What is ChatGPT-User ?
ChatGPT-User is a user-agent string that appears in server logs when someone accesses a website through the ChatGPT browsing tool or plugins (when enabled). It is not a crawler in the traditional sense—it represents real-time interactions initiated by end-users through OpenAI’s ChatGPT interface. These visits occur when a user prompt triggers a browsing session, for instance when ChatGPT searches the web to answer a query.
Who is operating ChatGPT-User ?
The user-agent is managed by OpenAI, Inc. It reflects usage of ChatGPT’s browsing capabilities and plugin systems. Requests are made in real-time on behalf of a specific user and originate from OpenAI’s infrastructure. These requests are limited in scope, rate-limited, and subject to compliance controls described in OpenAI’s documentation.
Why you should be interested in ChatGPT-User ?
While the volume is low compared to automated crawlers, ChatGPT-User represents exposure of your content in AI-generated answers. It also signals inclusion in responses delivered to potentially millions of users. If you serve time-sensitive, paywalled, or regulated content, you may want to monitor and filter such requests. They reflect indirect content redistribution via AI interfaces, and there is no long-term indexing—only transient, prompt-triggered access.
How to block ChatGPT-User ?
1. robots.txt not applicable:
This user-agent does not obey robots.txt because it is not a crawler. It behaves more like a browser session.
2. User-Agent Filtering:
Block or filter requests with the user-agent string containing “ChatGPT-User”.
3. IP-based controls:
Since requests come from OpenAI infrastructure, reverse DNS and traffic profiling can help identify patterns.
About the bot
Owner: OpenAI, Inc.
Owner URL: openai.com
Bot URL: openai.com/chatgpt
Bot User Agent: ChatGPT-User
Respects robots.txt: No
