In October 2026 we checked 65 small-business websites in Alameda and around Lake Tahoe. Eight of them were telling AI crawlers to stay away, and in most cases the block came from a platform setting, most often Squarespace’s, rather than anything on the business’s own pages. Among them: a restaurant, a florist, two lakeside inns and two wildfire defensible-space companies, exactly the kinds of businesses people now ask ChatGPT to recommend.
What we found
How to check yours
- 1. Open your robots.txt. Type your address followed by /robots.txt, for example yourbusiness.com/robots.txt.
- 2. Look for the AI crawlers. Search the page for GPTBot (ChatGPT), ClaudeBot (Claude), PerplexityBot (Perplexity) and Google-Extended (Google’s AI).
- 3. Read the rule under them. “Disallow: /” under those names means they’re blocked from your whole site.
- 4. Check the setting. In Squarespace, the block is controlled from your site settings, under the option for artificial intelligence crawlers. Turn it off if you want AI assistants to be able to read and recommend you.
Why it matters
A blocked crawler can’t read your hours, menu, prices or services, so an AI assistant has less to go on and is more likely to recommend a competitor whose site it can read. Some businesses block AI on purpose, and that’s a fair choice. The problem is blocking it by accident.
Unblocking is only the first step. AI answers also lean on structured data, plain-text menus and rates, an llms.txt file, and listings that match your website. Our guide to getting recommended by AI walks through all seven steps.
Want us to check?
Every engagement starts with the free visibility check: we ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Google the questions your customers ask, and show you, in writing, who they name instead of you.
Visibility setup starts at $1,200 one time. The Grow plan, which keeps your listings, reviews and AI answers current every month, starts at $700 a month. See every package and price.
Questions
Does Squarespace block ChatGPT?
Squarespace has a setting that adds rules to your robots.txt telling AI crawlers such as GPTBot and ClaudeBot not to crawl your site. When it’s on, those assistants can’t read your pages directly.
How do I know if my website blocks AI crawlers?
Open yourdomain.com/robots.txt and look for GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot or Google-Extended followed by “Disallow: /”. If they’re there, your site is blocking them.
Will unblocking AI crawlers get me recommended by ChatGPT?
It removes a barrier, but it isn’t enough on its own. AI assistants also need structured data, clear text about what you offer, and listings that agree with your website.
Is it bad to block AI crawlers?
Not always. Some businesses choose to. It’s a problem when it happens by accident and you’re losing recommendations you would otherwise get.
Free visibility check
See how your business shows up on Google, Bing and AI.
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Or write to answers@peachandmadison.com
What you get back
- Whether AI names you. We ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Google the questions your customers ask, and show you who they recommend instead.
- Where you rank. Your spots on Google and Bing for what you sell, and what's holding you back.
- Your listings, checked. Google, Bing, Apple and Yelp compared against your website.
- The three fixes that matter most, in plain language and in order.
No sales call, no obligation. The written check is yours to keep, whether or not you hire us.