Guides to AI search visibility

Generative engine optimization (GEO), answer engine optimization (AEO), and AI crawler optimization are still unsettled names for the same job: making sure AI search systems are allowed to read you, then giving them something worth citing.

• GPTBot vs ChatGPT-User vs OAI-SearchBot: what's the difference

  GPTBot trains models. ChatGPT-User fetches pages for live answers. OAI-SearchBot builds ChatGPT search. Blocking the wrong one is a common mistake.

• Does blocking AI crawlers hurt your Google ranking?

  No. Googlebot and Google-Extended are separate. Blocking GPTBot, ClaudeBot, or Google-Extended does not change your Google Search ranking.

• The complete list of AI crawler user agents (2026)

  User agents for GPTBot, ChatGPT-User, OAI-SearchBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended, and the other bots that decide AI search visibility.

• llms.txt explained: what it is, and whether you need one

  llms.txt is a markdown file at your site root that tells AI systems what your site is about. Here is what it does, what it does not do, and a real example.

• llms.txt vs robots.txt

  robots.txt grants or blocks crawler access. llms.txt describes your site for language models. You usually want both, and they do not replace each other.

• How to allow PerplexityBot

  Paste-ready robots.txt rules so PerplexityBot can crawl your site, plus how to confirm the change with an AI crawler checker.

• AI ready badge for your website or README

  Embed an AI search status badge that shows whether GPTBot, Claude, and Perplexity can access your site. Free HTML and Markdown snippets.