AI crawlers / Bytespider
Bytespider: what it is and how to block or charge it
Bytespider is run by ByteDance. ByteDance's crawler, associated with collecting data for its AI models.
| Operator | ByteDance |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Collects content for AI training |
| User-agent contains | Bytespider |
| Official IP list | None published, so it can only be recognized by name. Which crawlers publish one |
Block Bytespider in robots.txt
User-agent: Bytespider
Disallow: /robots.txt is a request, not a lock: well-behaved crawlers follow it. To block by user agent at the server, match Bytespider in the User-Agent header.
Or charge Bytespider per page
Instead of blocking it, answer Bytespider with HTTP 402 Payment Required and a price. Crawlers and agents that support x402 pay a fraction of a cent in USDC straight to your wallet and get the page; people and search engines browse free. Set it up free on pay-per-crawl in about five minutes.
Is Bytespider reading your site?
See the full list of AI crawlers. Facts here follow each operator's own documentation; tell us if one changes.