What is DomainStatsBot?

DomainStatsBot is a web crawler developed and operated by Domainstats International AB. It functions as an automated bot that systematically browses websites to collect domain-related data and statistics. The bot identifies itself in server logs with the user agent string DomainStatsBot/1.0 (https://domainstats.com/pages/our-bot), which includes a link to its documentation page for transparency.

As a general web crawler, DomainStatsBot is designed to perform HTTP requests in an automated fashion, visiting websites to gather information about domain properties, usage patterns, and other relevant metrics. Unlike some crawlers, DomainStatsBot does not process JavaScript, CSS, cookies, or other interactive elements, focusing instead on basic site structure and content.

You can learn more about the bot and its parent company by visiting DomainStats, where they provide domain analysis services and tools.

Why is DomainStatsBot crawling my site?

DomainStatsBot crawls websites to collect domain-specific information for DomainStats' analytical services. It's likely visiting your site to gather data about your domain's characteristics, content structure, and possibly other technical aspects that contribute to domain statistics and analysis.

The frequency of visits typically depends on your site's size, popularity, and how often your content changes. For most websites, these visits are periodic rather than constant, as the bot aims to maintain updated information without overwhelming server resources.

The crawling is generally considered legitimate business activity, as DomainStats provides domain intelligence services that require fresh data. The bot's transparent identification through its user agent string indicates it's not attempting to hide its presence or purpose.

What is the purpose of DomainStatsBot?

DomainStatsBot serves as the data collection mechanism for DomainStats' domain intelligence and analysis services. The primary purpose is to gather information that helps build comprehensive domain profiles, which may include metrics on domain popularity, content types, technical configurations, and other domain-specific characteristics.

The data collected likely supports various domain analysis tools offered by DomainStats, potentially including competitive analysis, domain valuation, or market research services. For the internet ecosystem, this type of data aggregation contributes to broader understanding of domain usage patterns and trends.

For website owners, the information gathered might indirectly benefit you if you use domain intelligence tools for your own research or competitive analysis. However, unlike search engine bots that directly drive traffic to your site, DomainStatsBot's primary value flows to users of DomainStats' services rather than to the crawled websites themselves.

How do I block DomainStatsBot?

DomainStatsBot appears to respect the standard robots.txt protocol, which means you can control its access to your site using this method. To completely block the bot from your entire website, add these lines to your robots.txt file:

User-agent: DomainStatsBot
Disallow: /

If you only want to restrict access to certain directories or pages, you can be more specific:

User-agent: DomainStatsBot
Disallow: /private-directory/
Disallow: /sensitive-page.html

Place your robots.txt file in the root directory of your website (e.g., example.com/robots.txt) for it to be properly recognized.

Blocking DomainStatsBot would prevent your domain from being included in DomainStats' analysis services. This generally has no direct impact on your search engine rankings or site visibility to users, as DomainStatsBot is not affiliated with major search engines. However, if you or your competitors use DomainStats' services for domain intelligence, your site would be excluded from those analyses.

If you're experiencing excessive crawling that impacts server performance, you might also consider implementing rate limiting through your server configuration as an alternative to complete blocking.

DomainStatsBot