# DuckAssistBot

DuckAssistBot is an AI assistant bot from the privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo. It powers the DuckAssist feature, which generates real-time AI answers to user searches. Unlike traditional crawlers, DuckAssistBot operates on-demand, fetching content from trusted sources like Wikipedia and Britannica only when a user's query triggers the feature. This targeted approach provides users with instant, sourced answers while minimizing data collection.

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- [DuckAssistBot](https://plainsignal.com/agents/duckassistbot)


## What is DuckAssistBot?

DuckAssistBot is the specialized AI assistant bot for the search engine DuckDuckGo, powering its DuckAssist feature. It is a user-agent that fetches content from a curated list of trusted sources (primarily Wikipedia and Britannica) to generate instant AI-powered answers to search queries. Unlike a traditional crawler, DuckAssistBot is on-demand, activating only when a user's search triggers the feature. It identifies itself in server logs with the user-agent string `DuckAssistBot/1.2; (+http://duckduckgo.com/duckassistbot.html)`. This bot is a key component in DuckDuckGo's system for providing quick, reliable answers without broad, continuous web indexing.


## Why is DuckAssistBot crawling my site?

The presence of DuckAssistBot in your logs means that a DuckDuckGo user has submitted a search query that triggered the DuckAssist feature, and your site (most likely Wikipedia or Britannica) was identified as a source for the answer. It does not crawl sites autonomously. The frequency of visits is entirely dependent on user search behavior. This on-demand model aligns with DuckDuckGo's privacy-focused mission by ensuring that external websites are accessed only to fulfill a specific user request.


## What is the purpose of DuckAssistBot?

The primary purpose of DuckAssistBot is to support DuckDuckGo's DuckAssist feature by providing instant, sourced answers directly on the search results page. When a user asks a question, the bot retrieves relevant passages from trusted sources. These passages are then processed by AI models to generate a concise, conversational answer that appears above the traditional search results, complete with source links for verification. This benefits users by providing immediate, factual answers while maintaining transparency. For the websites it uses as sources, it can drive visibility and traffic.


## How do I block DuckAssistBot?

To prevent DuckAssistBot from accessing your website, you can add a disallow rule to your `robots.txt` file. This is the standard method for managing crawler access.

Add the following lines to your `robots.txt` file to block DuckAssistBot:

```
User-agent: DuckAssistBot
Disallow: /
```


## Related agents and operators


## Canonical

Human friendly, reader version of this article is available at [DuckAssistBot](https://plainsignal.com/agents/duckassistbot)

## Copyright

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