AI agent directory · OpenAI
OAI-SearchBot
OAI-SearchBot is OpenAI's crawler for building the index its search and answers draw on. Here's how to recognize it and check a request really is it.
At a glance
OAI-SearchBot facts
- Operator: OpenAI
- Type: Crawler
- Why it fetches: Builds a search or answer index
- User agent contains: `OAI-SearchBot`
- Verified by: published IP ranges
- Operator's documentation: platform.openai.com/docs/bots
Is it really?
How to tell a real OAI-SearchBot from an impostor
Anyone can put "OAI-SearchBot" in a user agent. What can't be faked is below.
- Check the address. OpenAI publishes the IP ranges OAI-SearchBot uses: openai.com/searchbot.json. A request whose user agent says OAI-SearchBot from an address outside them is an impostor.
In Punchline
How Punchline counts OAI-SearchBot
Punchline labels a request that names OAI-SearchBot with how sure it is: verified or declared when the evidence checks out, a lower tier when it can't be checked, and impostor when the evidence contradicts it. Each visit is counted under OpenAI, with its purpose, so you can see whether OAI-SearchBot is reading your site and which pages it reads. How it works · Known agents