User agent
In short
The user agent string is how bot rules name a visitor, so your web team needs the exact names of the ones you mean. In the network crawl of 4 Nov 2026, 6.9 percent of sites with a readable robots.txt disallowed ChatGPT-User at the root. Read on in robots.txt and bot rules. The neighbouring terms are robots.txt and Verified bot.
Definition
The name a browser or bot gives itself with each request. Robots.txt rules and bot settings use these names, such as GPTBot or ChatGPT-User.
A dated example
- Read 4 Nov 2026
In the network crawl of 4 Nov 2026, 6.9 percent of sites with a readable robots.txt disallowed ChatGPT-User at the root.
Where it matters
Bot rules use these names, so your web team needs the exact names of the visitors you mean.
Related terms
- robots.txtA public text file at the root of a site that tells automated visitors which parts they may visit.
- Verified botA bot whose operator has proven its identity to your CDN or bot vendor, through signatures, published IP ranges or a directory.
Sources
- Scorecard methodology: the crawl of 4 Nov 2026 (amireadyforagents.com/scorecards/methodology), read 4 Nov 2026.
- Sector scorecards dataset, edition 4 Nov 2026 (amireadyforagents.com/scorecards), read 4 Nov 2026.
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