Which is better, blocking AI crawling with robots.txt or not?

Which is better, blocking AI crawling with robots.txt or not?

Deciding whether to block AI crawlers with robots.txt depends on several factors, particularly around your content goals, privacy considerations, and the type of content you host. Here are some pros and cons to help you decide which approach might suit your needs better.

1. Blocking AI Crawling with robots.txt

Pros:

• Control Over Content Exposure: Blocking AI bots prevents them from scraping and analyzing your content, helping you retain more control over its use and visibility.
• Privacy and Security: If your site contains sensitive or proprietary information, blocking AI bots can help mitigate unintended access.
• Resource Management: If your server bandwidth is limited, reducing bot access can free up resources for actual user traffic rather than being consumed by bot crawls. Cons:
• Reduced Visibility in AI-generated Answers: Blocking bots like Google Bard or ChatGPT’s web-crawling bots means your content won’t appear in AI-generated search results or answer summaries, potentially reducing organic discovery.
• No Content Use in AI Products: By blocking AI crawlers, you’re opting out of any potential benefits that might come from AI referencing or using your site as a source in aggregated content.

2. Allowing AI Crawling

Pros:

• Increased Reach and Brand Recognition: Allowing AI to crawl your site can boost its presence in AI-powered search results and question-answering systems. This could potentially drive traffic or recognition if users see or reference your content.
• Potential for Traffic: Even if AI answers might reduce the need for users to visit your site directly, being included in these answers can still result in some users clicking through for more in-depth content.
• Stay Competitive: As more platforms incorporate AI into search, sites that are available for crawling may maintain better relevance in these evolving search landscapes. Cons:
• Loss of Content Control: Allowing AI bots to crawl means you lose control over how your content is used, repurposed, or summarized by AI platforms.
• No Compensation: Currently, most AI platforms don’t compensate for content use, so you’re contributing to large language models without direct monetary benefits.

General Considerations

• Content Type: Sites with highly unique, proprietary, or subscription-based content might be better off blocking crawlers to protect intellectual property.
• SEO Strategy: If your business relies on visibility and high traffic, allowing AI crawling can be advantageous, especially as search algorithms evolve toward AI-supported experiences.
• Experimentation: Some sites choose to experiment by allowing crawling temporarily, then monitoring traffic and engagement changes.

In Summary:
If you prioritize control, privacy, and safeguarding content, blocking crawlers may be the better choice. However, if your goal is increased reach, visibility, and adaptation to AI-driven search experiences, allowing AI crawlers could be beneficial.