When Googlebot crawls your website, it tries to balance two things: discovering new content quickly and not overloading your server. In most cases, Google automatically manages the crawl rate efficiently. However, for very large sites or websites with limited server capacity, Googlebot’s activity might sometimes slow down performance.
In this, you will learn when it makes sense to reduce Google’s crawl rate, how to do it, and what to avoid.
What is Crawl Rate?
Crawl rate refers to the number of requests Googlebot makes to your website within a given timeframe. If your server is strong, it can handle more requests. If your server is limited or temporarily overloaded, too many requests may slow down your site for users.
When Should You Reduce Google Crawl Rate?
You should only reduce crawl rate if:
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Googlebot is sending too many requests and overloading your server
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Your site speed slows down significantly during Googlebot activity
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You notice unusual spikes in crawl activity in your server logs
Reducing crawl rate should not be your first step. Always check server performance and logs before making changes.
How to Reduce Crawl Rate
1. Use Google Search Console Settings
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Sign in to Google Search Console
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Go to Settings > Crawl rate
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If eligible, you will see an option to limit crawl activity
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Move the slider to reduce the crawl rate
Not all sites will see this option. For most sites, Google manages crawling automatically.
2. Adjust Server Settings
If Search Console does not give you the crawl rate option, you may use server-level settings to limit how many requests are allowed at a time. Work with your developer or hosting provider for this.
3. Temporary Solutions
If your site is under heavy load (for example, during a product launch), you can use server throttling to manage traffic. But always allow Googlebot to return when performance stabilizes.
What Not to Do
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Do not block Googlebot in robots.txt: Blocking it may remove your pages from search results.
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Do not over-restrict crawling: This can cause delays in indexing and updates.
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Do not confuse crawl rate with crawl budget: Crawl budget is about how many pages Google decides to crawl. Crawl rate is only about how fast those requests are made.
