---
title: "Web Bot Auth: plain-language definition | Am I Ready for Agents?"
description: "Web Bot Auth: A proposed standard in which an agent signs its requests so a site can check who operates it, rather than trusting the name it claims."
canonical: https://amireadyforagents.com/glossary/web-bot-auth
site: "Am I Ready for Agents?"
last_updated: 2026-11-04
section: "Glossary"
---

# Web Bot Auth: plain-language definition | Am I Ready for Agents?

> Web Bot Auth: A proposed standard in which an agent signs its requests so a site can check who operates it, rather than trusting the name it claims.

Source: https://amireadyforagents.com/glossary/web-bot-auth
Site: Am I Ready for Agents?
Last reviewed: 2026-11-04

# Web Bot Auth

## In short

Web Bot Auth lets you tell a customer's agent from a script that borrows its name. How to tell verified agents from unknown bots goes into the detail. Cloudflare said operators including OpenAI, Google and AWS sign their agents' requests (30 Sep 2026).

## Definition

A proposed standard in which an agent signs its requests so a site can check who operates it, rather than trusting the name it claims.

## A dated example

-   Read 4 Nov 2026
    
    Cloudflare said operators including OpenAI, Google and AWS sign their agents' requests (30 Sep 2026).
    
    [Cloudflare: The Internet has a second audience (30 Sep 2026)](https://blog.cloudflare.com/agentic-web/), read 4 Nov 2026
    

## Where it matters

It lets you tell a customer's agent from a script that borrows its name.

-   [How to tell verified agents from unknown bots](https://amireadyforagents.com/decisions/verifying-agents)

## Related terms

-   [Verified bot](https://amireadyforagents.com/glossary/verified-bot)A bot whose operator has proven its identity to your CDN or bot vendor, through signatures, published IP ranges or a directory.
-   [User agent](https://amireadyforagents.com/glossary/user-agent)The name a browser or bot gives itself with each request.

## Sources

1.  [Cloudflare: The Internet has a second audience (30 Sep 2026)](https://blog.cloudflare.com/agentic-web/) (blog.cloudflare.com/agentic-web), read 4 Nov 2026.

Last reviewed 4 November 2026

Reviewed 4 November 2026. [1 source](#sources), each with the day it was read.