Published on 2025-08-07T06:18:08Z

Atom Feed Robot

Atom Feed Robot is a specialized web crawler from RSSMicro.com that specifically discovers, processes, and indexes Atom and RSS feeds. It powers content aggregation services by efficiently capturing syndicated, structured content from websites. For publishers, having feeds indexed by this bot can increase content discoverability and reach new audiences who use feed aggregation platforms.

What is Atom Feed Robot?

Atom Feed Robot is a specialized web crawler operated by RSSMicro.com, focused on indexing Atom and RSS syndication feeds. Unlike general-purpose crawlers that scan entire websites, this bot targets only feed content, making it a dedicated feed processor for content discovery and aggregation systems. It identifies itself with the user-agent string RSSMicro.com RSS/Atom Feed Robot or Atom Feed Robot. The bot is designed for efficiency, using conditional HTTP requests and adaptive polling intervals to minimize bandwidth usage while processing a large volume of feeds.

Why is Atom Feed Robot crawling my site?

The Atom Feed Robot is visiting your site because you publish an Atom or RSS feed. It specifically looks for this type of syndicated content to index for RSSMicro's services. The crawler's visit is triggered by the presence of a feed on your site, and its polling frequency adapts to your publication schedule. Feeds that are updated frequently may be checked hourly, while less active feeds might only be visited daily. Its goal is to monitor your feed for new content.

What is the purpose of Atom Feed Robot?

The primary purpose of Atom Feed Robot is to aggregate and index syndicated content from across the web. It collects fresh content from website feeds, making it available through RSSMicro's services. In an ecosystem with dynamic, JavaScript-generated content, feed-based crawlers like this one can efficiently capture structured content and its associated metadata. For website owners, having your feeds indexed by Atom Feed Robot can enhance your content's reach and discoverability, directing new visitors to your site from feed aggregation platforms.

How do I block Atom Feed Robot?

If you want to prevent Atom Feed Robot from accessing your website's feeds, you can add a rule to your robots.txt file. This file is the standard way to manage access for web crawlers.

To block Atom Feed Robot, add the following lines to your robots.txt file. You should use the more specific user-agent name for a precise block.

User-agent: RSSMicro.com RSS/Atom Feed Robot
Disallow: /

How to verify the authenticity of the user-agent operated by RSSMicro.com?

Reverse IP lookup technique

To verify user-agent authenticity, you can use host linux command two times with the IP address of the requester.

```
> host IPAddressOfRequest
```
This command returns the reverse lookup hostname (e.g., 4.4.8.8.in-addr.arpa.).

> host ReverseDNSFromTheOutputOfFirstRequest

If the output matches the original IP address and the domain is associated with a trusted operator (e.g., RSSMicro.com), the user-agent can be considered legitimate.

IP list lookup technique

Some operators provide a public list of IP addresses used by their crawlers. This list can be cross-referenced to verify a user-agent's authenticity. However, both operators and website owners may find it challenging to maintain an up-to-date list, so use this method with caution and in conjunction with other verification techniques.