How is this different from Google Analytics?

Google Analytics shows you traffic. Shadow shows you traffic, AI bot activity, what AI platforms say about your brand, AND tells you what to do about all of it. It's analytics + AI intelligence + action steps in one tool.

Do I need to install anything?

For basic monitoring (bot detection, AI perception, readiness score) — nope, just enter your URL. For full visitor analytics (clicks, behavior, sessions), add one script tag. One-click integrations for Vercel, Shopify, WordPress, and more.

Will it slow down my site?

No. The script is under 5KB and loads async. Zero impact on page speed or Core Web Vitals. External monitoring has literally no impact — it watches from the outside.

What AI bots does Shadow detect?

All of them. GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended, Bytespider, Amazonbot, and dozens more. The Shadow Network means new bots get identified across all users instantly.

What do you mean by "actionable steps"?

Shadow doesn't just show you graphs. It says things like: "ChatGPT has your pricing wrong — add structured data to /pricing to fix it" or "Your bounce rate on /features is 68% — here's why and what to change." Specific, do-it-today recommendations.

Can Shadow block bots?

Shadow is a telescope, not a shield. It shows you who's visiting and what AI says about you. It generates block rules and robots.txt configs you can apply — but it doesn't intercept traffic.

Yes. Shadow never collects PII. IP addresses are hashed after classification. No cookies on your visitors. All Shadow Network data is anonymized. GDPR compliant by design.

Does blocking Bingbot remove my site from Microsoft Copilot?

Largely yes, over time. Microsoft Copilot draws primarily from Bing's index. Blocking Bingbot prevents new or updated content from being indexed. However, previously indexed pages remain in Bing's index until they age out or are manually removed via Bing Webmaster Tools. For immediate removal, use the Content Removal tool in Bing Webmaster Tools alongside robots.txt.

If I block Bingbot, will my site disappear from Bing Search too?

Yes. Bingbot is the same crawler for both Bing Search and Microsoft Copilot. Blocking it removes your site from Bing's index, which means it disappears from both Bing Search results and Copilot answers. You cannot block Copilot specifically while keeping your Bing Search presence — they share the same index.

Does blocking OAI-SearchBot also remove me from Copilot?

Only partially. ChatGPT Search (OAI-SearchBot) supplements its own index with licensed Bing data. If you block OAI-SearchBot but remain in Bing's index, ChatGPT Search may still surface your content via the Bing data feed. To more comprehensively opt out of ChatGPT Search, block both OAI-SearchBot and Bingbot.

What is the difference between Bingbot, MicrosoftPreview, and AdIdxBot?

Microsoft operates three crawlers: Bingbot is the primary crawler that builds Bing's search index (and by extension feeds Copilot). MicrosoftPreview fetches link previews displayed in Microsoft products like Teams, Outlook, and Edge. AdIdxBot crawls for Bing Ads indexing. For AI and Copilot control, Bingbot is the one that matters most.

Does Microsoft respect robots.txt for Bingbot?

Yes. Microsoft has a strong public commitment to respecting robots.txt for Bingbot, MicrosoftPreview, and AdIdxBot. Unlike some crawlers that have been documented ignoring robots.txt, Bingbot compliance is well-established and independently verified.

Can I remove already-indexed pages from Bing and Copilot?

Yes, via Bing Webmaster Tools. The Content Removal tool allows you to submit specific URLs for removal from Bing's index. This is faster than waiting for robots.txt to take effect on existing pages (which can take weeks or months). You need a verified Bing Webmaster Tools account for your domain.

MicrosoftRespects robots.txtSearch + AI

Bingbot and Microsoft Copilot: Control What Copilot Knows About Your Site

Microsoft Copilot is powered by Bing's search index. Bingbot builds that index. Controlling Bingbot controls your Copilot presence — but it's not a simple on/off: here's the full pipeline.

Updated March 2026

Related Guides

How to Block GPTBot

Copilot also uses OpenAI models

How to Block OAI-SearchBot

OpenAI's search-specific crawler

How to Block Google-Extended

Google's AI training crawler

robots.txt for AI Bots (Complete Guide)

51+ crawlers, full reference table

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