What is Google-GeminiNotebook? AI crawler guide
Google-GeminiNotebook by Google: Google fetcher that reads a URL because someone added it as a source inside Gemini or NotebookLM. Check its reported user-agent, robots.txt behavior, source, and verification guidance.
Google fetcher that reads a URL because someone added it as a source inside Gemini or NotebookLM.
What is Google-GeminiNotebook?
Google-GeminiNotebook is a user-triggered fetcher operated by Google. It retrieves a web page when someone explicitly adds that page as a source inside Gemini or NotebookLM. The fetcher is not a general-purpose crawler; it only visits URLs that a person has chosen to include. Google states that user-triggered fetchers ignore robots.txt, so a standard Disallow rule will not prevent the fetch. The full user-agent string identifies the bot as compatible with Google-GeminiNotebook and points to Google's developer documentation for details.
What it's for
A hit from Google-GeminiNotebook usually means a person added your page as a source in Gemini or NotebookLM, not that Google is crawling your site broadly. This can indicate that your content is being used as reference material in AI-assisted research or writing tools, potentially increasing its visibility and influence within those environments.
How to handle Google-GeminiNotebook
Because Google states that user-triggered fetchers ignore robots.txt, a Disallow rule for Google-GeminiNotebook will not block the fetch.
robots.txt rule
User-agent: Google-GeminiNotebook Disallow: /
Blocking cost
Blocking Google-GeminiNotebook is not possible via robots.txt, and attempting to block it through other means could prevent your content from appearing as a cited source in Gemini or NotebookLM, potentially reducing its reach in AI-assisted contexts.
Examples
- A researcher adds a link to your article in NotebookLM; Google-GeminiNotebook fetches the page so NotebookLM can process its content.
- A user asks Gemini about a topic and includes your page as a reference; the fetcher retrieves the page to ground the AI's response.
- Someone pastes your URL into a NotebookLM notebook; the fetcher visits the page to make its text available for note-taking and summarization.
Related bots
- ChatGPT-User: Also tracked as a live fetcher.
- MistralAI-User: Also tracked as a live fetcher.
- Amzn-User: Also tracked as a live fetcher.
- Kimi-User: Also tracked as a live fetcher.
- Perplexity-User: Also tracked as a live fetcher.
- Meta-ExternalFetcher: Also tracked as a live fetcher.
- Google-NotebookLM: Another Google live fetcher to compare.
- Google-Gemini-CLI: Another Google live fetcher to compare.
- Google-Agent: Another Google live fetcher to compare.
- Gemini 2.0: Google-GeminiNotebook gives crawler context for Gemini 2.0.
- Gemini: Google-GeminiNotebook gives crawler context for Gemini.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Google-GeminiNotebook obey robots.txt?
No. Google states that user-triggered fetchers ignore robots.txt, so a Disallow rule for Google-GeminiNotebook will not prevent it from fetching a page.
How can I stop Google-GeminiNotebook from accessing my site?
Since it ignores robots.txt, you cannot block it using that method.
Why did Google-GeminiNotebook visit my site?
A visit usually means someone added your page as a source in Gemini or NotebookLM. It is not part of Google's general web crawling.
Is Google-GeminiNotebook the same as Google-NotebookLM?
Yes. Google-GeminiNotebook is the current name for the fetcher previously documented as Google-NotebookLM.
Data & Sources
- Google documentation - Primary source for Google-GeminiNotebook crawler details.
- Google-GeminiNotebook verification: Published IP ranges - Verification information published for Google-GeminiNotebook.