Kernel Search
SafeUser-agent: KernelSearchBot
Category: AI & LLM Bots
SEO impact if blocked: 2/10
Kernel
1 crawler operated by Kernel
Who Kernel is, for site owners
Kernel operates 1 crawler in our directory, filed under AI & LLM Bots. Its crawl behaviour is rated safe.
Blocking Kernel carries an SEO impact score of 2/10. Blocking impact is rated: Low - No SEO ranking impact.
Our recommendation for Kernel: Generally safe to allow; provides legitimate crawling value.
Kernel at a glance
| Operator | Kernel |
|---|---|
| Crawler in directory | 1 |
| Categories | AI & LLM Bots |
| SEO impact if blocked | 2/10 |
| Crawl behaviour | 1 rated safe |
| Official crawler docs | Kernel crawler documentation |
Crawler operated by Kernel
How to block or allow Kernel in robots.txt
This rule covers the single crawler Kernel operates. Add it to the robots.txt file at the root of your domain.
Block Kernel completely
User-agent: KernelSearchBot
Disallow: /
Allow Kernel explicitly
User-agent: KernelSearchBot
Allow: /
robots.txt is a request, not an enforcement mechanism. A crawler that ignores it needs a block at the server or CDN layer. Rules are case-sensitive on the path and matched against the user-agent token, not the full user-agent string.
Frequently asked questions about Kernel
What crawler does Kernel run?
Kernel operates 1 crawler in our directory: Kernel Search (user-agent KernelSearchBot).
Should I block Kernel?
Generally safe to allow; provides legitimate crawling value. The SEO impact score for blocking is 2/10, where 10 means blocking costs you the most visibility.
How do I block Kernel in robots.txt?
Add the following to robots.txt at your domain root: User-agent: KernelSearchBot then Disallow: /.
Does blocking Kernel hurt my search rankings?
Blocking impact is rated: Low - No SEO ranking impact. Google's own ranking crawler is Googlebot, which this operator does not run, so blocking Kernel does not by itself remove you from Google's index. What it can change is whether AI assistants and analytics tools can read your pages.