Google lists all the Googlebot’s IP addresses within the JSON file

In 2007, Google developed a mechanism that SEOs or website owners can use to verify that the Googlebot is who it claims to be through reverse DNS checks. But now Google has too decided to publish a list of IP addresses that the Googlebot uses to crawl your website.

Google has published two different JSON files with the list of IP addresses that the Googlebot can use:

(1) You can identify the Googlebot on the basis of the IP address by comparing the IP address of the crawler with the list of Googlebot IP addresses this JSON file.

(2) For all other Google crawlers, compare the crawler’s IP address with the full list of Google IP addresses in this JSON file.

I assume that these IP addresses can change from time to time, so it can make sense to check the JSON files for updates on a daily basis, i.e. when automating scripts to use this IP list.

It’s great to have Google officially publish this. Remember there are other methods to get around Check the Googlebot listed here.

I asked Google’s John Mueller why they are doing this now, why is reverse DNS not good enough? John replied to Twitter “It makes it a little easier for some sites (CDNs etc) and the old problems / risks around cloaking seem to have mostly gone, so …”

It makes it a little easier for some sites (CDNs etc) and the old problems / risks around cloaking seem to have mostly gone, so pic.twitter.com/PgsGYBzn6i

– 🧀 John 🧀 (@JohnMu) November 10, 2021

Forum discussion at Twitter.