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

t3versionsBot

t3versionsBot is a specialized web crawler that is part of a non-commercial project to identify and analyze websites built with the TYPO3 content management system (CMS). Its purpose is to collect statistical data on TYPO3 usage, such as which versions are most common. The data is made publicly available to support the open-source TYPO3 developer community.

What is t3versionsBot?

t3versionsBot is a web crawler for T3Versions, a private, non-commercial project that analyzes websites running the TYPO3 CMS. The bot is classified as a developer helper, as it collects statistical data about TYPO3 deployments. It identifies itself in server logs with the user-agent string Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; t3versionsBot/1.0; +https://www.t3versions.com/bot). The bot performs lightweight checks to detect TYPO3 signatures and does not scrape content or user information.

Why is t3versionsBot crawling my site?

t3versionsBot is visiting your site to determine if it is running on the TYPO3 content management system. The bot makes a single GET request to your domain and analyzes the response for TYPO3 fingerprints. It does not continuously crawl your site. Its visit is part of a broad initiative to gather statistics about TYPO3 usage across the web. This is an authorized and legitimate crawler that follows standard web protocols.

What is the purpose of t3versionsBot?

The purpose of t3versionsBot is to support the open-source TYPO3 community by aggregating statistical data on how the CMS is being used globally. The collected data is processed for statistical purposes only and is made publicly available on the t3versions.com website. These statistics help developers and the TYPO3 community understand adoption rates and version distribution. For website owners running TYPO3, this data can provide valuable insights into how their implementation compares to others.

How do I block t3versionsBot?

To prevent t3versionsBot from analyzing your site, you can add a disallow rule to your robots.txt file. This is the standard method for managing access for legitimate web crawlers.

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

User-agent: t3versionsBot
Disallow: /

How to verify the authenticity of the user-agent operated by T3Versions?

Reverse IP lookup technique

To verify user-agent authenticity, you can use host linux command two times with the IP address of the requester.
  1. > host IPAddressOfRequest
    This command returns the reverse lookup hostname (e.g., 4.4.8.8.in-addr.arpa.). 
  2. > host ReverseDNSFromTheOutputOfFirstRequest
If the output matches the original IP address and the domain is associated with a trusted operator (e.g., T3Versions), 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.