VFD-Checker Bot
If you found this page because you saw our bot in your server logs, you are in the right place. This page documents the automated checker operated by verticalfarming.directory.
Identification
User-Agent
VFD-Checker/1.0 (+https://imalive.verticalfarming.directory)
This is the exact User-Agent string sent with every request. You will see this string in your web server access logs.
What the bot does
- ✓ Sends one request to your homepage (/) per week
- ✓ Follows redirects to determine the final destination
- ✓ Checks for structured data signals in the page head
- ✓ Respects robots.txt Disallow directives
- ✗ Does not crawl subpages or follow internal links
- ✗ Does not store page content
- ✗ Does not submit forms or execute JavaScript
Opt out
To exclude your domain from VFD-Checker, add the following to your robots.txt file:
User-agent: VFD-Checker Disallow: /
Domains that opt out are marked as crawl-blocked and will not be classified as inactive. If you want your company removed from the Vertical Farming Directory entirely, use the directory contact form.
Data usage
Data collected by VFD-Checker is used exclusively to maintain the accuracy of the Vertical Farming Directory. We record response status, response time, and the presence of structured data signals. We do not store page content and do not share individual company data with third parties. Aggregate statistics are published on the status overview.