should i block gptbot or allow it on my site?
Allow GPTBot if you want your content included in OpenAI training data and downstream brand recognition in ChatGPT responses; block it if you have proprietary content you do not want learned. Note that GPTBot controls training inclusion only; OAI-SearchBot and ChatGPT-User handle live retrieval and citation, which most commercial sites want enabled regardless. Major publishers like the New York Times block GPTBot but allow OAI-SearchBot. Decide per content type, since blocking training inclusion reduces long-term brand recall in zero-click queries.
Evidence and detail
- GPTBot controls OpenAI training inclusion only; OAI-SearchBot and ChatGPT-User handle live retrieval and inline citation decisions independently.
- The New York Times and Reuters block GPTBot but allow OAI-SearchBot to preserve live citation visibility while limiting training reuse.
- Training inclusion drives brand recall in zero-click conversational queries that never trigger live retrieval inside ChatGPT or Claude responses.
- Decisions can be made per directory: allow training on marketing pages, block on premium or paywalled content.
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