--- title: Create a new crawler description: Add, verify, and crawl a domain with the Algolia Crawler. --- import useBaseUrl from '@docusaurus/useBaseUrl'; # Create a new crawler :::info DocSearch apps created after **July 2, 2024** can use the Algolia Crawler UI to set up and manage crawls. This guide covers adding your domain, verifying ownership, creating a crawler, and running your first test crawl. Open the Crawler UI at [dashboard.algolia.com/crawler](https://dashboard.algolia.com/crawler). If you signed up before July 2, 2024, you can still use the Crawler UI, but creating and managing a crawler is more streamlined for users who joined after that date. Learn more about the [Crawler interface](./crawler-configuration-visual). ::: ## Add domains 1. Sign in to the [Algolia dashboard](https://dashboard.algolia.com/crawler). 2. In the left sidebar, select **Data sources**. 3. Select **Crawler**: - Click **Add your domain** and enter the domains or subdomains you want to crawl (e.g., `example.com`, `www.example.com`). - If you’ve already added a domain, click the **Domains** tab. 4. Click **Add domain**.
DocSearch Domains Management
> **Note:** Verify your domain within 7 days of adding it. The DocSearch team must also approve the domain before you can crawl it. ## Verify your domain You must verify ownership of each domain you want to crawl. The default method is email verification, but you can also use a meta tag, HTML file, robots.txt, or DNS record. ### Meta tag 1. In the **Meta tag** tab, click **Copy** to copy the verification tag. 2. Add the tag to your site's `` section. 3. Publish your site and click **Verify now** in the Crawler dashboard. ### HTML file 1. In the **HTML file** tab, click **Copy** to copy the verification file content. 2. Save it as a new HTML file and upload it to your web server. 3. Add the file’s URL in the dashboard and click **Verify now**. ### robots.txt 1. In the **Robots.txt** tab, click **Copy** to copy the verification code. 2. Paste it into your site's `robots.txt` file. 3. Publish and click **Verify now**. ### DNS 1. In the **DNS** tab, copy the provided DNS TXT record. 2. Add it to your DNS provider’s settings. 3. Click **Verify now** after the record propagates (may take up to 72 hours). ## Create a new crawler After you verify your domain and the DocSearch team approves it: 1. Go to the **Crawler** page in the dashboard. 2. Click **New Crawler** and fill in: - **Crawler name** (descriptive) - **App ID** (your Algolia application ID) - **Start URL** (usually your home page) - **Crawler template** (choose a template or default) 3. Click **Create** to finish and run a test crawl. ## Run the test crawl The initial crawl visits up to 100 URLs to test access and extraction. Monitor its progress on the **Overview** page. After it finishes, review the extracted records in the Algolia dashboard. Creating a crawler doesn't install or select a DocSearch frontend version. After indexing, choose a [DocSearch v5 package](/docs/packages/overview) or [framework integration](/docs/integrations). ## Next steps - Edit your crawler configuration for scheduled crawls, inclusion/exclusion rules, and extraction settings. - Use the Crawler’s suggestions for further optimization. - For more details, see the [Algolia Crawler documentation](https://www.algolia.com/doc/tools/crawler/getting-started/create-crawler/).