Google-Site-Verification (Google): what it is and how to allow or block it

Updated 2026-10-30 · checked against the operator's documentation on 2026-10-30

Google-Site-Verification is Google's fetcher that reads Search Console verification tokens. Verify it by Google's reverse DNS; allow it, because robots.txt generally does not apply to it. Google documents no robots.txt token for it; the name in its user agent is Google-Site-Verification.

Facts

What it is used for

Per Google, Google Site Verifier fetches Search Console verification tokens. Google uses it as its example of a fetcher that acts on a user's request.

Not the crawler behind a search index. What blocking it changes is specific to its tool, so read the next section.

What happens if you block it

Per Google, user-triggered fetchers generally ignore robots.txt, so a robots.txt rule may not stop it. If your server or firewall refuses it, Search Console cannot read the verification token (our reading, not a Google statement).

How to allow or block Google-Site-Verification

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.

Google names no robots.txt token for Google-Site-Verification, so these groups use the name from its user agent and may have no effect. Google says its user-triggered fetchers generally ignore robots.txt rules, and lists no robots.txt token for Google Site Verifier.

User-agent: Google-Site-Verification
Allow: /

User-agent: Google-Site-Verification
Disallow: /

Does your site allow Google-Site-Verification today? The checker evaluates your robots.txt for this and every other bot.Check my site