How do I fix robots.txt blocking AI assistants on my store?

Remove the Disallow rules for OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT-User, Googlebot, Bingbot, PerplexityBot, Perplexity-User, Claude-SearchBot, Claude-User and Applebot in robots.txt, or add "Allow: /" for them.

How do I fix it on Shopify?

Online Store > Themes > Edit code > Templates > robots.txt.liquid. Remove the rule for these agents (create the file from Add a new template if it does not exist).

How do I fix it on WooCommerce?

In Yoast SEO or Rank Math, open the robots.txt editor, or edit the robots.txt file in your site root, and remove the rules for these agents.

How was this measured?

113 well-known stores were audited from our servers with the same check every AgentReady audit runs, most recently on October 11, 2026. 110 of them returned a result for this check.

The state of robots.txt blocking of AI assistants

2 of 110 audited stores tell ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude or Google's AI agents to stay out in robots.txt.

robots.txt is the first thing an AI shopping agent reads, and it is the cheapest mistake on this list to make by accident: one copied rule, one SEO plugin default, and the store disappears from AI answers while looking perfectly normal to shoppers.

113 stores audited, last refreshed October 2026.

Check your own store on this and 15 other checks. Free, about 30 seconds.

What we found

2 of 110 audited stores tell ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude or Google's AI agents to stay out in robots.txt.
Indian fashion stores fail this most often: 2 of 25, or 8%.
Indian home and kitchen stores are the exception: none of the 19 we audited fail it.
3% of Custom or headless stores fail this against 1% of Shopify stores.
Stores that fail this check average 34 out of 100 overall, against 78 for the stores that pass it.
3 more stores could not be checked at all, usually because the site refused our visit.

By platform

Stores grouped by the platform we detected.

Group	Audited	Fail	Fail rate
Shopify	73	1	1%
Custom or headless	34	1	3%
Adobe Commerce (Magento)	3	0	0%

By benchmark

Each list links to its full ranking.

Group	Audited	Fail	Fail rate
Indian beauty and personal care	27	0	0%
Indian fashion	25	2	8%
Indian electronics and gadgets	20	0	0%
Indian food and beverage	19	0	0%
Indian home and kitchen	19	0	0%

Worst on this check: Indian fashion (2 of 25). Best: Indian home and kitchen (0 of 19).

Which stores fail it

All 2 are on a published benchmark list. Each links to its full report and the exact fix.

Why it matters, and how to fix it

Why AI agents care

AI shopping answers come from agents that read your pages when someone asks. A blocked agent cannot recommend what it cannot read.

The fix

Any platform: Remove the Disallow rules for OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT-User, Googlebot, Bingbot, PerplexityBot, Perplexity-User, Claude-SearchBot, Claude-User and Applebot in robots.txt, or add "Allow: /" for them.
Shopify: Online Store > Themes > Edit code > Templates > robots.txt.liquid. Remove the rule for these agents (create the file from Add a new template if it does not exist).
WooCommerce: In Yoast SEO or Rank Math, open the robots.txt editor, or edit the robots.txt file in your site root, and remove the rules for these agents.

Free AI robots.txt checkerRun this one check on your own store, no email needed.

Questions

How many online stores block AI assistants in robots.txt?: 2 of 110 audited stores tell ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude or Google's AI agents to stay out in robots.txt.
Why does this matter for AI shopping agents?: AI shopping answers come from agents that read your pages when someone asks. A blocked agent cannot recommend what it cannot read.
How do I fix robots.txt blocking AI assistants on my store?: Remove the Disallow rules for OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT-User, Googlebot, Bingbot, PerplexityBot, Perplexity-User, Claude-SearchBot, Claude-User and Applebot in robots.txt, or add "Allow: /" for them.
How do I fix it on Shopify?: Online Store > Themes > Edit code > Templates > robots.txt.liquid. Remove the rule for these agents (create the file from Add a new template if it does not exist).
How do I fix it on WooCommerce?: In Yoast SEO or Rank Math, open the robots.txt editor, or edit the robots.txt file in your site root, and remove the rules for these agents.
How was this measured?: 113 well-known stores were audited from our servers with the same check every AgentReady audit runs, most recently on October 11, 2026. 110 of them returned a result for this check.

The monthly AI shopping benchmark

New rankings and what changed, once a month. No other emails.

How we measured

Every store on our public benchmark lists got the same audit as AgentReady's free check. This page counts one of its 16 checks across all of them.
110 of 113 stores returned a result for this check; 3 could not be checked and are left out of every number above.
Audits ran from our servers in Singapore. Real AI agents visit from their companies' own networks, so firewall results are a strong signal, not proof.
Lists are chosen by hand and refreshed monthly. Last run October 11, 2026.
Run one of these stores and want it removed or re-checked? Email dev.prathapk@gmail.com.

Free, 30 seconds, no signup

See your store the way AI does

Find out what ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude see, and exactly what to fix.

Reads only public pages
Live answers from 3 AI assistants
A report you can share