Primer on ChatGPT’s 3 Bots

12/15/25
Source: SEO – Practical Ecommerce by Ann Smarty. Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of Understanding ChatGPT’s Distinct Bots: GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, and ChatGPT-User

ChatGPT operates three separate bots for different tasks: GPTBot gathers training data, OAI-SearchBot conducts live web searches, and ChatGPT-User accesses sites on user command. Disallowing GPTBot stops your content from being used for training but won’t affect your site traffic. Blocking OAI-SearchBot reduces citations and potential traffic, so it’s generally discouraged. ChatGPT-User cannot be blocked since it acts only on direct user requests.

Optimixed’s Overview: How ChatGPT’s Multiple Bots Impact Your Website and SEO Strategy

Introducing ChatGPT’s Bot Ecosystem

ChatGPT leverages three distinct bots, each with a specialized role to enhance its AI functionality:

  • GPTBot: Responsible for collecting data to train and update ChatGPT’s knowledge base. It does not retain training URLs or track sources.
  • OAI-SearchBot: Performs real-time web searches to gather current information from platforms like Google, Bing, and Reddit.
  • ChatGPT-User: Acts on explicit user instructions to visit and analyze specific web pages.

Implications for Website Owners

Controlling GPTBot Access: By disallowing GPTBot via robots.txt, you prevent your content from being used in ChatGPT’s training data. This won’t impact your organic traffic but may limit how accurately ChatGPT represents your business internally.

Managing OAI-SearchBot: Blocking this bot reduces your site’s citations in AI-generated responses and may decrease referral traffic. Because OAI-SearchBot mimics human search behavior, many experts recommend allowing it to maintain visibility.

Dealing with ChatGPT-User: Since this bot is user-driven, it cannot be blocked. It acts only when a person requests ChatGPT to visit your site, making it analogous to a human visitor.

Recommendations for SEO and Site Management

  • Allow GPTBot access to provide ChatGPT with first-hand, accurate information about your offerings and brand context.
  • Consider the trade-offs before disallowing OAI-SearchBot, as blocking may reduce AI-driven citations and traffic.
  • Monitor server logs to identify ChatGPT-User visits, understanding these are user-initiated and unavoidable.

Understanding the distinct roles and behaviors of ChatGPT’s bots empowers website owners to make informed decisions that balance content protection, traffic management, and search visibility in an AI-driven ecosystem.