---
schema_version: "newruntime-reader-dossiers-v1"
type: "reader_dossier"
slug: "ahrefsbot"
kind: "seo"
operator: "Ahrefs"
researched_at: "2026-10-23"
confidence: "high"
json_url: "https://newruntime.com/readers/ahrefsbot.json"
canonical_url: "https://newruntime.com/readers/ahrefsbot/"
---

# AhrefsBot

> Ahrefs' crawler that builds the link/page database behind the Ahrefs SEO platform and the Yep search engine. A separate AhrefsSiteAudit agent runs site audits.

## Dossier

- Kind: SEO & backlink crawlers
- Operator: Ahrefs (https://ahrefs.com/)
- Documentation: https://ahrefs.com/robot
- robots.txt tokens: AhrefsBot, AhrefsSiteAudit
- Feeds: SEO backlink index, search index
- Respects robots.txt: Yes, per its documentation. Docs: honors robots.txt incl. crawl-delay; verified owners can let Site Audit ignore it on their own sites.
- Verification: Published IP ranges and reverse DNS (https://api.ahrefs.com/v3/public/crawler-ip-ranges)
- Labels matched in our logs: ahrefsbot

## Why it matters to New Runtime (our interpretation)

SEO backlink index: our pages and outbound links show up in third-party link graphs used by marketers; no direct AI-reader value. Also feeds Yep search.

## Observed behaviour

- Baseline 2026-10-23 (93-day window): 13,472 requests on 89 days; first seen 2026-07-24, last seen 2026-10-23; Regular.
- Reading mix (crawler journeys): 5,846 content reads, 32 feed or discovery reads, 3 machine-consumption reads; 1,742 unique materials.
- Identity check: not verifiable 6,110 requests.
- Live numbers: https://newruntime.com/bot-traffic-history.json and https://newruntime.com/crawler-journeys.json

## Sources

- https://ahrefs.com/robot

Identity: A family name is what a client claims in its user agent. It is verified only when its request came from the operator's published IP ranges or passed forward-confirmed reverse DNS, as reported per family in /crawler-journeys.json. Anyone can claim any name.

All dossiers: https://newruntime.com/readers.md