What is Meta-ExternalAgent? AI crawler guide
Meta-ExternalAgent is a crawler or fetcher associated with Meta. See source-graded user-agent, robots.txt, verification, and observation guidance.
What is Meta-ExternalAgent?
Meta-ExternalAgent is a documented Meta crawler or fetcher. Meta crawler for indexing content directly for AI model training and product improvement use cases.
Evidence status
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Evidence | Officially documented |
| Lifecycle | Active |
| Purpose | training |
| robots.txt posture | honors |
| Source checked | 2026-06-11 |
Documented user-agent
meta-externalagent/1.1 (+https://developers.facebook.com/docs/sharing/webmasters/web-crawlers)
Allowing Meta-ExternalAgent creates the possibility of retrieval. To find out whether Meta AI actually cites or recommends you, track your Meta AI mentions over time.
robots.txt allow example
User-agent: Meta-ExternalAgent Allow: /
robots.txt block example
User-agent: Meta-ExternalAgent Disallow: /
What the rule can and cannot do
Robots.txt expresses an access policy to compliant automated crawlers. It does not authenticate the sender, remove content already collected, or guarantee that a model will use or not use content.
How to verify a request
- Match the complete documented user-agent where one exists. A match is only a clue.
- Look for operator-published IP ranges, reverse DNS, or signed-request guidance. None is attached to this record.
- Keep the observed request, operator documentation, and any inference as separate fields.
Observed in Trakkr connected-site data
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Matching signature | Meta-ExternalAgent |
| Classified requests | 169915 |
| Sites in sample | 85 |
| Window | 2026-07-18 through 2026-08-17 |
| Method | Finalized daily crawler summaries from connected Trakkr sites, grouped by the crawler signature detected in each request. |
| Limits | This is a connected-site sample, not a representative sample of the web. A matching user-agent or signature does not prove that the named operator sent the request. Counts describe classified request signatures, not market share or unique pages crawled. |
JavaScript behavior
The cited operator material does not verify JavaScript rendering. Serve useful HTML before client-side JavaScript where possible.
Related bots
- GPTBot: Also tracked as a training crawler.
- MistralAI-Training: Also tracked as a training crawler.
- Applebot-Extended: Also tracked as a training crawler.
- KimiBot: Also tracked as a training crawler.
- Google-Extended: Also tracked as a training crawler.
- CCBot: Also tracked as a training crawler.
- cohere-training-data-crawler: Also tracked as a training crawler.
- Webzio-Extended: Also tracked as a training crawler.
- LAIONDownloader: Also tracked as a training crawler.
- AI Training Opt-Out: Meta-ExternalAgent is a training crawler tied to this policy decision.
- Robots.txt: Robots.txt is the control file used to allow or block Meta-ExternalAgent.
- FacebookBot: Also operated by Meta.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Meta-ExternalAgent?
Meta-ExternalAgent is a officially documented crawler or fetcher record associated with Meta.
What user-agent does Meta-ExternalAgent use?
meta-externalagent/1.1 (+https://developers.facebook.com/docs/sharing/webmasters/web-crawlers). Check the evidence status before attributing a matching request.
Can Meta-ExternalAgent be blocked in robots.txt?
The record identifies Meta-ExternalAgent as the token to review. Robots.txt is a request policy, not proof of model use or non-use.
How can I verify a Meta-ExternalAgent request?
Treat the user-agent as a clue and look for operator-published IP, reverse-DNS, or signature guidance.
Data & Sources
- Meta documentation - Primary source for Meta-ExternalAgent crawler details.