What is Meta-ExternalFetcher?
Meta-ExternalFetcher is Meta's user-triggered fetcher. A user-triggered fetcher runs when a person asks an AI product to open a page, not on a schedule.
| Operator | Meta |
|---|---|
| Purpose (operator wording) | user-triggered fetch |
| robots.txt token | Meta-ExternalFetcher |
| User agent string | meta-externalfetcher/1.1 (+/documentation/sharing/webmasters/web-crawlers) (as printed on the doc page; the link is relative) ; also meta-externalfetcher/1.1 |
| Respects robots.txt | No (operator: may bypass robots.txt) |
| IP ranges | Not stated by the operator |
| Last verified |
What else should I know about Meta-ExternalFetcher?
What is the Meta-ExternalFetcher user agent string?
This is the user agent string Meta documents for Meta-ExternalFetcher, as of October 29, 2026. Version numbers and details can change, so match on the token in robots.txt, not on the whole string.
meta-externalfetcher/1.1 (+/documentation/sharing/webmasters/web-crawlers) (as printed on the doc page; the link is relative) ; also meta-externalfetcher/1.1How do I block Meta-ExternalFetcher in robots.txt?
Add this group to the robots.txt file at the root of your site. It asks Meta-ExternalFetcher to stay out of every page. Meta says the crawler may not follow robots.txt, so this may not stop it.
User-agent: meta-externalfetcher
Disallow: /To allow it explicitly, for example while a broader rule blocks other bots:
User-agent: meta-externalfetcher
Allow: /How do I opt out of Meta training but stay in its search?
Each Meta user agent has its own token, so you can set them one by one. This file blocks Meta-ExternalAgent and allows Meta-ExternalFetcher, Meta-WebIndexer. Every line comes from the rows in this dataset. Whether allowing a bot keeps you in a product is Meta's call, so check each crawler's page. Meta says Meta-ExternalFetcher may not follow robots.txt.
User-agent: meta-externalagent
Disallow: /
User-agent: meta-externalfetcher
Allow: /
User-agent: meta-webindexer
Allow: /Does blocking Meta-ExternalFetcher affect AI answers?
Meta does not say what blocking Meta-ExternalFetcher changes. That is not stated.
Each other Meta user agent has its own robots.txt token, so a rule for Meta-ExternalFetcher does not cover them. See the related crawlers below.
Does Meta-ExternalFetcher follow robots.txt?
No. Operator: may bypass robots.txt. Meta: 'this crawler may bypass robots.txt rules' / 'may bypass robots.txt because it performs fetches that were requested by the user.'
Robots.txt is a request, not a lock (RFC 9309).
What IP addresses does Meta-ExternalFetcher use?
Not stated by the operator. Without a published list you cannot verify Meta-ExternalFetcher by address, so a rule at your server cannot rely on one.
Which other Meta crawlers are there?
What should I read next?
Next: give AI tools something to quote
Paperboy writes articles that answer the questions your buyers ask, with every fact linked to its source, FAQ and Article structured data, and publishes them to your site every week. Your first article is free.