genuine whatever its IP address.
Does FossickBot obey robots.txt?
Yes, per the operator. The operator says it requests robots.txt first and obeys it, including Crawl-delay. To opt out, use User-agent: FossickBot with Disallow: /.
How do I block FossickBot?
Add a group to the robots.txt at the root of your domain: User-agent: FossickBot followed by Disallow: /. A group that names the bot overrides a general User-agent: * group.
Will blocking FossickBot hurt my Google rankings or AI visibility?
Not for Google rankings. SEO tool crawlers do not decide whether you rank; blocking one only removes you from that tool's data. Your new site is no longer checked for the FirstSited catalogue, so it is left out of it.
Related bots
Other SEO tool crawlers
- AhrefsBot AhrefsThe crawler of Ahrefs, a marketing intelligence platform.
- SemrushBot SemrushSemrush's crawler for data behind tools such as Backlink Analytics and Site Audit.
- MJ12bot MajesticMajestic's crawler that maps link relationships between websites for its search engine and backlink index.
- serpstatbot SerpstatSerpstat's crawler that collects links for its backlink database.
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