The internet has always been a place of constant change, but the latest move from Cloudflare marks a major shift for anyone with a website. Cloudflare, one of the largest internet infrastructure providers, recently began blocking AI crawlers by default.

If you’ve ever wondered how AI tools get their knowledge, this is part of the answer. AI systems rely on automated bots — or crawlers — that scan websites, extract information, and feed it into their models. These bots often collect content without permission and, unlike search engines such as Google (see FAQ GEO vs. SEO), don’t always send traffic back in return.

Cloudflare’s decision means millions of websites under its protection are now closed off to AI scraping unless site owners choose otherwise. It’s a big change, and the ripple effects matter to businesses, marketers, and creators alike.

Why Cloudflare Made the Move To Block AI Crawlers

Traditional web crawlers, like those used by Google, index pages so they can show up in search results. This benefits both sides: users discover information, and websites get traffic.

AI crawlers, however, play by different rules. Instead of driving clicks, they collect data to train large language models or generate answers in AI-driven search tools. In many cases, users never visit the original site. For content creators, that feels like a loss—your work powers someone else’s tool without attribution or benefit.

There’s also a technical side. AI crawlers can hammer websites with requests at a rate that mimics a denial-of-service attack, straining servers and slowing down performance. By blocking them automatically, Cloudflare is aiming to give its customers both added protection and more control.

What This Means for Large Companies

For large enterprises — think banks, insurance firms, or government agencies — the shift may not be all downside. These organizations don’t always rely on direct click-throughs to measure success. Instead, being referenced as a source within AI-powered search results can help build domain authority, credibility, and visibility in ways that still support long-term goals.

In other words, if a consumer sees a major bank consistently showing up as the “trusted source” in AI-generated answers, the brand wins authority — even if the user never clicks through to the site.

For firms more focused on reputation and influence than traffic, Cloudflare’s default block could be worth revisiting. In fact, some large companies may decide to turn off the automatic block altogether, ensuring their content continues to appear in AI-driven tools where consumers are increasingly searching for answers.

What This Means for Smaller Businesses and Creators

Smaller companies and independent creators face a tougher challenge. For them, traffic isn’t just about awareness. It can be the lifeblood of their business. Fewer clicks mean fewer ad impressions, less affiliate revenue, and lower chances of converting a casual visitor into a customer.

Take the example of a travel blogger. If an AI search tool summarizes “best places to visit in Paris” by piecing together content from dozens of travel blogs — including theirs — but never links back, the incentive to publish detailed guides begins to shrink. What was once a valuable piece of content written for their audience now risks becoming free training data for someone else’s platform.

For these creators, blocking AI crawlers protects intellectual property but also raises the question: If your work never reaches readers directly, what’s the payoff for creating it in the first place?

And there’s another unknown. Will search engines or AI platforms eventually prioritize sites that allow crawlers over those that block them? If that happens, small creators could face a tough dilemma, weighing the risk of content misuse against the reward of staying visible in an AI-driven search landscape.

How to Know If Your Site Uses Cloudflare

Before you can decide whether to block or allow AI crawlers, you first need to know if Cloudflare is protecting your site. Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to check:

  • Look at your DNS or hosting records. If you log in to your domain registrar or hosting account and see Cloudflare listed in the DNS or nameserver settings, your site runs through their network.
  • Check response headers. Open your site in a browser, right-click to view “Inspect” or “Developer Tools,” and look at the response headers. If you see lines like “cf-cache-status” or “server: cloudflare,” your site is using Cloudflare.
  • Ask your web team or provider. If you’re not managing the technical side yourself, your web developer, IT team, or hosting provider should be able to confirm quickly.

Knowing whether you’re on Cloudflare is step one. If you are, AI crawlers are already being blocked by default unless you’ve changed the settings.

Pros and Cons of Blocking AI Crawlers

Cloudflare’s change puts the decision in your hands. Here are some considerations:

Benefits of blocking

  • Protects intellectual property from being reused without credit
  • Reduces server strain from excessive crawler traffic
  • Minimizes the risk of sensitive or outdated information being surfaced elsewhere
  • Gives businesses leverage to negotiate licensing or partnerships with AI companies

Drawbacks of blocking

  • Content may not appear in AI-powered search results, reducing discoverability
  • Potential customers relying on AI tools might not encounter your brand
  • Missed opportunities for future partnerships with AI platforms
  • Requires ongoing management to decide which bots to allow or deny

The Pay Per Crawl Factor

Alongside automatic blocking, Cloudflare is rolling out a new “Pay Per Crawl” program. The idea is simple: if AI companies want access to your content, they’ll need to pay for it. For large publishers, this could represent a new revenue stream.

It’s still early days, and participation among AI providers isn’t guaranteed. But the move signals a shift in power. Instead of AI scraping content for free, businesses and creators may finally have a mechanism to demand compensation.

How to Approach The Decision To Block AI Crawlers

Every business needs to weigh its own goals:

If you’re a major enterprise:

Don’t assume the default block is in your best interest. While security matters, being cited as a trusted source in AI-generated answers can boost authority and brand visibility — even without direct clicks. For reputation-driven organizations, turning off the block may actually help long-term influence.

If you’re a growing business or creator:

The dilemma is sharper. Blocking protects your content from being repurposed without credit, but it could also mean fewer readers, fewer ad dollars, and fewer opportunities to grow your audience. At the same time, leaving your site open raises questions about whether your work is fueling AI platforms that don’t return value.

If you’re somewhere in between:

A selective approach may make sense. Audit your content, track your analytics, and decide which parts of your site are safe to expose versus what should remain protected. This hybrid model can balance visibility with control.

Shape Your AI Strategy With Confidence

Cloudflare’s default block is a turning point in the relationship between businesses and AI companies — and it also forces tough decisions about how content is shared, credited, and valued in an AI-driven world.

The key takeaway: there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Every organization should weigh whether blocking AI crawlers supports its goals — or whether allowing access could create new opportunities. What matters most is making the choice deliberately, not just accepting the default.

At Sparkcade, we help teams cut through the noise and figure out how AI fits into their bigger picture. From evaluating risks to identifying opportunities, we partner with businesses to create strategies that balance protection with visibility.

If you’re ready to move beyond experimentation and put AI to work in ways that help get you found and convert … let’s talk.