Perplexity argues that a platform’s inability to differentiate between helpful AI assistants and harmful bots causes misclassification of legitimate web traffic.
So, I assume Perplexity uses appropriate identifiable user-agent headers, to allow hosters to decide whether to serve them one way or another?
No, as per the article, their argumentation is that they are not web crawlers generating an index, they are user-action-triggered agents working live for the user.
So, I assume Perplexity uses appropriate identifiable user-agent headers, to allow hosters to decide whether to serve them one way or another?
And I’m assuming if the robots.txt state their UserAgent isn’t allowed to crawl, it obeys it, right? :P
No, as per the article, their argumentation is that they are not web crawlers generating an index, they are user-action-triggered agents working live for the user.
Except, it’s not a live user hitting 10 sights all the same time, trying to crawl the entire site… Live users cannot do that.
That said, if my robots.txt forbids them from hitting my site, as a proxy, they obey that, right?
yeah it’s almost like there as already a system for this in place
Its not up to the hoster to decide whom to serve content. Web is intended to be user agent agnostic.