Are you wondering if ChatGPT is actually crawling your website? You’re not alone. With AI-powered search changing how people discover content, knowing which AI bots are visiting your site has become crucial for any website owner.
The challenge is that most analytics tools don’t give you clear visibility into AI bot activity. You might suspect ChatGPT is crawling your pages, but how can you know for sure? More importantly, how can you identify which pages are being ignored by AI crawlers?
Today, I’ll walk you through a method to definitively determine if ChatGPT (and other AI bots) are crawling your site. Matt Diggity originally developed this approach, and I’ve added my insights after running his process.
For me, the ultimate goal was to confirm whether ChatGPT is indeed crawling our site.
Why Knowing About AI Crawling Matters
Before we dive into the how-to, let’s understand why this matters. AI platforms like ChatGPT are increasingly becoming the first stop for users looking for information and recommendations. If your content isn’t being crawled and indexed by these AI systems, you’re missing out on a growing traffic source.
Unlike traditional search engines, AI bots don’t always follow the same crawling patterns. They might skip pages that Google regularly visits, or they might focus heavily on certain types of content while ignoring others.
When you can track mentions of your brand on ChatGPT and understand crawling patterns, you gain valuable insights that can help you optimize your content strategy for the AI era.
We know for sure that we are getting traffic coming from ChatGPT. (We believe it’s because we implemented the FAQ schema in each blog post and submitted our sitemap to Bing.) But there’s a difference in knowing that you’re getting referrals from traffic and if ChatGPT is actually crawling your site.
This is why I was excited to test this process when I first discovered it on LinkedIn.
If you need to speak with someone about how you can optimize for search engines and LLMs, feel free to book a complimentary call.
Step 1: Download Your Log Files
The first step is getting access to your server logs. These files contain detailed records of every request made to your website, including visits from AI bots.
How to find your log files:
- Login to your hosting account → Navigate to your hosting control panel
- Access File Manager → Look for folders like /logs, /access_logs, or /public_html/logs
- Download the latest files → Focus on the most recent log files (usually named with dates)
Here’s an example of the log files that our SEO specialist sent to me:
We did this process together, as he knows his way around all the backend stuff. I, on the other hand, know my way around LLM prompts. We were able to go through this process in 15 minutes.
Important tip: Make sure you’re downloading the correct file from your host provider. Different hosting companies store logs in different locations. If you can’t find them in the obvious places, contact your hosting support team for guidance.
The log files are typically in formats like:
- access.log
- access_log.txt
- Files with dates like access.log.2024-01-15
Step 2: Upload to Your Preferred LLM
You don’t have to use ChatGPT-4o specifically. You can use whatever LLM you prefer: ChatGPT Plus, Claude, or any other AI tool that can analyze files. But I did this proces using a ChatGPT Plus account with a team workspace.
Upload your log file and use this exact prompt:
“I’ve uploaded a server log file. Analyze crawl activity from Googlebot, GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, and Google-Extended. Identify which URLs get the fewest hits.”
This prompt is designed to give you comprehensive insights across multiple AI platforms, not just ChatGPT. You’ll get a clearer picture of your overall AI visibility.
When we did this, I was able to see that the ChatGPT bot was crawling our site.
If you’re tech-savvy and a developer, you probably don’t need ChatGPT at all because you can understand the access logs on your own. But having LLM scan the logs makes it faster.
Step 3: Find Your Low-Crawl Pages
Ask your chosen LLM to output the results in an easy-to-understand format:
- Request a chart showing crawl frequency by bot type.
- Ask for a top 10 list of URLs with the fewest visits.
- Identify patterns in which types of content get skipped.
These low-crawl pages are your biggest opportunities. They’re the ones most likely being skipped by AI systems, which means they’re not contributing to your AI visibility.
Personally, I didn’t care about the number of hits. I just wanted to know if we actually got hits. Knowing is the first step. Because if ChatGPT isn’t crawling our site at all, then we have to fix that first.
Step 4: Fix What’s Holding Them Back
Once you’ve identified your underperforming pages, it’s time to take action:
Improve internal linking:
- Add links from your top-performing pages to the low-crawl ones.
- Use descriptive anchor text that helps AI understand the page content.
- Create topic clusters that logically connect related content.
Enhance content quality:
- Increase content depth: Add more comprehensive information.
- Improve page load speed: AI bots may skip slow-loading pages.
- Update outdated content: Fresh, relevant content gets more attention.
Technical fixes:
- Remove “noindex” tags that might be blocking crawlers.
- Check robots.txt for any unintentional blocks.
- Re-submit your sitemap in Google Search Console.
This process connects to broader AI optimization strategies. Just like you can track website traffic from ChatGPT to understand user behavior, analyzing crawl patterns helps you understand AI behavior.
Step 5: Re-Audit After 2-4 Weeks (or After You Implemented Optimizations)
SEO and AI optimization aren’t one-time activities. After implementing your fixes, repeat the entire process in 2-4 weeks to see if crawl frequency has improved.
What to look for in your follow-up audit:
- Increased crawl frequency on previously ignored pages
- More consistent crawling patterns across your site
- Better representation across different AI bots
This iterative approach is similar to traditional SEO keyword research where you test, measure, and refine your strategy based on results.
I would also just check if you did major LLM updates. Two to four weeks might be too much for some sites, especially if you’re just starting.
Based on this exercise, we found out:
- ChatGPT is crawling our site.
- Claude and other LLMs aren’t crawling our site yet.
Although I know that our site has appeared in those LLMs when asked specific questions. The next step for me is to figure out how to make sure we are showing up on those LLMs. Ultimately, though, I think I’d focus on which LLM early-stage startup founderes are using since that’s our target audience.
Beyond Basic Crawling: Optimizing for AI Discovery
While crawling is the first step, true AI optimization goes deeper. Consider how you structure your content for AI consumption:
- Add comprehensive FAQs that directly answer user questions
- Use clear, descriptive headings that help AI understand your content structure
- Include relevant definitions and context that AI can easily extract and reference
Remember, this is just one piece of the puzzle. If you’re serious about AI optimization but lack the resources to do it in-house, consider outsourcing SEO to specialists who understand both traditional and AI-focused strategies.
The Bottom Line
Stop guessing about your AI visibility. This audit process, originally developed by Matt Diggity and enhanced with additional insights, gives you concrete data about which AI bots are crawling your site and which pages they’re ignoring.
In just a few hours, you can uncover the pages that are quietly killing your AI visibility and take specific actions to fix them. The logs don’t lie—they’ll show you exactly where the leaks are in your AI optimization strategy.
Ready to dive deeper into AI optimization for your website? Book a strategy call with me to discuss the best approach for your specific situation: bit.ly/irenequickcall
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I can’t find my log files?
If you can’t locate your log files, contact your hosting provider’s support team. Different hosts store logs in different locations, and some budget hosting plans might not provide direct access to logs. In that case, you might need to upgrade your hosting plan or use alternative tracking methods through your analytics platform.
How often should I check for AI bot crawling?
I recommend running this audit monthly for active websites, or quarterly for more static sites. AI crawling patterns can change as these platforms update their algorithms, so regular monitoring helps you stay ahead of any issues.
What does it mean if ChatGPT isn’t crawling my site?
If ChatGPT isn’t crawling your site, it could mean several things: your content might not be publicly accessible, you might have robots.txt restrictions, or your content might not align with ChatGPT’s crawling priorities. Focus on creating high-quality, publicly accessible content and ensure there are no technical barriers.
Can I block specific AI bots while allowing others?
Yes, you can use your robots.txt file to block specific user agents. For example, you can block GPTBot while allowing ClaudeBot. However, consider the implications carefully—blocking AI crawlers means your content won’t appear in AI-generated responses, which could limit your visibility in this growing search channel.
