AI agent directory / Meta external fetcher
Meta external fetcher
AI fetcher from Meta
Fetches a page when someone shares a link with Meta AI or asks it to read one.
| Run by | Meta |
|---|---|
| Type | AI fetcher |
| Purpose | Acts for a person |
| Acts for | A person, in the moment |
| robots.txt token | meta-externalfetcher |
| Documentation | Meta's documentation |
How Airglow identifies it
- DeclaredIt names itself in the User-Agent:
meta-externalfetcher.
Every visit in Airglow says which of these applied, so you can decide how much to trust it.
Seeing it on your site
It usually reads pages without running JavaScript, so Airglow counts every visit through a server connection (Cloudflare). When it does run JavaScript, the script sees and replays it too.
Allowing or blocking Meta external fetcher
Meta external fetcher reads the meta-externalfetcher group in your robots.txt. To keep it out of the whole site:
User-agent: meta-externalfetcher Disallow: /
Meta runs a separate bot for each purpose, so blocking Meta external fetcher doesn't block its other agents listed below.
Airglow shows, for every agent that visits, whether your robots.txt lets it in, and helps you write rules by purpose (training, search, acting for a person).
Other agents from Meta
See when Meta external fetcher visits your site
Airglow names every AI agent on your website, replays what it did and links the visitors it sends you. Free for one website.