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ScraperHuawei

PetalBot: IP ranges, verification & how to handle it

Last verified: 2026-06-13 · maintained by Unsourced

PetalBot is Huawei's crawler for its Petal search and services. Outside its home markets it typically brings little referral value, so blocking is a common choice.

Verified IP ranges & identity

There is no published IP-range feed or documented reverse-DNS footprint for PetalBot, so its identity can't be verified by IP. Treat the User-Agent as an unverified claim.

How to verify a request is really PetalBot

A User-Agent string is just a claim — anyone can send PetalBot in a header. Confirm identity two ways: forward-confirmed reverse DNS (the IP resolves to Huawei, and that host resolves back to the IP), and, where published, an IP inside the operator's official ranges. If neither holds, it's an impostor wearing the badge — not PetalBot.

Should you allow or block PetalBot?

Recommended: block. Bulk extraction with no citation or referral benefit — reasonable to block.

If you do choose to act in robots.txt (which crawlers honour but don't enforce):

User-agent: PetalBot
Disallow: /

Official sources

Common questions about PetalBot

Is PetalBot really from Huawei?

PetalBot is Huawei's crawler, but a User-Agent header can be spoofed, so the claim alone isn't proof. Confirm it with forward-confirmed reverse DNS and, where published, a match against Huawei's official IP ranges.

What are PetalBot's IP ranges?

There's no published IP-range feed or documented reverse-DNS footprint for PetalBot, so it can't be verified by IP. Treat its User-Agent as an unverified claim.

Should I block PetalBot?

Our recommendation: block. Bulk extraction with no citation or referral benefit — reasonable to block.

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Is PetalBot — or an impostor — actually hitting your site?

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