In one sentence
Claude-Web (also known as ClaudeBot) is a Claude-specific Web crawler operated by Anthropic. When Claude generates answers through its Web search feature, it gathers your site's information as a citation candidate.
What does it look like in practice?
When someone asks Claude "tell me about XX" in a specialist or B2B domain, the answer is assembled using sources Claude-Web has previously crawled.
Claude has strengths in long-form, specialist, and accurate output, and is increasingly used by B2B sales reps and consultants for research. Being cited by Claude means exposure to purchase decision-makers.
How to configure
# Allow Claude-Web
User-agent: Claude-Web
Allow: /
# Or it may come under the name ClaudeBot
User-agent: ClaudeBot
Allow: /
Why you should Allow it
- Claude usage is growing in B2B / specialist domains: especially IT, consulting, legal
- Anthropic emphasizes explicit attribution: being cited tends to drive traffic
- Some competitors still fail to Allow: a first-mover advantage window
Differences from ChatGPT
| Aspect | GPTBot (OpenAI) | Claude-Web (Anthropic) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary user base | General users + developers | Specialist domains + enterprise |
| Citation style | Source name in body | Source name in body (explicit URLs limited) |
| Training data | Large-scale | Safety-focused |