# robots.txt for inchinaguide.com
# Last updated: 2026-10-15 17:30 (GMT+8)
#
# Policy in one line:
#   search engines = allowed | AI answers/citations = allowed
#   AI model training = blocked (Google-Extended excepted, see section 2)
#   social preview fetchers = allowed | everything else = blocked
#
# Note: this file and /llms.txt are kept consistent. We publish llms.txt to be
# cited by AI answer engines, so the crawlers those engines use to read and cite
# a page are allowed. Training crawlers are not.

# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# 1. Search engines - allowed
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
User-agent: Googlebot
User-agent: Googlebot-Image
User-agent: Bingbot
User-agent: Applebot
User-agent: DuckDuckBot
Allow: /

# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# 2. AI crawlers that answer, cite or fetch on a user's behalf - allowed
#    (blocking these would hide the site from AI answers while llms.txt
#     explicitly invites them, which contradicted itself)
#    Google-Extended is the exception: it gates both Gemini training and
#     Google AI Mode grounding, and being citable there is worth the trade.
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
User-agent: OAI-SearchBot
User-agent: ChatGPT-User
User-agent: Claude-SearchBot
User-agent: Claude-User
User-agent: PerplexityBot
User-agent: Perplexity-User
User-agent: MistralAI-User
User-agent: Google-Extended
Allow: /

# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# 3. AI model training crawlers - blocked
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
User-agent: GPTBot
User-agent: ClaudeBot
User-agent: anthropic-ai
User-agent: Applebot-Extended
User-agent: CCBot
User-agent: Bytespider
User-agent: Amazonbot
User-agent: meta-externalagent
User-agent: cohere-ai
User-agent: YouBot
User-agent: ImagesiftBot
User-agent: AI2Bot
User-agent: Ai2Bot-Dolma
User-agent: FacebookBot
Disallow: /

# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# 4. Link scrapers, dataset harvesters and SEO crawlers - blocked
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
User-agent: Omgilibot
User-agent: Diffbot
User-agent: Timpibot
User-agent: Webzio-Extended
User-agent: Kangaroo Bot
User-agent: PanguBot
User-agent: SemrushBot-OCOB
Disallow: /

# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# 5. Social preview fetchers - allowed (needed once OG tags are added)
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
User-agent: facebookexternalhit
User-agent: Twitterbot
User-agent: LinkedInBot
User-agent: Slackbot-LinkExpanding
User-agent: Discordbot
User-agent: TelegramBot
User-agent: WhatsApp
User-agent: redditbot
Allow: /

# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# 6. Search-console tools and result previews - allowed
#    (Google-InspectionTool is what Search Console uses for a live URL
#     test; Chrome-Lighthouse feeds the CrUX field data in PageSpeed)
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
User-agent: Google-InspectionTool
User-agent: Chrome-Lighthouse
User-agent: BingPreview
Allow: /

# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# 7. Archiving / accessibility - allowed
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
User-agent: archive.org_bot
Allow: /

# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# 8. Everything else - blocked by default
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
User-agent: *
Disallow: /

Sitemap: https://inchinaguide.com/sitemap.xml