0:00Introduction
Lesson 1.3: the engines one by one.
0:06Three questions for every engine
Not every AI engine works the same way. For each one, we'll ask three questions. How does it answer: from memory, or by searching the web? Does it show its sources, so it can send you visits? And which bot does it use to read pages, the one you shouldn't block?
0:23ChatGPT
ChatGPT, from OpenAI. It searches the web when the question calls for it, or when you ask it to. When it searches, it puts links to its sources right in the answer. The bots to let through are OAI-SearchBot and ChatGPT-User. GPTBot, on the other hand, is only for training the models: you can choose to block it without losing citations.
0:48Perplexity
Perplexity started out as a search engine: as a rule, it searches the web to answer. It shows its sources, numbered. Its bots are PerplexityBot and Perplexity-User.
1:01Google AI Overviews and AI Mode
AI Overviews and AI Mode live inside Google Search, and they start from Google's index. They show links to the pages they used. The bot is the usual one: Googlebot. Google-Extended, according to Google's own documentation, doesn't affect your presence in Google Search, or your ranking.
1:21Gemini
Gemini is Google's assistant, and it can use Google Search to answer. When it searches, it shows its sources. Here, Google-Extended matters: it decides whether Gemini can use your content, both for training and for answers built with search.
1:37Claude
Claude, from Anthropic, searches the web when needed. When it searches, it shows its sources. The bots to let through are Claude-SearchBot and Claude-User. ClaudeBot, instead, is only for training.
1:50Copilot
Copilot, from Microsoft, is built on Bing search. It shows links to pages, and the bot is Bingbot. One more reason to take care of your presence on Bing.
2:01In short
In short: let through the bots that search and the ones that work for the user. For the ones that train models, it's your call. Search and assistant bots bring you citations. Training-only bots don't cite: blocking them is a legitimate choice. With one exception to remember: Google-Extended, which also affects Gemini's answers. We'll write the actual rules, in practice, in Module 3.
2:28Your task for today
Your task for today: ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot the same question. Write down who shows sources, and which ones, in the Manual audit tab of the course worksheet.
2:51Next lesson
In the next lesson: what the traffic coming from AI is really worth. See you there.