What is My User Agent?
Your Current User Agent
Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)
Detailed Browser & Device Information
User Agent String Breakdown
Additional Browser Capabilities
What is a User Agent?
A user agent is a string of text that your web browser sends to websites you visit. It contains information about your browser, operating system, and device. Websites use this information to optimize content for your specific setup.
Why is My User Agent Important?
Your user agent string can reveal several pieces of information about your browsing environment:
- Browser identification: Websites use this to serve compatible content and features
- Operating system: Helps websites show OS-specific instructions or downloads
- Device information: Allows sites to adapt to mobile, tablet, or desktop experiences
- Browser engine: Important for web developers testing compatibility
How to Read Your User Agent String
User agent strings follow specific patterns that reveal information about your browser and system:
- Mozilla/5.0: Historical compatibility identifier present in most browsers
- Platform tokens: Information about your operating system (e.g., Windows NT, Macintosh, Linux)
- Browser engine: The rendering engine (e.g., Gecko, WebKit, Blink)
- Browser name & version: Your actual browser identity (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
- Additional info: Mobile identifiers, compatibility flags, etc.
How Websites Use Your User Agent
Websites commonly use user agent data for these purposes:
- Content optimization: Delivering properly sized images and layouts
- Feature detection: Enabling features only supported by your browser
- Analytics: Understanding visitor demographics and technology usage
- Troubleshooting: Diagnosing browser-specific issues
Changing or Spoofing Your User Agent
If you want to change your user agent (sometimes useful for testing or accessing specific site versions):
Chrome/Edge
- Open DevTools (F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I)
- Click the ⋮ menu in DevTools
- Select More tools → Network conditions
- Uncheck "Use browser default"
- Select a preset or enter custom user agent
Firefox
- Open DevTools (F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I)
- Click the ⋮ menu in DevTools
- Select Responsive Design Mode
- Use the User Agent dropdown menu
Safari
- Enable Developer menu in Preferences → Advanced
- Open Develop menu in menu bar
- Select User Agent submenu
- Choose a preset or custom option
Privacy Considerations
Your user agent contributes to your browser fingerprint, which can be used to track you across websites. Changing your user agent can help reduce tracking, but may cause some websites to function incorrectly.
Common Uses for User Agent Detection
Understanding your user agent is helpful for:
- Web development: Testing website compatibility across browsers
- Technical support: Providing accurate system information when reporting issues
- Security analysis: Identifying suspicious or spoofed user agents
- Browser fingerprinting awareness: Understanding what information websites can collect