--- title: "GPTBot Blocking and ChatGPT Citations: 67% Still Get Cited" url: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/gptbot-blocking-chatgpt-citations description: "GPTBot blocking and ChatGPT citations: 67% of frequently cited sites that block it still appear as sources, against 73% overall. See the data." lang: en --- Share Share on X: https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fgptbot-blocking-chatgpt-citations&text=Blocking%20Doesn%27t%20Keep%20You%20Out%3A%2067%25%20of%20Websites%20That%20Block%20GPTBot%20Still%20Get%20Cited%20by%20ChatGPT Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fgptbot-blocking-chatgpt-citations Share on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fgptbot-blocking-chatgpt-citations Share on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Fgptbot-blocking-chatgpt-citations&title=Blocking%20Doesn%27t%20Keep%20You%20Out%3A%2067%25%20of%20Websites%20That%20Block%20GPTBot%20Still%20Get%20Cited%20by%20ChatGPT **67%** of frequently cited websites that block GPTBot, OpenAI's training crawler, still appear as sources in ChatGPT answers, close to the 73% of all frequently cited websites. Blocking GPTBot trims a site's ChatGPT citations; it does not remove the site from ChatGPT. Analysis of 813 frequently cited websites and 222,157 citations · answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI features, Google search results and the public HTTP Archive crawl, September 2026 ## Key Findings 1. 1. **67%** of frequently cited websites that block OpenAI's GPTBot still appear as sources in ChatGPT answers, against 73% of all frequently cited websites. Copy stat 2. 2. **22.6** ChatGPT citations on average go to each website that blocks GPTBot, 29% fewer than the 31.8 for websites that allow it. Copy stat 3. 3. **70%** of frequently cited websites that block OpenAI's search crawlers, OAI-SearchBot or ChatGPT-User, still appear as sources in ChatGPT answers. Copy stat 4. 4. **31%** of the most-cited websites block at least one AI crawler, and those websites hold 37% of all citations. Copy stat 5. 5. Websites that block an AI crawler average **330** citations each, a third more than the 248 of websites that block none. Copy stat ## Summary A publisher adds two lines to its robots.txt file, the text file that tells crawlers which pages they may read: "User-agent: GPTBot" and "Disallow: /". The goal is to keep its articles out of ChatGPT. A month later, ChatGPT is still citing those articles in its answers. That happens because GPTBot is OpenAI's training crawler, the bot that collects pages to train future models. ChatGPT's search uses different crawlers and can find pages through search indexes, so a GPTBot block works on training and barely touches answers. Site owners who block GPTBot to stay out of ChatGPT, and owners worried that blocking will cost them visibility, both need to know what the block actually does. The answer is that it mostly does not keep a site out. **67%** of frequently cited websites that block GPTBot are still cited by ChatGPT, against 73% of all frequently cited websites. Blocking cuts the number of ChatGPT citations a site receives by 29%, and even blocking OpenAI's search crawlers leaves 70% of sites in ChatGPT's answers. ## What we measured On September 23, 2026 we recorded the sources cited in answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews, together with Google's top 10 search results for the same questions. We kept every website that appeared at least 50 times, 813 websites holding 222,157 citations, and matched each one to its robots.txt file in the public HTTP Archive crawl of September 2026. We then compared how often ChatGPT cites websites that block AI crawlers with websites that do not. A citation is a source link shown with an answer or a search result. A website blocks a crawler when its robots.txt file includes a rule disallowing it. GPTBot collects training data for OpenAI's models. OAI-SearchBot and ChatGPT-User are OpenAI's search crawlers: the first builds the index ChatGPT searches, the second fetches a page when a user asks ChatGPT to look something up. A frequently cited website is one with 50 or more citations. ## Two thirds of GPTBot blockers are still cited by ChatGPT 67% of frequently cited websites that block GPTBot still appear as sources in ChatGPT answers. The gap to websites that allow GPTBot is small. 75% of frequently cited websites that allow GPTBot are cited by ChatGPT, and 73% of all frequently cited websites are. A block moves a site from roughly three in four to two in three: a real difference, but most blocked sites stay in ChatGPT's answers. Cited by ChatGPT by group of frequently cited websites All frequently cited websites 73% Block GPTBot 67% Allow GPTBot 75% Block OAI-SearchBot or ChatGPT-User 70% Source: Suff Digital analysis of 813 frequently cited websites and 222,157 citations · answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI features, Google search results and the public HTTP Archive crawl, September 2026 | Group of frequently cited websites | Websites | Cited by ChatGPT | | --- | --- | --- | | All frequently cited websites | 813 | 73% | | Block GPTBot | 176 | 67% | | Allow GPTBot | 637 | 75% | | Block OAI-SearchBot or ChatGPT-User | 127 | 70% | Blocking OpenAI's search crawlers does not change the picture much either. 70% of frequently cited websites that block OAI-SearchBot or ChatGPT-User still appear in ChatGPT citations, 89 websites in all. ChatGPT can reach a page through other search indexes and through links elsewhere on the web, so a robots.txt rule limits what OpenAI's own crawlers fetch, not whether a page can be cited. ## Blocking GPTBot lowers ChatGPT citations by 29% The block does have an effect on volume. Websites that block GPTBot receive 22.6 ChatGPT citations each on average, against 31.8 for websites that allow it, 29% fewer. A blocked site keeps its place in ChatGPT's answers but shows up in fewer of them. For a publisher, that is the trade-off in plain numbers: a GPTBot block keeps content out of OpenAI's model training at the cost of roughly three in ten ChatGPT citations. For a business that wants to be recommended, that cost buys nothing it needs. ## The websites that block AI are the ones AI cites most **31%** of the most-cited websites block at least one AI crawler, and they hold 37% of all citations. Across every AI engine and Google's results, websites that block an AI crawler average 330 citations each against 248 for websites that block none, and their median is 133 against 97. Block at least one AI crawler Websites 250 Average citations per website 330 Median citations per website 133 | Measure | Block at least one AI crawler | Block no AI crawler | | --- | --- | --- | | Websites | 250 | 563 | | Average citations per website | 330 | 248 | | Median citations per website | 133 | 97 | | Share of all citations | 37% | 63% | This reflects size. News outlets and major publishers are the websites most likely to block AI crawlers, and they are also the sources AI engines and Google most want to cite. Among the 250 blockers, 156 block Anthropic's ClaudeBot, 156 block Common Crawl's CCBot, 120 opt out of Google's AI training with Google-Extended and 119 block PerplexityBot. ## What this means for publishers and brands If you block GPTBot to stay out of ChatGPT answers, the block is doing a different job. It keeps your pages out of OpenAI's model training, and it trims your ChatGPT citations by about 29%, but two in three blocked websites are still cited. If staying out of model training is your goal, a GPTBot block is the right tool, and it works without removing you from answers. Most businesses want the citations. For them, the right setting is to allow OAI-SearchBot and ChatGPT-User, make a deliberate choice about training crawlers such as GPTBot and Google-Extended, and check that robots.txt reflects that choice. Suff Digital is an ai seo company (https://www.suffdigital.com/seo/ai-seo-services) that reviews crawler rules for exactly this trade-off and tracks which engines cite your site. ## Embed this research Paste this on your site to embed the charts. It links back to the source automatically.

Source: Blocking Doesn't Keep You Out: 67% of Websites That Block GPTBot Still Get Cited by ChatGPT - Suff Digital

## Cite this study APA Suff Digital. (2026). Blocking Doesn't Keep You Out: 67% of Websites That Block GPTBot Still Get Cited by ChatGPT. https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/gptbot-blocking-chatgpt-citations Plain link Blocking Doesn't Keep You Out: 67% of Websites That Block GPTBot Still Get Cited by ChatGPT - Suff Digital - https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/gptbot-blocking-chatgpt-citations ## Frequently asked questions ### Does blocking GPTBot stop ChatGPT from citing my site? ### What is the difference between GPTBot and OAI-SearchBot? ### Do websites that block GPTBot get fewer ChatGPT citations? ### Do websites that block AI crawlers get cited less by AI engines overall? ## Related studies - AI SEO 1.5 Million Websites Block at Least One AI Crawler From Reading Their Pages: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-crawler-blocking-rate - AI SEO The 1,000 Most Visited Websites Block Perplexity's AI Crawler 12 Times as Often as Small Sites: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/big-sites-block-gptbot - AI SEO Brands That Block GPTBot Still Get Named by ChatGPT: 31.5 Mentions vs 20.7 for Brands That Allow It: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/blocking-gptbot-ai-recommendations - AI SEO 47% of Top News Sites Block ChatGPT's Training Crawler vs 17.6% of All News Sites: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/news-sites-block-gptbot ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization", "name": "Suff Digital", "alternateName": "Suff Digital Marketing", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "contentUrl": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "caption": "Suff Digital" }, "image": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo" }, "description": "Suff Digital is a full-stack digital marketing agency that turns websites into predictable revenue engines, SEO, paid media, content, CRO, and web design built around revenue, not vanity metrics.", "slogan": "Digital marketing built for what's next.", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "foundingDate": "2022", "founder": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Suffoletto", "jobTitle": "Founder & CEO" }, "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "contactType": "sales", "areaServed": "US", "availableLanguage": [ "en" ] } ], "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Nashville", "addressRegion": "TN", "postalCode": "37219", "addressCountry": "US" }, "areaServed": { "@type": "Country", "name": "United States" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/suff-digital/", "https://www.instagram.com/suffdigital/", "https://www.youtube.com/@suffdigitalmarketing", "https://www.tiktok.com/@suffdigital" ], "knowsAbout": [ "Search Engine Optimization", "Pay-Per-Click Advertising", "Paid Social Advertising", "Conversion Rate Optimization", "Web Design", "Digital PR", "Link Building", "Website Migration", "Website Maintenance and Support", "Technical SEO", "Local SEO", "AI Search Optimization" ], "hasOfferCatalog": { "@type": "OfferCatalog", "name": "Suff Digital Services", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/ppc" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Paid Social Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/paid-social" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/cro" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Web Design", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/web-design" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Digital PR & Link Building", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/digital-pr" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Migration", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-migration" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Maintenance & Support", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-maintenance" } } ] } }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#website", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "name": "Suff Digital", "inLanguage": "en-US", "publisher": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/gptbot-blocking-chatgpt-citations#article", "headline": "Blocking Doesn't Keep You Out: 67% of Websites That Block GPTBot Still Get Cited by ChatGPT", "description": "67% of frequently cited websites that block GPTBot, OpenAI's training crawler, still appear as sources in ChatGPT answers, close to the 73% of all frequently cited websites. 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Blocking GPTBot trims a site's ChatGPT citations; it does not remove the site from ChatGPT.", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/gptbot-blocking-chatgpt-citations", "creator": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" }, "datePublished": "2026-09-24", "dateModified": "2026-09-24", "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "isAccessibleForFree": true, "measurementTechnique": "Answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews; Google's top 10 search results; robots.txt files from the public HTTP Archive crawl of 15.5 million websites" }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/gptbot-blocking-chatgpt-citations#faq", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does blocking GPTBot stop ChatGPT from citing my site?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. 67% of frequently cited websites that block OpenAI's GPTBot still appear as sources in ChatGPT answers, against 73% of all frequently cited websites (September 2026)." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the difference between GPTBot and OAI-SearchBot?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "GPTBot collects content to train OpenAI's models, while OAI-SearchBot and ChatGPT-User fetch pages for ChatGPT's search. 70% of frequently cited websites that block OpenAI's search crawlers still appear in ChatGPT citations." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do websites that block GPTBot get fewer ChatGPT citations?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, somewhat. Websites that block GPTBot average 22.6 ChatGPT citations each, 29% fewer than the 31.8 of websites that allow it." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do websites that block AI crawlers get cited less by AI engines overall?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Websites that block at least one AI crawler average 330 citations each across AI engines and Google, against 248 for websites that block none, because the biggest publishers both block AI and get cited most." } } ] } ] } ] ```