The robots.txt file for Crunchbase strictly prevents automated crawlers, other than explicitly whitelisted ones, from accessing the site's data. The primary directive in the file is Disallow: /, effectively blocking all paths on the site. No specific Disallow: /example rules were found as this overarching one applies to all paths. The directives apply uniformly to all user agents, unless explicitly allowed, such as Googlebot and Bingbot, specific to search engines, are excepted.

There is no Allow: /example directive found, as the single Disallow: / takes precedence for the entire site barring the exceptions. The sitemaps reference is Sitemap: https://www.crunchbase.com/sitemap.xml for search engine visibility. With these configurations, the environment for general web scrapers is highly restricted, with the broad disallow directive applying to all paths. Therefore, the robots.txt file signals a very restrictive posture toward general scraping, while providing some maneuverability for a few search engine bots.

The terms of service for Crunchbase explicitly prohibit crawling, scraping, or using spiders to access any data or content on their service. The terms state:

"(h) ‘Crawls,’ ‘scrapes,’ or ‘spiders’ any page, data, or portion of or relating to the Service or Content (through use of manual or automated means);"

This prohibition is broad and applies to both public and logged-in areas of the Crunchbase website. Although the enforceability of these terms may depend on whether a user has explicitly agreed to them, such as by creating an account, Crunchbase frames these restrictions as applying to all users, not just registered members.

Crunchbase does provide an official API for data access, but its terms further restrict bypassing security features such as logins, rate limits, or CAPTCHAs. The terms specify:

"(i) Circumvents or attempts to circumvent any features, limitations, or restrictions of the Service (including, without limitation, attempting to access, download, export, or otherwise use or exploit any Content using any automated means or tools);"

Violations of these restrictions may result in consequences such as IP blocking, account suspension, or potential legal action. In summary, scraping is not allowed under Crunchbase’s terms except with express permission.