How to check if your real estate site blocks AI crawlers
To check if your site blocks artificial intelligence crawlers, open your browser and type your domain address followed by a forward slash and the word robots.txt. Look through the text on that page for rules mentioning user agents and disallow commands. If you see a command telling all bots to stay out, your site is blocking them.
Steps to check your robots file
- 01
Open your browser
Open the web browser on your phone or computer. Go to the main address of your real estate website.
- 02
Find your robots file
Click into the address bar at the top of your screen. Add a forward slash and type the word robots.txt at the end of your web address, then press enter.
- 03
Read the file text
Look at the plain text that appears on your screen. You will see rules that tell different web visitors what they can and cannot view.
- 04
Check for block commands
Scan the text for the word disallow followed by a slash. This command tells web crawlers which parts of your site they are not allowed to visit.
Understanding assistant access
An assistant reading your site and a person arriving from an artificial intelligence answer are two different numbers. We never add them together, because reading is not recommending.
Your website needs to be open and readable so that systems can learn about your business facts, your listings, and your local market knowledge.
Questions
What is a robots file?
A robots file is a simple text file placed on a website to give instructions to automated web visitors. It tells them which pages they are allowed to read and which pages they should skip.
Does blocking crawlers stop recommendations?
Yes. If automated assistants cannot read your site text, they cannot learn about your local experience or include your details when users ask for local professional recommendations.