# ── Launch-ready robots.txt (replaced SITE HIDDEN MODE 2026-08-30) ──
# Previous hidden-mode version backed up as robots.hidden-mode-backup.txt

# ── Search engines: full access ──
User-agent: Googlebot
Allow: /

User-agent: Bingbot
Allow: /

# ── AI answer engines: live per-query fetch (direct GEO value —
#    these are what actually put you in a ChatGPT/Perplexity/
#    Claude answer when someone asks) ──
User-agent: ChatGPT-User
Allow: /

User-agent: OAI-SearchBot
Allow: /

User-agent: Claude-User
Allow: /

User-agent: Claude-SearchBot
Allow: /

User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /

# ── AI model training crawlers: allowed by default so "Seth
#    Brand, AI consultant" becomes an entity these models
#    actually know natively, not just something they fetch
#    per-query. Reconsider if you'd rather opt out of training
#    — that's a legitimate choice, just a different tradeoff
#    (native recognition vs. content reuse control). ──
User-agent: GPTBot
Allow: /

User-agent: ClaudeBot
Allow: /

User-agent: anthropic-ai
Allow: /

User-agent: Google-Extended
Allow: /

User-agent: Applebot-Extended
Allow: /

# ── Lower-value / broad-redistribution crawlers: blocked by
#    default. These feed many downstream/unknown third parties
#    with limited direct citation benefit back to you. Flip to
#    Allow if you'd rather maximize reach over control. ──
User-agent: CCBot
Disallow: /

User-agent: Bytespider
Disallow: /

User-agent: Meta-ExternalAgent
Disallow: /

# ── Everyone else ──
User-agent: *
Allow: /
Crawl-delay: 1

# Block private / non-content paths for all crawlers
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /account/
Disallow: /api/
Disallow: /secure/
Disallow: /includes/
Disallow: /config/
Disallow: /config.php
Disallow: /database/
Disallow: /sql/
Disallow: /cache/
Disallow: /logs/
Disallow: /tmp/
Disallow: /vendor/
Disallow: /scripts/
Disallow: /demos/
Disallow: /go/
Disallow: /_archive/

# Block internal tool/dashboard pages specifically (the tools/
# directory itself is public — these are the exceptions)
Disallow: /tools/analytics-dashboard.php
Disallow: /tools/monitoring-dashboard.php
Disallow: /tools/system-health.php
Disallow: /tools/system-test.php

Sitemap: https://sethbrand.tech/sitemap.xml