The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
In a one-pass census dated October 1, 2026, Pennyforge reported that 35 of 185 sites (18.9%) published a hard opt-out for AI crawlers. Every reported opt-out was a full-site Disallow: /. The share was highest among media and publishers (20 of 30) and lowest among government portals (1 of 24). These are results for a fixed, non-random panel—not an estimate of all European websites—and robots.txt rules signal a site’s stated policy rather than proving that a crawler is technically blocked.
What the 185-site census found
Pennyforge’s October 1, 2026 census found a strong difference between two groups in its panel: 66.7% of media and publishers had a hard AI-crawler opt-out, compared with 4.2% of government portals. Across the full panel, 18.9% had one. Pennyforge reported no partial path-level opt-outs among the 35 sites; each used a full-site disallow.
| Panel group | Sites with a hard opt-out | Share |
|---|---|---|
| EU media and publishers | 20 of 30 | 66.7% |
| Dutch public-interest sites | 2 of 8 | 25% |
| Major NL/DE retailers | 4 of 23 | 17.4% |
| Technology, AI, and scholarly infrastructure | 4 of 34 | 11.8% |
| Additional EU retail shops | 4 of 66 | 6.1% |
| EU and national government portals | 1 of 24 | 4.2% |
| All sites | 35 of 185 | 18.9% |
All counts and percentages in the table are Pennyforge’s reported results from its October 1, 2026 single-pass census. The author’s per-user-agent parser did not fully implement RFC longest-path-match precedence; Pennyforge said that limitation affected at most the one partial case it found. The absence of partial opt-outs should therefore be read as a reported result, with that parser caveat.
Recommended Free Tools
What Pennyforge checked
The panel comprised 185 sites in six groups: 23 major Dutch and German retailers, 8 Dutch public-interest sites carried over from an earlier slice, 66 additional EU retail shops, 24 EU and national government portals, 30 EU media and publishers, and 34 technology, AI, and scholarly-infrastructure sites.
#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
- Convert USB-A Ports to USB-C: Designed to connect USB-C earphones, cables, flash drives, card readers, and other USB-C accessories to standard USB-A ports. Plug-and-play with no drivers or software required.
- Aluminum Alloy Housing: Built with a sturdy aluminum alloy shell that aids in heat dissipation and protects against daily wear and scratches. Designed to maintain a stable and secure connection.
- Compact & Travel-Friendly: The ultra-compact design allows the adapter to stay plugged into your device without blocking adjacent ports or adding bulk, reducing wear and tear on your original USB ports.
- 12-Month Warranty: Backed by a 12-month manufacturer warranty for peace of mind. Designed to meet strict quality control standards for reliable everyday performance.
Pennyforge made one pass from 17:15 to 17:22 UTC on October 1, 2026. For each site, it checked robots.txt for 12 user agents: GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT-User, PerplexityBot, Perplexity-User, ClaudeBot, CCBot, Google-Extended, Applebot-Extended, Bytespider, Meta-ExternalAgent, and MistralAI-SearchBot. It also requested /.well-known/ai-crawler and checked content type so that an HTML single-page-app fallback would not be mistaken for a policy file.
The figures come from Pennyforge’s description of its census, not an independently reproduced measurement. The panel is brand-biased and non-random, and a single short crawl cannot establish how common these rules are across Europe or whether they changed later. The results also do not establish why a site chose a rule.
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
- Quick Data Transfers: Accelerate your productivity with rapid data transfers using a high-speed 5Gbps USB 3.0 port and two 480Mbps USB 2.0 ports.
- 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
How visible were the published rules?
- robots.txt availability: Pennyforge reported that 121 of 185 sites (65.4%) served a
robots.txtfile. - No listed AI-agent entries: Among those 121 files, 77 (64%) had no entry for any of the 12 user agents checked.
- Unavailable responses: The article reported HTTP 403 for
robots.txtat 39 of 185 sites (21%). Pennyforge treated those responses as temporarily unobtainable policy, not as evidence that no policy existed. - Explicit allows: Nine of 185 sites had an explicit
Allowrule for at least one listed AI user agent; the article said most named examples were consumer-electronics retailers.
Which crawlers were named most often?
CCBot appeared in the most disallow rules: 26, with no explicit allows in the panel. Pennyforge reported disallow counts of 22 for GPTBot, 18 for ClaudeBot, 17 for Google-Extended, 17 for Bytespider, and 16 for Meta-ExternalAgent. MistralAI-SearchBot was not mentioned in any rule in the panel. These are counts reported by Pennyforge, not independently verified crawler-by-crawler measurements.
Was there an alternative to robots.txt?
No site in the panel served a real policy file at the probed /.well-known/ai-crawler path. Although 20 sites returned HTTP 200 there, all 20 responses were HTML catch-alls rather than that endpoint’s actual file. This finding is limited to the sites and date Pennyforge checked.
Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Does a disallow actually block a crawler?
Not necessarily. A robots.txt rule is a published instruction: its presence records the site’s stated preference, but does not by itself prove that every crawler follows it or that the server rejects requests. A separate CrawlIndex findings page describes measuring published rules alongside observed server responses, illustrating that those are distinct dimensions; its dataset is separate and should not be combined with Pennyforge’s census. CrawlIndex findings.
Pennyforge characterized the European approach as fragmented and voluntary: “The de facto standard for TDM opt-out in Europe is a fragmented, voluntary robots.txt with per-UA lines — enforced only if the crawler chooses to check.” This is the publisher’s summary, not a claim that the census measured compliance by crawlers.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
Rank #4
- Dual Converters, Infinite Potential：Includes 2× USB C male to USB A female adapters and 2× USB A male to USB C female adapters. Perfect for a wide range of uses—tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, expand USB ports on macbook, and more. Two different converters for all your daily needs
- Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
- Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
- Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
How to use these numbers
- Use the sector contrast as a description of this panel: media and publishers had the highest reported opt-out share, while government portals had the lowest.
- Do not treat 18.9% as the prevalence among all European sites; the panel was fixed, brand-biased, and non-random.
- Read a disallow as a published policy signal, not proof of technical enforcement or an explanation of the site’s motives.
- Remember that the measurements represent one pass on October 1, 2026; the census does not establish later policy changes.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
