Apache-HttpClient
Apache •
Since 2001
Quick Actions
Official Docs
What is Apache-HttpClient?
Apache HttpClient is a robust HTTP client library for Java, widely used in enterprise applications and integration systems. This user agent appears when Java applications use Apache HttpClient for HTTP communications. It's common in enterprise service integrations, API clients, and backend systems. The library's maturity and feature set make it a standard choice for Java developers needing reliable HTTP functionality. Apache HttpClient supports advanced features like connection pooling, authentication, and cookie management, making it suitable for complex enterprise scenarios.
User Agent String
Apache-HttpClient/4.5.14 (Java/17.0.8)
How to Control Apache-HttpClient
Block Completely
To prevent Apache-HttpClient from accessing your entire website, add this to your robots.txt file:
# Block Apache-HttpClient
User-agent: Apache-HttpClient
Disallow: /
Block Specific Directories
To restrict access to certain parts of your site while allowing others:
User-agent: Apache-HttpClient
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /private/
Disallow: /wp-admin/
Allow: /public/
Set Crawl Delay
To slow down the crawl rate (note: not all bots respect this directive):
User-agent: Apache-HttpClient
Crawl-delay: 10
How to Verify Apache-HttpClient
Verification Method:
Apache-HttpClient in user agent with version
Apache-HttpClient in user agent with version
Learn more in the official documentation.
Detection Patterns
Multiple ways to detect Apache-HttpClient in your application:
Basic Pattern
/Apache\-HttpClient/i
Strict Pattern
/^Apache\-HttpClient/4\.5\.14 \(Java/17\.0\.8\)$/
Flexible Pattern
/Apache\-HttpClient[\s\/]?[\d\.]*?/i
Vendor Match
/.*Apache.*Apache\-HttpClient/i
Implementation Examples
// PHP Detection for Apache-HttpClient
function detect_apache_httpclient() {
$user_agent = $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'] ?? '';
$pattern = '/Apache\\-HttpClient/i';
if (preg_match($pattern, $user_agent)) {
// Log the detection
error_log('Apache-HttpClient detected from IP: ' . $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR']);
// Set cache headers
header('Cache-Control: public, max-age=3600');
header('X-Robots-Tag: noarchive');
// Optional: Serve cached version
if (file_exists('cache/' . md5($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']) . '.html')) {
readfile('cache/' . md5($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']) . '.html');
exit;
}
return true;
}
return false;
}
# Python/Flask Detection for Apache-HttpClient
import re
from flask import request, make_response
def detect_apache_httpclient():
user_agent = request.headers.get('User-Agent', '')
pattern = r'Apache-HttpClient'
if re.search(pattern, user_agent, re.IGNORECASE):
# Create response with caching
response = make_response()
response.headers['Cache-Control'] = 'public, max-age=3600'
response.headers['X-Robots-Tag'] = 'noarchive'
return True
return False
# Django Middleware
class ApacheHttpClientMiddleware:
def __init__(self, get_response):
self.get_response = get_response
def __call__(self, request):
if self.detect_bot(request):
# Handle bot traffic
pass
return self.get_response(request)
// JavaScript/Node.js Detection for Apache-HttpClient
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
// Middleware to detect Apache-HttpClient
function detectApacheHttpClient(req, res, next) {
const userAgent = req.headers['user-agent'] || '';
const pattern = /Apache-HttpClient/i;
if (pattern.test(userAgent)) {
// Log bot detection
console.log('Apache-HttpClient detected from IP:', req.ip);
// Set cache headers
res.set({
'Cache-Control': 'public, max-age=3600',
'X-Robots-Tag': 'noarchive'
});
// Mark request as bot
req.isBot = true;
req.botName = 'Apache-HttpClient';
}
next();
}
app.use(detectApacheHttpClient);
# Apache .htaccess rules for Apache-HttpClient
# Block completely
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_USER_AGENT} Apache\-HttpClient [NC]
RewriteRule .* - [F,L]
# Or redirect to a static version
RewriteCond %{HTTP_USER_AGENT} Apache\-HttpClient [NC]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/static/
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ /static/$1 [L]
# Or set environment variable for PHP
SetEnvIfNoCase User-Agent "Apache\-HttpClient" is_bot=1
# Add cache headers for this bot
<If "%{HTTP_USER_AGENT} =~ /Apache\-HttpClient/i">
Header set Cache-Control "public, max-age=3600"
Header set X-Robots-Tag "noarchive"
</If>
# Nginx configuration for Apache-HttpClient
# Map user agent to variable
map $http_user_agent $is_apache_httpclient {
default 0;
~*Apache\-HttpClient 1;
}
server {
# Block the bot completely
if ($is_apache_httpclient) {
return 403;
}
# Or serve cached content
location / {
if ($is_apache_httpclient) {
root /var/www/cached;
try_files $uri $uri.html $uri/index.html @backend;
}
try_files $uri @backend;
}
# Add headers for bot requests
location @backend {
if ($is_apache_httpclient) {
add_header Cache-Control "public, max-age=3600";
add_header X-Robots-Tag "noarchive";
}
proxy_pass http://backend;
}
}
Should You Block This Bot?
Recommendations based on your website type:
| Site Type | Recommendation | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| E-commerce | Optional | Evaluate based on bandwidth usage vs. benefits |
| Blog/News | Allow | Increases content reach and discoverability |
| SaaS Application | Block | No benefit for application interfaces; preserve resources |
| Documentation | Selective | Allow for public docs, block for internal docs |
| Corporate Site | Limit | Allow for public pages, block sensitive areas like intranets |
Advanced robots.txt Configurations
E-commerce Site Configuration
User-agent: Apache-HttpClient
Crawl-delay: 5
Disallow: /cart/
Disallow: /checkout/
Disallow: /my-account/
Disallow: /api/
Disallow: /*?sort=
Disallow: /*?filter=
Disallow: /*&page=
Allow: /products/
Allow: /categories/
Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap.xml
Publishing/Blog Configuration
User-agent: Apache-HttpClient
Crawl-delay: 10
Disallow: /wp-admin/
Disallow: /drafts/
Disallow: /preview/
Disallow: /*?replytocom=
Allow: /
SaaS/Application Configuration
User-agent: Apache-HttpClient
Disallow: /app/
Disallow: /api/
Disallow: /dashboard/
Disallow: /settings/
Allow: /
Allow: /pricing/
Allow: /features/
Allow: /docs/
Quick Reference
User Agent Match
Apache-HttpClient
Robots.txt Name
Apache-HttpClient
Category
other
Respects robots.txt
May not respect
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