Search / retrieval 4 min read  ·  Updated October 2026

Amzn-SearchBot: purpose, robots.txt rules and access checks

Amzn-SearchBot crawls content for search in Amazon products such as Alexa. Allowing this crawler supports search discovery without allowing Amazonbot training collection.

maintains Let The Bots In, a technical AI-readiness scanner and reference site.

Technical reference

OperatorAmazon
ClassSearch / retrieval
HTTP User-AgentMozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; Amzn-SearchBot/0.1) Chrome/W.X.Y.Z Safari/537.36
Citation impactAllowing this crawler supports search discovery without allowing Amazonbot training collection.
IP verificationOfficial IP ranges or verification reference

Header versions can change. Use the product token for robots.txt matching and consult the Amazon crawler documentation before changing enforcement. Reference checked on 18 October 2026.

How do I allow Amzn-SearchBot?

Merge this group into the robots.txt served from the page's origin. Keep any path exclusions that still apply. A named group may stop inheriting the wildcard group's exclusions.

User-agent: Amzn-SearchBot
Allow: /

Allow retrieval and block training

This example separates the operator's documented identities where possible. It changes crawl or data-use preferences; it does not grant server access. User-triggered agents may follow a different robots.txt policy.

User-agent: Amzn-SearchBot
Allow: /

User-agent: Amzn-User
Allow: /

User-agent: Amazonbot
Disallow: /

Use the interactive robots.txt builder for a per-bot policy. Test the final file against the exact page path before deploying it.

What if the CDN returns HTTP 403?

A robots.txt allow rule cannot override an HTTP 403, a login gate or a JavaScript challenge. Compare the returned body with the public page and locate the request in CDN security events. Grant an exception only after verifying the sender, scoped to the affected public routes.

The scanner uses its own network. A successful header probe does not verify Amazon access, and a refused probe does not establish a vendor-wide block. See the WAF troubleshooting guide.

Check your site's rules for Amzn-SearchBot

Frequently asked questions

What does Amzn-SearchBot do?

Amazon operates Amzn-SearchBot. Amzn-SearchBot crawls content for search in Amazon products such as Alexa.

Does blocking Amzn-SearchBot affect citations?

Allowing this crawler supports search discovery without allowing Amazonbot training collection.

How do I verify a Amzn-SearchBot request?

Use the operator's published verification reference linked on this page. Match the source IP, not just the User-Agent header. A scanner probe comes from its own network.

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