=== AI Bot Access Checker ===
Contributors: mishamanko
Tags: ai, robots.txt, chatgpt, crawlers, seo
Requires at least: 5.8
Tested up to: 7.1
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.0.0
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

See which AI bots can reach your site - ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google AI and more - and why the others are blocked.

== Description ==

Many sites block AI bots without knowing it. A robots.txt line copied from an old template, an SEO plugin switch, a Cloudflare setting or a firewall rule is enough to keep a site out of ChatGPT search, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI answers. None of it shows up in your analytics.

AI Bot Access Checker finds these blocks in one click and tells you where each one comes from and how to fix it.

**What it checks**

* **robots.txt, as bots actually get it.** Including rules your CDN adds at the edge, such as Cloudflare's managed robots.txt.
* **Who writes your robots.txt.** A physical file, WordPress itself, or a plugin such as Yoast SEO, Rank Math or All in One SEO.
* **Firewall and CDN blocks.** The checker loads your homepage from outside as each AI bot and compares the result with a normal browser and a test Googlebot, so a generic bot challenge is not mistaken for an AI block.
* **Rate limits** that stop crawlers partway.
* **WordPress settings** such as "Discourage search engines", plus noindex tags on your homepage.
* **.htaccess rules** that target bots by name.
* **Security plugins** that can block bots, such as Wordfence or All-In-One Security.

**Bots covered**

AI search and answers: OAI-SearchBot and ChatGPT-User (OpenAI), Claude-SearchBot and Claude-User (Anthropic), PerplexityBot and Perplexity-User, Googlebot (AI Overviews), Bingbot (Copilot).

AI training and datasets: GPTBot, ClaudeBot, Google-Extended, CCBot (Common Crawl), Applebot-Extended, Meta-ExternalAgent, Amazonbot.

**Fix it yourself, or have it fixed**

Every problem comes with plain steps to fix it yourself. Prefer to hand it off? You can send your report to Misha Manko from inside the plugin and have it fixed for you (an optional paid service), or just ask a question. Nothing is sent unless you fill in the form and tick the consent box.

The checker is built on research from a network of 50 live sites that logs how AI bots crawl the web.

== Installation ==

1. Install and activate the plugin. It opens its page for you (Tools > AI Bot Access).
2. Click "Run check".
3. Read what is blocked and follow the steps to fix it.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Does it change anything on my site? =

No. It only reads settings and files and shows you what it found. Every fix is up to you.

= Should I block AI training bots? =

That is your choice. Blocking AI search bots keeps your pages out of AI answers, which is rarely what a business wants. Training bots are different: some sites block them on purpose. The plugin marks training-bot blocks as warnings, not problems, and never changes them for you.

= Why does it say "Unclear" for a bot? =

Some firewalls challenge every bot they cannot verify. When our test Googlebot is challenged as well, the block is not aimed at AI bots, and real AI bots crawling from their own IP addresses may still get through. The plugin says so instead of guessing.

= Can it check a local or staging site? =

The WordPress checks work anywhere. The outside checks need a public address. Developers can point the check at a public address with the `aibac_site_url` filter.

= Is it free? =

Yes. Every check and every fix-it-yourself step is free, with no limits and no account. The only paid part is optional: having the fix done for you.

== External services ==

This plugin uses the AI Bot Access Checker service at https://botcheck.mishamanko.com, run by Misha Manko, to see your site the way AI bots see it from the internet.

* **When you click "Run check":** the plugin sends your site address (home URL). The service requests your public homepage and robots.txt as a browser, a test Googlebot and several AI bot user agents, and returns the status codes, your robots.txt and your homepage robots tags. Site addresses are not stored; only a daily count of checks is kept.
* **Only when you submit the contact form and tick the consent box:** the plugin sends your name, email address, site address, your message and the check results, so Misha Manko can reply and, if you order it, fix the problems.

Privacy policy and terms: https://botcheck.mishamanko.com/privacy

Payments for the optional fix are handled by Gumroad (https://gumroad.com). Gumroad's terms: https://gumroad.com/terms and privacy policy: https://gumroad.com/privacy

== Screenshots ==

1. Results: what blocks AI bots on your site, where each block comes from, and how to fix it.
2. Bot by bot: robots.txt and firewall results for every AI search and training bot.
3. The first screen after activation. One click runs the check.

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.0 =
* First release.
