OpenAI · User-initiated fetcher
ChatGPT-User
ChatGPT-User is the agent that fetches a specific URL when a person explicitly asks ChatGPT (or a custom GPT) to read or visit it. It is not a bulk crawler and is not used for training — it only fires in response to a direct user action. ChatGPT-User honors robots.txt.
Last updated
- User-agent token
- ChatGPT-User
- Operator
- OpenAI
- Feeds
- ChatGPT live page fetches
- robots.txt
- Unverified
How to control ChatGPT-User in robots.txt
Edit the robots.txt file at the root of your domain (for example https://example.com/robots.txt), add one of the groups below, then save and re-deploy.
Remember: a named User-agent: ChatGPT-User group overrides your global User-agent: * rules, so repeat any private Disallow paths inside it.
Allow ChatGPT-User (recommended for AI visibility)
# Welcome ChatGPT-User, but keep private areas blocked.
# A named user-agent group overrides "User-agent: *", so repeat
# your own private Disallow rules inside this group.
User-agent: ChatGPT-User
Allow: /
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /account/
Disallow: /cart/
Disallow: /checkout/Block ChatGPT-User
# Block ChatGPT-User from the entire site.
User-agent: ChatGPT-User
Disallow: /FAQ
When does ChatGPT-User visit my site?
Only when a ChatGPT user asks it to open a specific link or a GPT/action requests your page in real time. It does not crawl your site on its own.
Should I block ChatGPT-User?
Most publishers allow it — blocking it stops ChatGPT from reading your page even when a user explicitly pastes your URL, which usually hurts more than it helps.
Is your site visible to AI crawlers?
Run a free AI-visibility audit to see which AI crawlers can reach your content and how often you get cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google AI Overviews.
Run a free auditPart of the Cite Hustle AI crawler directory. For the full framework on AI search visibility, read the GEO methodology.