What is CloudflareSSLDetector?

CloudflareSSLDetector is a bot in the SEO crawlers category, operated by Cloudflare.

Bot name
CloudflareSSLDetector
Operator
Cloudflare
Category
SEO Crawlers
Type
Bot
Respects robots.txt
Not confirmed
robots.txt user agent
Cloudflare-SSLDetector
Signs requests (Web Bot Auth)
No

About CloudflareSSLDetector

Cloudflare SSLDetector service.

SEO crawlers map links, keywords and technical issues for SEO tools and backlink databases. They help the tool's customers, often your competitors, rather than you. Rate limit or block the ones you do not use.

CloudflareSSLDetector user agent

CloudflareSSLDetector identifies itself with this user agent string:

  • Cloudflare-SSLDetector

Anyone can copy a user agent string. Transfon Security also checks where each request comes from, so a request that claims to be a known crawler but comes from the wrong network is treated as a fake, not as the real crawler.

How to block CloudflareSSLDetector in robots.txt

We have not confirmed whether CloudflareSSLDetector follows robots.txt. Add a rule, then check your logs to see that it stopped. robots.txt is a plain text file at the root of your domain, such as https://example.com/robots.txt.

Block CloudflareSSLDetector from the whole site

User-agent: Cloudflare-SSLDetector
Disallow: /

Block CloudflareSSLDetector from some folders

User-agent: Cloudflare-SSLDetector
Disallow: /private/
Disallow: /search

Allow CloudflareSSLDetector only on some folders

User-agent: Cloudflare-SSLDetector
Allow: /blog/
Disallow: /

Allow CloudflareSSLDetector and block other crawlers

User-agent: Cloudflare-SSLDetector
Allow: /

User-agent: *
Disallow: /

Things to know

  • Each host needs its own file. Rules on www.example.com do not apply to shop.example.com.
  • A crawler obeys only the most specific group that names it. Once you add a User-agent: Cloudflare-SSLDetector group, CloudflareSSLDetector ignores your User-agent: * rules, so repeat any that should still apply.
  • The user agent name is not case sensitive. We take Cloudflare-SSLDetector from CloudflareSSLDetector's user agent; check Cloudflare's own documentation if it publishes a different robots.txt name.
  • Crawlers cache robots.txt, so changes can take up to a day to apply. Disallow stops crawling but does not remove pages already collected or indexed.

Limits of robots.txt

  1. CloudflareSSLDetector may not follow the rule. robots.txt is a request that nothing enforces, and we have not confirmed that CloudflareSSLDetector follows it. Check your logs after adding a rule.
  2. The user agent could be fake. robots.txt matches the name a request claims. Anyone can send CloudflareSSLDetector's user agent, and a scraper using it is not bound by Cloudflare's robots.txt policy. Only checking the source network tells a real CloudflareSSLDetector from a fake one.

Treat robots.txt as a statement of your policy, and enforce it where requests arrive.

Who should care about CloudflareSSLDetector

Publishers

CloudflareSSLDetector works for an SEO tool's customers, often your competitors. It adds server load without readers, so rate limit or block it unless you use the tool.

Transfon Security for publishers

Media buyers and advertisers

SEO crawlers map landing pages and links for competitor research. Keep CloudflareSSLDetector's visits out of campaign data.

Transfon Security for advertisers

E-commerce

CloudflareSSLDetector can map your catalogue, prices and site structure for competitors. Block it unless you use the tool yourself.

Transfon Security for e-commerce

SaaS and APIs

Allow CloudflareSSLDetector only if your team uses the tool; otherwise rate limit it on docs and marketing pages.

Transfon Security for SaaS and APIs

Block CloudflareSSLDetector with Transfon Security

robots.txt is a request, not an enforcement. Transfon Security shows CloudflareSSLDetector by name in the Top Bots report, so you can see how often it visits and which pages it reads. Block or allow it with a User Agent rule, or slow it down with a rate limit decision rule.

Transfon Security

Control CloudflareSSLDetector on your site

  • See every CloudflareSSLDetector visit and the pages it reads
  • Spot bots that fake trusted crawler names
  • Block, allow or rate limit CloudflareSSLDetector with one rule
  • Works with or without robots.txt support

Frequently asked questions

What is CloudflareSSLDetector?

CloudflareSSLDetector is a bot in the SEO crawlers category, operated by Cloudflare. Cloudflare SSLDetector service.

Does CloudflareSSLDetector respect robots.txt?

We have not confirmed whether CloudflareSSLDetector follows robots.txt. Add a robots.txt rule, then check your logs to see that it stopped, and block it by user agent if it did not.

How do I block CloudflareSSLDetector?

Add "User-agent: Cloudflare-SSLDetector" followed by "Disallow: /" to the robots.txt file at the root of your site. To enforce it, block requests whose user agent contains "Cloudflare-SSLDetector" at your WAF. In Transfon Security that is one User Agent block rule.

Is robots.txt enough to block CloudflareSSLDetector?

No. robots.txt is voluntary, so CloudflareSSLDetector may not follow it, and anyone can send CloudflareSSLDetector's user agent, so a fake CloudflareSSLDetector ignores your rule. Enforce the rule where requests arrive, at your WAF, and check the source network.

Should I block CloudflareSSLDetector?

SEO crawlers map links, keywords and technical issues for SEO tools and backlink databases. They help the tool's customers, often your competitors, rather than you. Rate limit or block the ones you do not use.

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