APOSTL
User-requested fetch

meta-externalfetcher

Fetches external pages for user actions in Meta products.

Operated by Meta
See your agent traffic
PurposeUser-requested fetch
HTTP identifiermeta-externalfetcher
IdentityVerify beyond the name

THE SIGNAL

What this visit tells you

A user-directed retrieval may form part of an assistant interaction.

Requested URLs
Response codes
Redirect chains

Your next move

Inspect the requested URL and compare response codes with related requests.

The technical details

Markdown
How to identify it

Look for the meta-externalfetcher identifier in a request’s User-Agent. This is a name match, not identity verification. Version strings may change.

How to check identity

A User-Agent match identifies a claimed client. Check the source IP and any operator-published verification method before granting access.

Access and robots.txt

Meta states that this user-requested fetcher may bypass robots.txt. Keep private content protected by server access controls.

Seeing 403 or 404 responses?

403 means access was denied; 404 means the resource was not found. Compare the public path, request time, edge security event and origin response to find the cause.

Separate intended restrictions and secret-file probes from pages that should work. A User-Agent name alone does not justify allowing a request.

SourcesReviewed 2026-09-14

Identity and purpose are based on these sources. Analytics interpretation and suggested checks are Apostl guidance.

APOSTL Pulse

See meta-externalfetcher in context

See their requests. Find the pages that matter.

See your agent traffic

KEEP EXPLORING

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