GPTBot
OpenAI's web crawler used to gather public web data for ChatGPT.
Key takeaways
- GPTBot is openAI's web crawler used to gather public web data for ChatGPT.
- Decide whether you're comfortable with your content being used for model training.
- Avoid: blocking GPTBot and assuming that removes you from ChatGPT search.
What is GPTBot?
GPTBot respects robots.txt. Blocking it opts your content out of OpenAI's model training, but it doesn't remove you from ChatGPT search, which uses a separate crawler, OAI-SearchBot. Decide on each one separately.
OpenAI documents GPTBot's user agent and how to control it in its crawler documentation.
Why GPTBot matters for AEO in 2026
GPTBot collects public web content to train OpenAI's models. Whether to allow it is a business decision about training, separate from appearing in ChatGPT search.
For a wider view of where this fits, see our full AEO glossary or explore the SEO and GEO service we run for clients.
How to apply GPTBot on your site
Knowing the concept is only half of it. Work through these steps in order to put GPTBot into practice on your own pages:
- Decide whether you're comfortable with your content being used for model training.
- Allow or disallow GPTBot explicitly in robots.txt so the choice is documented.
- Allow OAI-SearchBot regardless if you want to appear in ChatGPT search.
Common mistakes to avoid
Most sites that struggle with GPTBot fall into the same traps. Check your pages against each of these before moving on:
- Blocking GPTBot and assuming that removes you from ChatGPT search.
- Blocking every AI crawler with one rule without considering the trade-offs.
- Never reviewing the decision as your content strategy changes.
Questions about GPTBot
OpenAI's web crawler used to gather public web data for ChatGPT.
GPTBot collects public web content to train OpenAI's models. Whether to allow it is a business decision about training, separate from appearing in ChatGPT search.
Start here: decide whether you're comfortable with your content being used for model training. Then allow or disallow GPTBot explicitly in robots.txt so the choice is documented.
The most common is blocking GPTBot and assuming that removes you from ChatGPT search. Another is blocking every AI crawler with one rule without considering the trade-offs.