AI Crawlers
Automated bots used by AI companies to browse and index web content for use in training and powering AI-generated responses.
What are AI Crawlers?
AI crawlers are automated programs deployed by AI companies to browse, index, and process web content. Unlike traditional search engine crawlers that index pages for search results, AI crawlers collect content to train and inform large language models that power AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.
Major AI Crawlers
GPTBot and ChatGPT-User are used by OpenAI for ChatGPT. ClaudeBot and Anthropic-AI are used by Anthropic for Claude. PerplexityBot powers Perplexity's AI search. Google-Extended feeds Gemini. Meta-ExternalAgent powers Meta AI. YouBot is used by You.com. Each has its own user agent string that can be identified in your server logs.
Controlling AI Crawler Access
You can control which AI crawlers access your site through your robots.txt file. Allowing AI crawlers means your content can be used to inform AI responses, potentially leading to more recommendations. Blocking them means AI platforms may not have current information about your business.
Should You Allow AI Crawlers?
For most businesses, allowing AI crawlers is beneficial. When AI platforms can access your content, they're more likely to recommend your brand accurately. Blocking AI crawlers means AI will rely on older or third-party information about your business, which may be inaccurate or incomplete.
Related Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What are AI crawlers?
AI crawlers are automated bots deployed by AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google to browse and index web content for use in powering AI-generated responses.
Should I block AI crawlers?
For most businesses, no. Allowing AI crawlers helps ensure AI platforms have accurate, up-to-date information about your business, increasing the likelihood of being recommended to users.
How do I know which AI crawlers visit my site?
Check your server logs for user agent strings like GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended, and Anthropic-AI. These identify AI crawlers from different AI companies.
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