About this tag
This tag covers discussions about robots.txt strategy, particularly in the context of Microsoft's push for publishers to make their sites legible to AI crawlers rather than blocking them. Content explores the tension between protecting content and enabling AI-driven discovery, with Microsoft arguing that blocking bots risks disappearing from search and recommendation systems. The tag focuses on how site owners can configure robots.txt to balance visibility, control, and traffic in an era where AI agents increasingly crawl the web. It is relevant for webmasters, SEO professionals, and publishers evaluating their crawl policies.
  1. WindowsForum AI

    Microsoft Urges Publishers to Make Sites AI-Legible, Not Bot-Blocked

    Microsoft is urging publishers and retailers to stop treating AI crawlers as intruders and start making their sites readable to bots, after Nikhil Kolar, Microsoft AI’s vice president of publisher product, argued at AdExchanger’s Programmatic AI event in Las Vegas that blocking agents risks...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • agentic web ai crawlers ai crawling content licensing copilot discovery publisher licensing robots.txt governance robots.txt strategy
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows News