Build a current inventory of relevant agents
Different providers may operate different clients for indexing, retrieval, training-related access, or user-requested browsing. Identify the agents relevant to your site using current provider documentation. Do not assume a user-agent string proves identity or that one rule covers every path to an answer system. Keep the documentation link and review date in the policy record.
- ✓ Classify observed requests before changing access rules.
- ✓ Review error rates, sensitive paths, and unusual request volume.
Apply controls at the right layer
Use robots directives for cooperative crawling preferences and server-side controls for access enforcement. Authentication protects private content; rate controls and caching protect availability. Review whether an edge rule unintentionally blocks search crawlers or normal visitors. Public sitemap and page metadata should remain consistent with the intended publication policy.
- ✓ Test directives and response behavior on representative URLs.
- ✓ Keep private endpoints out of public discovery files.
Maintain a measured policy
Record what changed, why, who approved it, and how the impact will be checked. Monitor infrastructure behavior and any attributable referral evidence without assuming requests equal citations. Guidance such as an LLM-oriented text file may be experimental and should not replace ordinary crawlability, accurate content, or access control. Revisit the policy as providers and business requirements evolve.
- ✓ Track access decisions separately from marketing outcome claims.
- ✓ Retain an easy rollback for newly introduced rules.