Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article
TL;DR Summary of Google Introduces ‘Google Messages’ Crawler for Link Previews
Google has launched a new crawler called Google Messages, designed to generate link previews for URLs shared in chat messages. This bot uses the User-Agent “GoogleMessages” in HTTP requests. The update helps site owners recognize traffic originating from these message previews, enhancing transparency and traffic analysis.
Optimixed’s Overview: How Google’s New ‘Google Messages’ Bot Enhances URL Previewing in Chats
Introduction to the Google Messages Crawler
Google has expanded its suite of crawlers by introducing Google Messages, a crawler specifically tasked with creating link previews for URLs sent within chat messages. This addition reflects Google’s continuous effort to improve user experience and provide site owners with better insights into their traffic sources.
Key Features and Purpose
- User-Agent Identification: The crawler uses the User-Agent string “GoogleMessages” in its HTTP requests, making it easily identifiable.
- Link Preview Generation: Its primary function is to fetch and render snippets or previews of links shared in chat, enhancing the chat interface’s usability.
- Traffic Transparency: By clearly labeling this traffic, Google enables webmasters to distinguish preview requests from regular user visits, aiding in more accurate web analytics.
Implications for Site Owners
With the introduction of the Google Messages crawler, site administrators can now:
- Detect and analyze traffic coming specifically from link previews in chat messages.
- Optimize their sites to ensure that preview content displays correctly, improving how links appear in messaging apps.
- Adapt server configurations or security settings to properly recognize and allow GoogleMessages crawler access without blocking it inadvertently.
