What is SeekportBot?

SeekportBot is the web crawler for Seekport, an independent search engine based in Germany. Originally founded in 2003, Seekport has been operated by SISTRIX, a platform intelligence provider from Bonn, since December 2014. As a web crawler, SeekportBot systematically browses the internet to discover and index web content for Seekport's search engine results.

The bot identifies itself with the user agent string Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; SeekportBot; +https://bot.seekport.com) when visiting websites. This transparent identification is part of its "good bot" behavior, as it always properly identifies itself and follows standard web crawling etiquette. SeekportBot respects robots.txt directives and crawl-delay settings, demonstrating its commitment to responsible web crawling practices.

SeekportBot operates independently of major search engines, allowing Seekport to maintain its position as a free, public alternative to Google that doesn't store user data, create user profiles, or display advertising. This independence from larger search platforms is central to Seekport's mission of providing conflict-free search results.

Why is SeekportBot crawling my site?

SeekportBot is crawling your site to discover and index your content for inclusion in Seekport's search engine results. The bot scours the public internet to find new content and update existing entries in Seekport's search index. If you're seeing SeekportBot in your logs, it means your site is being considered for inclusion in these search results.

The crawler aims to be lightweight and respectful of server resources, making "as few calls per second as possible" according to their documentation. The frequency of visits depends on various factors including your site's size, update frequency, and relevance to Seekport users. New or recently updated content may trigger more frequent crawling as the bot works to keep Seekport's index current.

SeekportBot's crawling is authorized and legitimate as part of normal search engine operations, similar to how Google's or Bing's crawlers work, though at a smaller scale appropriate to Seekport's user base.

What is the purpose of SeekportBot?

The primary purpose of SeekportBot is to build and maintain Seekport's search index, enabling users to find relevant content through the Seekport search engine. Unlike larger search engines, Seekport positions itself as a privacy-focused alternative that "does not store user data and does not profile users."

The data collected by SeekportBot is used exclusively to power Seekport's search results, without the additional layers of advertising targeting or user profiling found in some larger search platforms. This aligns with Seekport's commitment to being "operated without advertising and has no conflicts of interest in the display of search results."

For website owners, being indexed by Seekport provides another channel for discovery, potentially bringing in visitors who prefer privacy-respecting search alternatives. While Seekport has a smaller market share than major search engines, it represents an audience segment that values privacy and independent search results.

How do I block SeekportBot?

SeekportBot fully respects robots.txt directives, making this the simplest method to control its access to your site. To completely block SeekportBot from crawling your website, add the following to your robots.txt file:

User-agent: SeekportBot
Disallow: /

If you want to allow SeekportBot to crawl your site but need to reduce its crawling frequency, you can use the crawl-delay directive:

User-agent: SeekportBot
Crawl-delay: 2

This example sets a 2-second delay between requests, but you can adjust the number to suit your server's capabilities. Higher numbers mean fewer requests per minute.

After updating your robots.txt file, it may take some time before the bot registers and implements the new rules. The SeekportBot documentation notes this potential delay but confirms that the bot will eventually adhere to the updated directives.

If you have specific questions or issues with SeekportBot, you can contact the operators directly at seekportbot@sistrix.com. This provides a direct channel to address any concerns about the bot's behavior or impact on your site.

SeekportBot