User-agent parser · Guide

The User-Agent String Explained

The UA string is famously strange. A little history explains why it lists so many things.

A pile of compatibility tokens

Modern UA strings include tokens like Mozilla and KHTML, like Gecko for historical compatibility, alongside the actual browser and engine. That is why they look redundant — the cruft is intentional.

What to extract

The parts that matter are the real browser and version, the OS, and the device. A parser ignores the compatibility noise and surfaces those.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use this for production work?

Yes, for inspection, formatting and quick generation. Still review the output before committing it to production code or configuration.

Ready to try it?

Open the free browser-based User-agent parser and apply what you just read — no sign-up, runs locally.

Open the User-agent parser tool