User agent parser
What this user agent parser does
Paste a full User-Agent header and read the best-effort breakdown: browser family, major version, operating system, and broad device class. The string is historical baggage—vendors have frozen or genericized it for privacy, and modern browsers may send Client Hints for fine detail instead. Treat output as triage, not a fraud-proof device fingerprint.
When to use it
Use it when log lines only store UA, when a WAF rule misfires on a bot label, or when support asks "which Safari build?" from a HAR file. Cross-check odd cases with URL parser for request context and remember analytics should migrate toward first-party events, not only UA heuristics.
Worked example
A/B results look skewed on "mobile." You sample UAs from the outlier bucket: many resolve to in-app webviews, not pure Safari. The product team shifts the discussion from CSS bugs to embedded WebKit limitations.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Chrome showing as another browser?
Some privacy modes or iOS requirements rewrite tokens. Read the full string; substrings can mislead simple regexes.
Can I block by UA alone?
User agents are trivially spoofed. Layer rate limits, auth, and bot management signals.
What replaced user agent for model details?
Structured Client Hints and feature queries; still not perfect for all devices.