What is ChatGPT Agent? AI crawler guide
ChatGPT Agent is a crawler or fetcher associated with OpenAI. See source-graded user-agent, robots.txt, verification, and observation guidance.
What is ChatGPT Agent?
ChatGPT Agent is a documented OpenAI crawler or fetcher. OpenAI agent used when ChatGPT navigates websites for user-directed tasks.
Evidence status
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Evidence | Officially documented |
| Lifecycle | Active |
| Purpose | interaction |
| robots.txt posture | unverified |
| Source checked | 2026-07-21 |
Documented user-agent
ChatGPT Agent
ChatGPT Agent fires when a real user's question pulls in your page. To know how often ChatGPT reaches for your brand at all, track your brand mentions in ChatGPT.
robots.txt allow example
User-agent: ChatGPT Agent Allow: /
robots.txt block example
User-agent: ChatGPT Agent Disallow: /
What the rule can and cannot do
Robots.txt expresses an access policy to compliant automated crawlers. It does not authenticate the sender, remove content already collected, or guarantee that a model will use or not use content.
How to verify a request
- Match the complete documented user-agent where one exists. A match is only a clue.
- Use the operator-published check: HTTP Message Signatures.
- Keep the observed request, operator documentation, and any inference as separate fields.
JavaScript behavior
The cited operator material does not verify JavaScript rendering. Serve useful HTML before client-side JavaScript where possible.
Related bots
- ChatGPT-User: Another OpenAI live fetcher to compare.
- Gemini-Deep-Research: Also tracked as a live fetcher.
- Google-Gemini-CLI: Also tracked as a live fetcher.
- NovaAct: Also tracked as a live fetcher.
- Meta-ExternalFetcher: Also tracked as a live fetcher.
- AmazonBuyForMe: Also tracked as a live fetcher.
- Claude-Code: Also tracked as a live fetcher.
- Claude-Web: Also tracked as a live fetcher.
- Google-Agent: Also tracked as a live fetcher.
- ChatGPT: ChatGPT Agent gives crawler context for ChatGPT.
- OpenAI: ChatGPT Agent connects this operator term to its crawler behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ChatGPT Agent?
ChatGPT Agent is a officially documented crawler or fetcher record associated with OpenAI.
What user-agent does ChatGPT Agent use?
ChatGPT Agent. Check the evidence status before attributing a matching request.
Can ChatGPT Agent be blocked in robots.txt?
The record identifies ChatGPT Agent as the token to review. Robots.txt is a request policy, not proof of model use or non-use.
How can I verify a ChatGPT Agent request?
Start with the full user-agent, then use http message signatures from the operator. A user-agent match alone is not proof.
Data & Sources
- OpenAI documentation - Primary source for ChatGPT Agent crawler details.
- ChatGPT Agent verification: HTTP Message Signatures - OpenAI signs every outbound request. Validate the signature or use a CDN's verified-bot detection instead of trusting the user-agent text alone.