FreshRSS bot

FreshRSS is a self-hosted, open-source RSS and Atom feed aggregator that allows users to subscribe to and read content from websites in a single, unified interface. It functions as a feed fetcher, periodically polling subscribed feeds to retrieve updates. When it visits a site, it identifies itself with a user-agent string such as FreshRSS/1.23.1 (Linux; https://freshrss.org). Because it is self-hosted, each request comes from the individual server where a user has installed the software, rather than from a central service.

The FreshRSS bot is visiting your site because at least one user of a self-hosted FreshRSS instance has subscribed to your RSS or Atom feed. The bot is simply checking your feed URL for new content to deliver to that subscriber. This is a normal and expected behavior for any website that offers public RSS/Atom feeds. The frequency of visits is determined by the refresh interval configured by the administrator of that particular FreshRSS installation, which could be hourly, daily, or at another custom interval.

The purpose of FreshRSS is to provide users with a tool for content aggregation, allowing them to follow updates from multiple websites in one place. It gives users a clean, distraction-free reading environment with tools for organizing and filtering content. For website owners, FreshRSS serves as a distribution channel for your content, indicating that users find your material valuable enough to follow closely. This can lead to a more consistent and engaged readership compared to casual visitors.

If you want to prevent FreshRSS instances from fetching your content feeds, you can add a rule to your robots.txt file. Note that this will stop users who use this software from receiving your updates.

To block FreshRSS, add the following lines to your robots.txt file:

User-agent: FreshRSS
Disallow: /