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

# SemrushBot

> Semrush's crawler that discovers links and revisits pages for its Backlink Analytics index and many tools (Site Audit, Backlink Audit, writing/plagiarism checks, etc.).

## Dossier

- Kind: SEO & backlink crawlers
- Operator: Semrush (https://www.semrush.com/)
- Documentation: https://www.semrush.com/bot/
- robots.txt tokens: SemrushBot, SiteAuditBot, SemrushBot-BA, SemrushBot-SI, SemrushBot-SWA, SplitSignalBot, SemrushBot-OCOB, SemrushBot-FT, RyteBot, SemrushBot-ESI
- Feeds: SEO backlink index
- Respects robots.txt: Yes, per its documentation. Docs: per-tool tokens, Disallow and Crawl-delay (capped at 10 s) supported.
- Verification: No published method
- Labels matched in our logs: semrushbot

## 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.

## Observed behaviour

- Baseline 2026-10-23 (93-day window): 9,333 requests on 84 days; first seen 2026-07-26, last seen 2026-10-23; Regular.
- Reading mix (crawler journeys): 1,580 content reads, 60 feed or discovery reads, 0 machine-consumption reads; 904 unique materials.
- Identity check: not verifiable 1,755 requests.
- Live numbers: https://newruntime.com/bot-traffic-history.json and https://newruntime.com/crawler-journeys.json

## Sources

- https://www.semrush.com/bot/

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