To identify AI crawlers, search your web server or CDN access logs for their user-agent tokens, then verify the request against the crawler operator’s published IP ranges or verification method where available. To block cooperative crawlers, add a crawler-specific rule to robots.txt. To enforce a restriction, use server or edge controls; robots.txt is a public request, not an access barrier.
Decide which crawler behavior you want to restrict
“AI crawler” covers different activities. A bot may discover pages for search, fetch pages after a user asks an assistant a question, train or improve a model, or perform other automated tasks. Blocking every AI-related identity can also reduce search visibility or prevent user-requested retrieval.
OpenAI documents three distinct identities: OAI-SearchBot for ChatGPT search, GPTBot for potential model-training use, and ChatGPT-User for user-initiated visits. Its crawler settings are independent, so a site can permit search crawling while opting out of GPTBot. OpenAI says opting out of OAI-SearchBot prevents the site from appearing in ChatGPT search answers, although it may still appear as a navigational link. Changes to OAI-SearchBot access in robots.txt can take approximately 24 hours to adjust in OpenAI’s search systems. OpenAI crawler documentation
Anthropic likewise documents separate identities, including ClaudeBot, Claude-SearchBot, and Claude-User. Check the operator’s current documentation before choosing a rule; names and purposes can change. Anthropic’s crawler guidance
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Find likely crawlers in your logs
Search access logs for user-agent tokens such as GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT-User, ClaudeBot, Claude-SearchBot, and PerplexityBot. Logs may be available from your hosting provider, web server, CDN, or web application firewall. Cloudflare’s crawler reference provides additional identities, including Perplexity-User and Anthropic’s Claude-User. Because identifiers can change, consult the operator or CDN’s current reference rather than treating any list as permanent. Cloudflare verified bot reference
A user-agent match tells you what the request claims to be, not who sent it. Google warns that its user-agent string is often spoofed and recommends verifying Googlebot through reverse DNS or by matching the request IP against its published ranges. Google’s Googlebot verification guidance
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Verify the request where possible
Use a verification method published by the crawler’s operator before building enforcement rules around a user-agent string. OpenAI publishes IP ranges for its documented crawlers. Anthropic says an address on its published list indicates that the crawler is coming from Anthropic, but cautions that blocking its IPs can interfere with its ability to read robots.txt and may not reliably preserve an opt-out. OpenAI crawler documentation Anthropic’s crawler guidance
Cloudflare describes bot identification using declared user agents, dedicated IP ranges, and detection signals that can help identify spoofed identities. If your CDN or WAF offers bot classification, review how it identifies traffic and what the associated rule will affect before applying a block. Cloudflare verified-bot concepts
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Choose the right control for the job
| Method | What it does | Strength and limitation | Good use |
|---|---|---|---|
robots.txt |
Publishes crawler-specific access preferences. | Clear and lightweight for compliant crawlers, but does not stop clients that ignore it. | Expressing opt-out preferences to known, cooperative bots. |
| Server or WAF rule | Rejects requests at the site or edge. | Can enforce access rules, but identity signals and configuration need care. | Blocking verified or classified abusive traffic. |
| Authentication or authorization | Restricts access to the content itself. | Provides an access-control barrier; changes how users and bots can reach protected pages. | Private or restricted material. |
noindex |
Requests exclusion from search indexing. | Addresses indexing, not crawler access; a crawler may still fetch the page. | Pages that may be fetched but should not be indexed. |
Google distinguishes robots.txt crawl controls from noindex indexing controls and password protection. Blocking crawling alone does not necessarily prevent a URL from appearing in search results. Google’s robots.txt guidance
Add a crawler-specific robots.txt rule
For a crawler that documents robots.txt support, add a group using the exact user-agent token specified by its operator. For example, Anthropic’s documented full-site block for ClaudeBot is:
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User-agent: ClaudeBot
Disallow: /Anthropic advises placing this in the top-level robots.txt file for each subdomain where you want the restriction to apply. A rule on the main domain does not automatically cover every subdomain. Anthropic’s crawler guidance
For OpenAI, use the relevant token: block GPTBot to signal that your content should not be used for training, and manage OAI-SearchBot separately if you want to retain eligibility for ChatGPT search. A robots.txt directive expresses your preference to compliant crawlers; it does not prevent access by a client that disregards it. OpenAI crawler documentation
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Enforce restrictions and protect private content
If content must not be accessible, use authentication or authorization, or configure a server or edge rule to deny requests. A robots.txt file is publicly readable and cannot secure a page. For WAF rules, prefer a verified identity or a well-understood bot classification when available; a rule based only on a user-agent can be evaded by a spoofed or changed string.
Cloudflare’s documentation describes controls organized around Search, Agent, and Training behavior, with options to block across a zone, block on pages displaying ads, or allow. It says updated defaults for new domains took effect September 15, 2026: Training and Agent bots are blocked on pages displaying ads, while Search remains allowed, and mixed-purpose crawlers are included in AI-training blocks. These are Cloudflare-specific settings, not a general web standard; check the current dashboard and applicable zone policy rather than assuming a default is active for your site. Cloudflare AI bot policies
Check the live result after changing policy
- Review the robots.txt response. Visit the live
/robots.txtURL on the domain and each relevant subdomain. Confirm that the intended crawler group and directive are actually served. - Inspect CDN and WAF settings. An edge policy can affect requests independently of the origin’s robots.txt. Check for overlapping rules, bot policies, or managed controls that may override your intended behavior. Cloudflare AI bot policies
- Check subsequent logs. Look for the crawler identity and response status after the change. A robots.txt directive may be followed by a compliant crawler without producing a blocked response; an edge or server deny rule should be assessed by its response and logs.
- Revisit the policy when your goal changes. If you later want AI search visibility or user-triggered retrieval, review the specific crawler rules rather than removing or adding a blanket block.
Why robots.txt alone may not be enough
Robots.txt is often described as an honor system: it communicates a site owner’s preference to crawlers that choose to comply. It is not authentication, and it cannot force a scraper to stop requesting pages. Google also notes that blocking a URL from crawling is not the same as preventing it from being indexed. Use robots.txt for crawler policy, access controls for private content, and server or edge enforcement when you need requests denied. Google’s robots.txt guidance
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