A

Discovery

LOW

ChatGPT-User allowed

robots.txt permits ChatGPT-User (OpenAI's user-initiated live fetcher) at the site root. Explicitly allowing ChatGPT-User removes ambiguity about whether ChatGPT can fetch pages during user actions.

What this check looks for

ChatGPT-User is the user-agent OpenAI uses when ChatGPT fetches a page in response to a user's action (e.g., 'open this product'). Per OpenAI's bots doc, these user-initiated fetches MAY ignore robots.txt — so a Disallow doesn't necessarily prevent the fetch. We still surface it as a soft signal: a well-configured store explicitly allows ChatGPT-User so the policy isn't ambiguous.

Which AI surfaces it affects

  • ChatGPT (ACP)60
  • Google AI Mode (UCP)0
  • Perplexity0
  • Microsoft Copilot0
  • Meta AI0

Weighted against the live specs — ACP 2026-04-17, UCP 2026-04-08.

How to fix it

Allow ChatGPT-User in robots.txt (advisory)

Shopify

A few minutes
  1. Online Store → Themes → Edit code → templates/robots.txt.liquid.
  2. Add a `User-agent: ChatGPT-User` group with `Allow: /`.

Platform docs ↗

BigCommerce

A few minutes
  1. Storefront → SEO → robots.txt.
  2. Add a `User-agent: ChatGPT-User` group with `Allow: /`.

WooCommerce

A few minutes
  1. Yoast SEO → Tools → File editor → robots.txt (or All in One SEO → Robots.txt Editor).
  2. Add a `User-agent: ChatGPT-User` group with `Allow: /`.

Custom / headless

A few minutes
  1. Edit robots.txt to add an explicit ChatGPT-User group with Allow: /.
User-agent: ChatGPT-User
Allow: /

The spec it's pinned to

  • OpenAI bots — ChatGPT-User

    OpenAI's bots documentation lists ChatGPT-User as the user-agent for user-initiated live fetches from ChatGPT. OpenAI notes these fetches MAY ignore robots.txt, so blocking it is advisory rather than a hard gate.

OpenAI bots — ChatGPT-User

Does your store pass this check?

Run the full audit — 82 checks across five AI shopping surfaces. Most tools only check whether you get mentioned; we check whether an agent can buy from you.

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