PerplexityBot
Perplexity AI's web crawler used to fetch and cite live content.
Key takeaways
- PerplexityBot is perplexity AI's web crawler used to fetch and cite live content.
- Allow PerplexityBot in robots.txt.
- Avoid: relying on bot protection defaults that block AI crawlers.
What is PerplexityBot?
PerplexityBot fetches pages at query time. Allowing it is essential for visibility inside Perplexity answers. It respects robots.txt directives.
Perplexity lists its crawlers and how to manage them in its bot documentation.
Why PerplexityBot matters for AEO in 2026
PerplexityBot fetches pages so Perplexity can use and cite them. If it can't reach your site, you can't appear in Perplexity's answers.
For a wider view of where this fits, see our full AEO glossary or explore the SEO and GEO service we run for clients.
How to apply PerplexityBot on your site
Knowing the concept is only half of it. Work through these steps in order to put PerplexityBot into practice on your own pages:
- Allow PerplexityBot in robots.txt.
- Check your CDN or firewall isn't challenging or blocking it.
- Confirm it can retrieve your pages as real HTML.
Common mistakes to avoid
Most sites that struggle with PerplexityBot fall into the same traps. Check your pages against each of these before moving on:
- Relying on bot protection defaults that block AI crawlers.
- Serving content only through client-side JavaScript.
- Assuming a robots.txt allow is enough when the firewall still blocks.
Questions about PerplexityBot
Perplexity AI's web crawler used to fetch and cite live content.
PerplexityBot fetches pages so Perplexity can use and cite them. If it can't reach your site, you can't appear in Perplexity's answers.
Start here: allow PerplexityBot in robots.txt. Then check your CDN or firewall isn't challenging or blocking it.
The most common is relying on bot protection defaults that block AI crawlers. Another is serving content only through client-side JavaScript.