Where do I find a user-agent string?

User-agent strings appear in server access logs, browser developer tools (under Network > request headers), and HTTP testing tools.

Can user-agent strings be faked?

Yes. Any client can send any UA string. Parsing tells you what the string claims — not necessarily what client actually made the request.

How do I identify Googlebot?

Look for "Googlebot" in the user-agent string. To verify it is genuine, perform a reverse IP lookup on the request IP and confirm it resolves to a google.com or googlebot.com hostname.

User-Agent parser

Parse a User-Agent into readable individual components.

In short

Identify the browser, operating system, and device type from any user-agent string.

What Is a User-Agent String?

A user-agent (UA) string is a text identifier sent by a browser or bot in the HTTP request header. It describes the client making the request — typically including the browser name, version, operating system, and device type.

Web servers log user-agent strings with every request. Parsing them reveals who or what is visiting a page.

Why Parse User-Agents?

User-agent parsing is useful for analysing web traffic, identifying bots and crawlers in access logs, debugging browser compatibility issues, and verifying that a specific client is sending the expected UA string.

SEO professionals also use UA parsing to distinguish Google's crawlers (Googlebot, GoogleOther) from other traffic in server logs.

Best For

Developers debugging browser-specific issues in access logs
SEO professionals identifying crawlers and bots in server logs
QA teams verifying client UA strings during testing
Security teams investigating unusual request patterns

Limitations of this tool

User-agent strings can be forged by any HTTP client. Parsed results reflect the string's claims, not verified identity.
Very long or malformed user-agent strings may produce incomplete results.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find a user-agent string?: User-agent strings appear in server access logs, browser developer tools (under Network > request headers), and HTTP testing tools.
Can user-agent strings be faked?: Yes. Any client can send any UA string. Parsing tells you what the string claims — not necessarily what client actually made the request.
How do I identify Googlebot?: Look for "Googlebot" in the user-agent string. To verify it is genuine, perform a reverse IP lookup on the request IP and confirm it resolves to a google.com or googlebot.com hostname.

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Category: Utilities · Last updated 2026-11-03T04:04:48+00:00