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

YandexMetrika bot

The YandexMetrika bot is a data collection bot for Yandex.Metrica, Yandex's web analytics service (similar to Google Analytics). Its presence in your logs usually means that you, or a previous site owner, have installed the Yandex.Metrica tracking code on your site. The bot's activity is tied to user visits and is what allows the service to generate analytics reports with heatmaps, session recordings, and other valuable insights.

What is the YandexMetrika bot?

The YandexMetrika bot is a data collection bot for Yandex's web analytics service, Yandex.Metrica. This service helps website owners track and analyze user behavior and site performance. The bot identifies itself in server logs with a user-agent string like Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; YandexMetrika/4.0; +http://yandex.com/bots). It operates by loading a tracking script on websites that have implemented the service. Unlike a search crawler, it is primarily concerned with gathering analytics data, not indexing content.

Why is the YandexMetrika bot crawling my site?

The YandexMetrika bot is visiting your site because the Yandex.Metrica analytics tracking code is installed on it. The bot's activity is triggered by the tracking code that loads when a user visits one of your pages. Its presence is directly tied to actual user visits. If you did not intentionally install the tracking code, it may have been included in a third-party service, plugin, or theme you are using.

What is the purpose of the YandexMetrika bot?

The purpose of the YandexMetrika bot is to power the Yandex.Metrica web analytics platform. The data it collects is used to generate reports that help website owners understand user behavior and optimize their sites. The service offers valuable features like heatmaps and session recordings. For website owners who have intentionally implemented it, the bot provides the data for these powerful analytics. If you have not, its presence may raise privacy concerns.

How do I block the YandexMetrika bot?

The most effective way to stop the YandexMetrika bot is to remove the Yandex.Metrica tracking script from your website's code. However, you can also block the bot using your robots.txt file, although this may not be fully effective if the bot's main interaction is with the tracking script.

To block this bot via robots.txt, add the following lines:

User-agent: YandexMetrika
Disallow: /

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

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., Yandex), 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.