AI search fix
Google-Other crawler: what it is and when it appears
Google-Other is a Google crawler user-agent category for fetches outside classic Google Search crawling. It is not a direct synonym for Googlebot. If it appears in logs, review requested paths, decide policy, and align robots plus edge rules with that intent. Access policy should be explicit and monitored. Allowing or blocking Google-Other does not directly guarantee or prevent AI citation outcomes.
A common mistake is one policy for every Google user-agent. Separate Googlebot, Google-Extended, and Google-Other so you do not create accidental conflicts.
If your host or CDN applies blanket Google blocks, check whether Google-Other requests still reach public pages you want indexed or cited elsewhere.
| Crawler | Typical policy note |
|---|---|
| Googlebot | Primary Search crawler; usually allow for index coverage. |
| Google-Extended | Generative AI or training policy string; decide explicitly. |
| Google-Other | Non-search crawling category; review by use case. |
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Frequently asked questions
Is Google-Other required for Google Search rankings?
No direct requirement is documented. Googlebot remains the primary Search crawler.
Should Google-Other share the same robots policy as Googlebot?
Not always. Decide from your policy goals and document each crawler separately.
How do I verify Google-Other impact?
Track logs, status codes, and crawl behaviour after policy changes — not assumptions.
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