A few days ago they were identifying as “FaceBot” (not "FacebookBot").
When that began to be blocked, they switched to reusing the “Facebookexternalhit” user agent they also use for redirects; one people are less likely to block.
bediger4000 · 2h ago
Would a 404 or a 403 be more appropriate? What if you just want Meta crawlers to go away forever?
A few days ago they were identifying as “FaceBot” (not "FacebookBot").
When that began to be blocked, they switched to reusing the “Facebookexternalhit” user agent they also use for redirects; one people are less likely to block.