update: added a full page on all of these here. GoogleBot and other Google IPs.
Google has published the complete list of IP address ranges used by Googlebot (and other Google crawlers), making it easier for site owners to authenticate visits.
Google provides the IP address data via two JSON files:
- Googlebot-specific list — intended for matching crawler requests to Googlebot IPs.
- General Google crawler list — covers all Google crawlers (beyond just Googlebot).
These JSON files include subnet masks and ranges. If JSON parsing is unfamiliar, site owners can use IP-range calculators (e.g. calculator.net) to turn subnet data into usable IP ranges.
Why Having the IP Data Matters
- Bot verification & security. One of the challenges for site owners is distinguishing genuine Googlebot requests from fake crawling bots or scrapers.
- Prevent accidental blocking. Some webmasters block wide swaths of IPs as a defensive measure, but this can inadvertently block Googlebot.
How to Verify Googlebot Requests
There are two main approaches you can use:
- Manual (single lookups). Use command-line tools (e.g. dig, nslookup) for reverse DNS or forward DNS checks for individual IPs. This is feasible if you only occasionally check a few addresses.
- Automated (bulk checking). For high volume of requests or many IPs, use scripts or tooling that compare incoming request IPs against the published Googlebot/Google crawler ranges automatically.
With the full IP list, automatic verification becomes much more reliable.
Key Takeaways & Best Practices
- Don’t indiscriminately block IP ranges.
- Use Google’s published JSON IP lists to maintain a whitelist or verification process.
- Regularly audit your firewall, CDN, or server access rules to ensure legitimate crawler traffic isn’t being blocked.
- Combine IP verification with user-agent checks, reverse DNS, and (if needed) forward DNS validation for defense-in-depth.