What's the difference between GPTBot and OAI-SearchBot?

Both are OpenAI's, but they serve different purposes. GPTBot collects data for model training, while OAI-SearchBot indexes content for ChatGPT search results and isn't used for training. OpenAI also runs ChatGPT-User, which fetches a page in real time when a user asks about it, and OAI-AdsBot, which checks ad landing pages — four bots in total.

Are PerplexityBot and Perplexity-User the same thing?

No. PerplexityBot is a crawler that indexes your site so it can appear in search results, and according to Perplexity's own documentation it isn't used to train its models. Perplexity-User is a separate agent that fetches a page in real time when a user asks a question.

How do I check my site's robots.txt settings?

Our [robots checker](/tools/robots-checker/) automatically parses your current robots.txt and shows at a glance which AI crawlers are allowed and which are blocked.

What Types of AI Crawlers Are There? (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot)

Major AI crawlers include OpenAI's GPTBot, Anthropic's ClaudeBot, and Perplexity's PerplexityBot. Each company now runs separate bots for training and for search visibility. You can control each one through robots.txt, but if your goal is AEO you shouldn't block them — a crawler has to be able to read your page before any AI service can cite it in a generated answer.

Updated 2026-07-07

Frequently asked questions

What Types of AI Crawlers Are There? (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot): Major AI crawlers include OpenAI's GPTBot, Anthropic's ClaudeBot, and Perplexity's PerplexityBot. Each company now runs separate bots for training and for search visibility. You can control each one through robots.txt, but if your goal is AEO you shouldn't block them — a crawler has to be able to read your page before any AI service can cite it in a generated answer.
What's the difference between GPTBot and OAI-SearchBot?: Both are OpenAI's, but they serve different purposes. GPTBot collects data for model training, while OAI-SearchBot indexes content for ChatGPT search results and isn't used for training. OpenAI also runs ChatGPT-User, which fetches a page in real time when a user asks about it, and OAI-AdsBot, which checks ad landing pages — four bots in total.
Are PerplexityBot and Perplexity-User the same thing?: No. PerplexityBot is a crawler that indexes your site so it can appear in search results, and according to Perplexity's own documentation it isn't used to train its models. Perplexity-User is a separate agent that fetches a page in real time when a user asks a question.
How do I check my site's robots.txt settings?: Our [robots checker](/tools/robots-checker/) automatically parses your current robots.txt and shows at a glance which AI crawlers are allowed and which are blocked.