APIs-Google fetcher
APIs-Google is a Google fetcher user agent used when Google products send push notifications or other API-driven requests to a developer's server — for example a PubSubHubbub (WebSub) delivery. It is not the search crawler and is not used to build the search index. Google documents it in the list of Google crawlers and fetchers, and it is verifiable against Google's published crawler IP ranges.
What this means
APIs-Google is the user agent Google uses for API-triggered fetches to your server, most commonly push delivery for protocols like PubSubHubbub/WebSub. It is one of the special-purpose Google fetchers, separate from the Googlebot search crawler.
Because it is triggered by a product or API integration rather than by indexing, blocking it in robots.txt can break the delivery you subscribed to. Treat it as functional traffic for a Google service, not as crawl coverage.
How APIs-Google identifies itself
APIs-Google uses the user-agent token APIs-Google. Google lists it among its crawlers and fetchers and documents that it is used to deliver push notifications. Match on the stable token rather than a full version string.
For requests where authenticity matters, verify the source IP against Google's published crawler/fetcher IP ranges (googlebot.json and the special-crawlers / user-triggered-fetchers lists), since a user agent alone can be copied.
- User-agent token: APIs-Google
- Used for API-triggered deliveries (e.g. WebSub push), not indexing
- Verify via Google's published IP range JSON files
How it appears in analytics and logs
A request carrying the APIs-Google token is a Google product delivering an API-driven message to your endpoint, not Googlebot indexing a page. Seeing it usually means a Google API you subscribed to is calling back, so it should be counted as bot/automation traffic, not a human visit.
Diagnostic use case
Identify API-triggered Google deliveries (such as WebSub push notifications) in your logs and separate them from Googlebot search crawling, then verify the source against Google's published ranges.
What WebmasterID can help detect
WebmasterID classifies APIs-Google server-side as a Google fetcher distinct from Googlebot, so API callbacks do not get mixed into search-crawl coverage or human analytics on your bot-intelligence surface.
Common mistakes
- Blocking APIs-Google in robots.txt and then wondering why a Google push/API delivery stopped arriving.
- Counting APIs-Google deliveries as Googlebot search-crawl activity.
- Trusting the APIs-Google user agent without verifying the source IP for sensitive endpoints.
Privacy and accuracy notes
APIs-Google is identified only by its user-agent token and, for verification, Google's published IP ranges. No human identity is involved. WebmasterID records the fetch as a bot event and never attaches it to a visitor profile.
Related pages
- Feedfetcher-Google — feed fetcher
Feedfetcher-Google is the user agent Google uses to fetch RSS and Atom feeds for Google products. Google documents that Feedfetcher is not used for indexing, and that because feed fetches are user-requested subscriptions, it is handled differently from indexing crawlers.
- Mediapartners-Google (AdSense crawler)
Mediapartners-Google is the crawler Google AdSense uses to fetch and analyse the content of pages that show AdSense ads, so it can choose relevant ads. It is documented in Google's crawler list as a special-case crawler tied to the AdSense product, distinct from the Googlebot search crawler, and it has its own robots.txt token.
- How to verify Googlebot
The Googlebot user agent is widely spoofed, so a request claiming to be Googlebot should be verified, not trusted. Google documents two methods: a reverse-DNS check that resolves into googlebot.com or google.com confirmed by a matching forward lookup, and matching the source IP against Google's published crawler IP ranges.
- Bot intelligence
Deterministic categorisation of crawlers, fetchers, and automation.
Sources and verification notes
- Google Search Central — Google crawlers and fetchers overviewAPIs-Google listed among Google's special-case fetchers.
Last reviewed 2026-06-24. Facts are checked against primary/official sources where available; uncertain specifics are marked “Data not yet verified” rather than guessed.