Worried AI Will Steal Your Work? Squarespace Has Your Back!
POV: Your website, a virtual showcase of your services and achievements, suddenly finds its unique flair and hard-earned content mirrored on a stranger's site, thanks to AI's sneaky antics.
But no worries!
Why?
Because Squarespace is stepping up as your stylish, savvy AI guardian, ensuring your digital domain remains exclusively yours.
Ready to find out how?
Let’s dive in so you know how to keep those copycat bots out of your digital domain. 😺
But first, some AI-scraping context:
Let me back up for a second:
Content scraping is a practice where artificial intelligence (AI) web crawlers are used to extract information from websites, often without the owner's consent. This information is then used to fuel AI models and algorithms. So when you use ChatGPT or Midjourney, whatever it produces comes from data it has scraped.
Squarespace, the website building platform with an AI scraping setting
In a nutshell, Squarespace gets it. They understand that as a designer and creative entrepreneur, your content isn't just text and images; it's the lifeblood of your digital presence. It’s what draws your ideal clients into your world.
That's why they've equipped the platform with a unique feature designed to address AI scraping. (Read about it here.) Squarespace is giving you control to make sure those bots can look but not touch.
This isn't just about privacy; it's about making sure you have the choice to either allow your content to be scraped or to ensure your digital domain remains uniquely yours.
What makes Squarespace your digital bodyguard and sanctuary?
As of this writing, Squarespace stands out as the only website building platform with a built-in setting that allows you to determine if AI's web crawlers can scrape your content or not.
It has actually been available since late 2023.
Squarespace is putting a stake in the ground about AI by offering a sanctuary for your content. It's like having a personal bodyguard for your website; one that's dressed to the nines in design-forward gear of course, because it’s Squarespace.
Locking down your digital domain
Now, you might be wondering how to set up this anti-scraping tool. No worries - it's simple!
How to protect your content from AI scraping on Squarespace:
To request AI crawlers not scan your site:
Go to the Home Menu (the left side panel) and open the Settings panel.
Click Crawlers.
Switch the Artificial Intelligence Crawlers toggle off.
Switching the Artificial Intelligence Crawlers toggle off updates your robots.txt file to tell the following bots not to crawl your site:
Anthropic AI
CCBot
Google Extended
GPTBot and ChatGPT-User
Toggle your Squarespace Artificial Intelligence Crawler setting to “OFF” to prevent AI bots from scraping your content without your permission.
Voilà! Just like that, (snaps fingers), you've armored up your content against unwelcome digital invaders. You've told those AI bots to kindly mind their own business!
Note: Squarespace can only protect the content you create from that point forward. Existing content has likely already been scraped. So if this is important to you, then hop in there and change the setting.
Choice Matters
Your website is your digital showcase house and storefront. Contrary to the content above, I’m not advocating one way or another for using the anti-scraping setting or not.
I simply believe you should have the choice to decide if your content is scraped or not. It’s a decision to be made by you and not for you, by AI corporations.
Choosing Squarespace isn't just about picking a platform for its design aesthetics, ease of use, and award-winning customer support.
it's about opting for a website building platform that functions as an ally for you and your business, and will stand guard over your most important digital real estate, your website, ensuring it remains yours and yours alone.
If that’s what you choose.
P.S. I wrote this post with AI assistance starting with this Instagram reel caption. (Oh the irony!)
If you have any questions or comments, please drop me a note below. Be sure to check back for my response (I always respond) since no notification is sent.
