Google has announced that the Googlebot crawl rate tool in Search Console will be discontinued on January 8, 2024. The decision stems from Google’s belief that the tool is outdated due to improvements in crawling algorithms and the existence of new tools available for publishers. As a result, webmasters and SEO professionals will need to rely on alternative methods to monitor and control crawl rates for their websites. Google suggests utilizing the advanced tools and reports provided in the Search Console, which have been continually updated to better align with the evolving digital landscape.
The crawl rate limiter, a component of the older Google Search Console version, allowed users to ask Google to crawl their websites less frequently. Nonetheless, Google has usually been against limiting crawl rates unless Googlebot caused server load issues. In recent updates, Google has made improvements to its crawling processes, ensuring that Googlebot does not cause server overload while still indexing website content efficiently. As a result, website owners can now anticipate smoother functioning, even without the need to manually limit crawl rates.
Gary Illyes from Google explained that the crawl rate limiter tool often took over a day for new limits to be implemented on crawling and was seldom used by website owners. Consequently, Google decided to discontinue the crawl rate limiter tool and focus on improving other features that serve a wider range of website owners. This change highlights the importance for webmasters to optimize their sites for efficient crawling by search engines, ensuring faster indexing and better overall performance.
As the tool is phased out, Google intends to lower the minimum crawling speed, similar to what previous crawl rate restrictions offered. This will allow websites to accommodate the decreased crawling rate without impacting their overall performance. Consequently, webmasters can experience smoother interactions with the search engine and more accurate indexing for their site content.
Should users face any crawling-related problems, they are advised to refer to Google’s help document. This comprehensive guide offers detailed information on how to detect and resolve crawling issues, ensuring optimal website performance. Additionally, users can also turn to Google’s Webmaster forums for further assistance and shared experiences from fellow webmasters encountering similar issues.
In light of the crawl rate tool’s discontinuation, it is essential for users who have depended on this feature to observe its impact on their server once it becomes inactive. As the tool becomes unavailable, monitoring server logs to analyze how Googlebot interacts with your site can effectively replace the crawl rate data. Additionally, finding alternative tools or services that provide insights into crawl frequency can help to maintain site performance at an optimal level.
First Reported on: searchengineland.com
The Googlebot crawl rate tool in Search Console will be discontinued on January 8, 2024.
Google is discontinuing the tool because it is outdated due to improvements in crawling algorithms and the existence of new tools available for publishers. They decided to focus on improving other features that serve a wider range of website owners.
Webmasters and SEO professionals can utilize advanced tools and reports provided in the Search Console, monitor their server logs to analyze how Googlebot interacts with their site, and find alternative tools or services that provide insights into crawl frequency.
Google intends to lower the minimum crawling speed, similar to what previous crawl rate restrictions offered. This will allow websites to accommodate the decreased crawling rate without impacting their overall performance.
Users facing crawling-related problems can refer to Google’s help document and the Google Webmaster forums for further assistance and shared experiences from fellow webmasters encountering similar issues.
Users who relied on this feature need to observe its impact on their server once it becomes inactive. They should monitor server logs to analyze how Googlebot interacts with their site and find alternative tools or services that provide insights into crawl frequency to maintain optimal site performance.

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