What Ahrefs bot does and why you might block it

Ahrefs bot is a web crawler that Ahrefs, an SEO and marketing research company, sends across the internet to collect data about websites. It reads your pages, follows your links, and reports back information about your site's structure, backlinks, and content to Ahrefs' database. Most websites allow it by default, but you can block it if you want to keep your site data private, reduce server load, or prevent Ahrefs from indexing your content.

The bot identifies itself as "AhrefsBot" in its user agent string, which means your server logs will show when it visits. Blocking it does not affect your Google rankings or how search engines index your site — Ahrefs is a third-party tool, separate from Google's own crawlers.

Key Takeaways

  • You can block Ahrefs bot by adding a rule to your robots.txt file that tells it not to crawl your site.
  • If you use a website builder like WordPress, Shopify, or Wix, you may be able to block bots through your dashboard settings instead of editing code.
  • Blocking Ahrefs bot does not affect how Google indexes your site or your search rankings.
  • Your server's .htaccess file or web server configuration can also block the bot if you prefer not to use robots.txt.

Blocking Ahrefs bot with robots.txt

The simplest way to block Ahrefs bot is to add a rule to your robots.txt file. This is a plain text file that sits in your website's root directory and tells all web crawlers which parts of your site they can and cannot visit.

Open or create a file called robots.txt in your site's root folder (the same level as your index.html or index.php). Add these two lines:

User-agent: AhrefsBotDisallow: /

The first line targets Ahrefs bot specifically. The second line tells it not to crawl anything on your site (the forward slash means "everything"). Save the file and upload it to your root directory if you created it locally. You can verify it works by visiting yoursite.com/robots.txt in your browser — you should see the text you just added.

If you want to block Ahrefs bot from only certain folders, replace the forward slash with the folder path. For example, Disallow: /admin/ blocks only the admin folder. You can also add multiple rules if you want to block other bots at the same time.

Blocking Ahrefs bot in WordPress

WordPress sites can block Ahrefs bot through the dashboard without touching code. Go to Settings, then Reading, and look for a checkbox that says "Discourage search engines from indexing this site." Checking this box adds a robots.txt rule that blocks all bots, including Ahrefs.

If you want to block only Ahrefs and allow other bots, you will need to edit your robots.txt file directly. WordPress sites usually store this file in the root directory, but some hosting providers generate it on the fly. You can edit it through a plugin like Yoast SEO or Rank Math, both of which have a robots.txt editor built in. Open the editor, add the two lines shown above, and save.

Blocking Ahrefs bot on Shopify, Wix, and other builders

Website builders handle robots.txt differently because you do not have direct access to your server. Shopify does not let you edit robots.txt directly, but you can request that Ahrefs add your site to their exclusion list by contacting Ahrefs support. Wix also does not expose robots.txt editing, so the same approach applies.

Squarespace users can edit robots.txt through Settings > Advanced > robots.txt. Weebly users can do the same through Settings > SEO > robots.txt. If your builder does not offer a robots.txt editor, contact their support team and ask how to block specific bots, or reach out to Ahrefs directly to request exclusion.

Blocking Ahrefs bot with .htaccess or server configuration

If you prefer not to use robots.txt, you can block Ahrefs bot at the server level using your .htaccess file (on Apache servers) or your web server configuration (on Nginx). This method is more restrictive because it blocks the bot before it even reads your robots.txt file.

For Apache servers, open or create a .htaccess file in your root directory and add these lines:

SetEnvIf User-Agent "AhrefsBot" bad_botDeny from env=bad_bot

For Nginx servers, edit your server configuration file and add a condition that denies requests from the AhrefsBot user agent. The exact syntax depends on your Nginx setup, so check your hosting provider's documentation or ask their support team for help.

Verifying that Ahrefs bot is blocked

After you add the blocking rule, check your server logs to see if Ahrefs bot still visits your site. Most hosting providers let you view logs through your control panel (cPanel, Plesk, or similar). Search for "AhrefsBot" in the user agent column. If you see no new entries after a few days, the block is working.

You can also use online tools to test your robots.txt file. Websites like robotstxt.org let you paste your robots.txt and see which bots it blocks. Enter your site's URL, and the tool will show you whether Ahrefs bot is allowed or denied.

What happens when you block Ahrefs bot

Blocking Ahrefs bot means Ahrefs will not be able to crawl your site or add your pages to its database. If you use Ahrefs' tools to research competitors or check your own backlinks, you will not see your site's data in Ahrefs' reports. Other people using Ahrefs will also not see your site in their searches.

This does not affect Google, Bing, or other search engines. Those crawlers have their own user agents and are not blocked by rules targeting AhrefsBot. Your site will still appear in Google search results and your rankings will not change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does blocking Ahrefs bot hurt my SEO?

No. Ahrefs is a third-party tool used by marketers and SEO professionals to research websites. Google, Bing, and other search engines use their own crawlers and do not rely on Ahrefs data to rank your site. Blocking Ahrefs bot has no effect on your search rankings.

Can I block Ahrefs bot but allow other bots?

Yes. By using the specific rule User-agent: AhrefsBot in your robots.txt, you block only Ahrefs bot and allow Google, Bing, and other crawlers to visit normally. If you use a blanket rule like Disallow: / for all bots, you will block everyone.

How long does it take for Ahrefs bot to stop visiting after I block it?

Ahrefs bot should stop crawling your site within a few days once it reads your updated robots.txt file. It may take longer if the bot has not visited recently. Check your server logs after a week to confirm the block is working.

What if I want to unblock Ahrefs bot later?

Simply remove the blocking rule from your robots.txt file or .htaccess file and save the changes. Ahrefs bot will resume crawling your site on its next visit, usually within a few days.

Can Ahrefs bot ignore my robots.txt file?

Ahrefs bot respects robots.txt rules, but it is technically possible for any bot to ignore them. Using .htaccess or server-level blocking is more restrictive and harder to bypass, but robots.txt is the standard method and works for the vast majority of cases.