What is Perplexity-User ?
Perplexity-User is a user-agent associated with human queries made via Perplexity.ai, an AI-powered search interface that combines language models with real-time web data. When a user interacts with Perplexity’s platform—particularly when the “Pro Search” mode or browsing is enabled—this user-agent may appear in server logs. It is not a crawler; each request is tied to a specific user prompt and results in targeted page fetches.
Who is operating Perplexity-User ?
The user-agent is operated by Perplexity AI, Inc., a company based in the United States. It builds hybrid search systems combining LLMs with current web information. The Perplexity-User agent represents traffic from Perplexity’s systems responding to user queries. These fetches are usually brief and contextual, made to generate citations and answer summaries.
Why you should be interested in Perplexity-User ?
While this agent is low volume, its implications are strategic. Content accessed by Perplexity-User may be presented directly in the model’s output, with or without citation, and influence public perception of your data. It is not persistent, but it is redistributive. If you rely on contextual framing, user conversion, or monetization, this behavior may bypass your business model.
How to block Perplexity-User ?
1. User-Agent Filtering:
Block the “Perplexity-User” string in your server configuration.
2. robots.txt:
Not applicable—this is not a crawler and does not honor robots.txt.
3. Signature-based profiling:
Requests may be routed via cloud infrastructure. Review headers and frequency patterns for detection.
About the bot
Owner: Perplexity AI, Inc.
Owner URL: perplexity.ai
Bot URL: perplexity.ai
Bot User Agent: Perplexity-User
Respects robots.txt: No
