# Nextcloud bot

The Nextcloud bot is not a web crawler but a user-agent for the Nextcloud open-source content collaboration platform. Traffic from this user-agent is not from a bot crawling the web but from a specific, user-hosted Nextcloud instance. This traffic is triggered by user actions, such as subscribing to an RSS feed via the Nextcloud News app or previewing a link shared within the platform. It represents genuine user interest in your content from a privacy-conscious community.

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- [Privacy-focused, simple website analytics](https://plainsignal.com/)
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- [Nextcloud bot](https://plainsignal.com/agents/nextcloud-bot)


## What is the Nextcloud bot?

Nextcloud is an open-source, self-hosted content collaboration platform, not a web crawler. However, applications within a Nextcloud instance can interact with external websites, and they identify themselves with user-agents like `Mozilla/5.0 (Nextcloud)` or more specific ones like `Nextcloud-News`. This traffic is not from an automated, web-wide crawling system but from individual Nextcloud instances deployed by organizations and individuals who want to maintain control over their data. A distinctive characteristic is its focus on digital sovereignty and privacy.


## Why is a Nextcloud bot crawling my site?

If you are seeing Nextcloud-related traffic, it is because a user of a self-hosted Nextcloud instance is interacting with your content. Common reasons include a user subscribing to your RSS feed through the Nextcloud News app, saving one of your pages with the Page app, or embedding a link to your site in Nextcloud Talk. These requests are triggered by specific user actions, and their frequency depends on how those users have configured their applications and how often they interact with your content.


## What is the purpose of a Nextcloud bot?

The purpose of Nextcloud's web interactions is to support the functionality of its collaboration platform, which is designed as a private alternative to commercial cloud services. When its applications access external sites, it is to fulfill user requests, such as displaying RSS feeds or embedding external content. The data is stored within the user's private Nextcloud instance and is not aggregated for commercial purposes. For website owners, this traffic indicates that your content is being consumed by individuals who have chosen to engage with it through their personal or organizational Nextcloud deployment.


## How do I block a Nextcloud bot?

If you wish to prevent Nextcloud instances from accessing your site, you can add a rule to your `robots.txt` file. Keep in mind that this traffic represents genuine user interest.

To block the bot, you can use its general user-agent. Add the following lines to your `robots.txt` file:

```
User-agent: Nextcloud
Disallow: /
```


## Related agents and operators


## Canonical

Human friendly, reader version of this article is available at [Nextcloud bot](https://plainsignal.com/agents/nextcloud-bot)

## Copyright

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