Log analysis · Server logs
Log file analysis is the analysis of server logs to observe the real behavior of bots. It is the only reliable way to check whether AI crawlers actually visit a site, because neither Search Console nor AI visibility tracking tools record those visits.
Standalone definition · 43 words
How does log analysis work?
Each request received by the server is recorded with the IP, user-agent, URL, response code and timestamp. You filter bot user-agents (Googlebot, GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot), verify their authenticity, then measure frequency, URLs visited and response codes.
Why do logs matter for GEO?
Allowing a bot in robots.txt does not prove it visits. Logs show which pages AI bots read, which they ignore and which errors (403, 5xx, redirects) block them. With a CDN or a WAF, you also need to check that it does not filter these bots.
Which tools should you use?
Raw logs from the host or CDN, analyzed with a dedicated tool (Screaming Frog Log File Analyser, Oncrawl, Botify) or with a script. Search Console’s Crawl Stats report complements the view for Googlebot only.
Frequently asked questions
Can user-agents be spoofed?
Yes. Confirm with the IP ranges published by providers, or with reverse DNS when documented.
What period should I analyze?
At least 30 days to smooth out variability, longer for a site with low crawl frequency.
Do logs show citations?
No. They show bot visits, not the use of content in an answer. A visit is not a citation.
Related terms
Further reading
- Checklist GEO and LLM / AI 2026
- 2026 GEO Tools Comparison: The Decision Guide
- ← Back to the GEO glossary (114 terms)