AI search fix
OAI-SearchBot: what it is and how to allow it
OAI-SearchBot is an OpenAI user-agent used when OpenAI fetches public pages for search-oriented flows — separate from GPTBot (broad ChatGPT retrieval) and ChatGPT-User (often user-initiated browsing). Expect OAI-SearchBot in origin logs, CDN bot panels, and Microsoft Clarity Bot Activity when connected. Permit it with a dedicated Allow block in robots.txt and ensure your WAF does not challenge that string. Blocking OAI-SearchBot whilst allowing GPTBot is valid — document each user-agent on its own line. Permitting OAI-SearchBot does not guarantee ChatGPT search features will cite your site.
Audit OpenAI access by exporting robots.txt and filtering logs for GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, and ChatGPT-User together. A catch-all Disallow under User-agent: * can override narrower allows if your CMS merges rules incorrectly.
| User-agent | Typical role |
|---|---|
| GPTBot | Broad ChatGPT-class retrieval and indexing of public pages. |
| OAI-SearchBot | Search-oriented fetches — separate robots.txt section. |
| ChatGPT-User | Often linked to user-driven browsing — policy separately. |
| GEO prerequisite | Reachable HTML, honest copy, schema.org JSON-LD where appropriate. |
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See what AI crawlers hit on your site
Technical blockers, missing context, weak AI-readiness signals — in one HTML report.
You'll get an HTML report listing GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, and related OpenAI strings in robots.txt.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to allow both GPTBot and OAI-SearchBot?
Only if your policy covers every OpenAI fetch type you care about. Some sites allow both; others allow one and block the other.
Is OAI-SearchBot the same as ChatGPT-User?
No. Different strings for different behaviours — check current OpenAI publisher documentation.
Will OAI-SearchBot show in Google Analytics?
Usually not as normal sessions. Use origin or CDN logs, Clarity Bot Activity, or Express Check.
Related questions
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