Glossary · Beginner
What Is Training Data? Definition and Example
Training data is the body of text, and sometimes images, code and other content, that an AI model learns from before it's released. It shapes the model's general knowledge, including what it "remembers" about brands and categories. It's separate from the pages a product retrieves at answer time, and many AI companies offer separate crawler controls for each.
Training data vs retrieved content
| Training data | Retrieved content | |
|---|---|---|
| When it's used | Before the model is released | At the moment of a question |
| Can change quickly? | No, only with new model versions | Yes, as pages are recrawled |
| Typical crawler control | GPTBot, ClaudeBot, Google-Extended | OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot, Claude-SearchBot, Googlebot |
| Shows citations? | No | Often |
What opt-out controls exist?
- OpenAI: disallowing GPTBot indicates content shouldn't be used for training; OAI-SearchBot is separate (OpenAI).
- Anthropic: restricting ClaudeBot signals future content should be excluded from training (Anthropic).
- Google: Google-Extended manages use for Gemini training and grounding, without affecting Search (Google).
Example
Illustrative. A media company blocks GPTBot and ClaudeBot to keep articles out of training, but allows OAI-SearchBot and Claude-SearchBot so its reporting can still be cited in AI search answers.
Why it matters for GEO
Training-data decisions are business and legal choices, not only marketing ones. Make them deliberately, and don't confuse them with search access. For visibility in cited answers, retrieval controls are what matter most in the short term.
Common misconceptions
- "Blocking GPTBot removes me from ChatGPT." Search visibility is controlled separately, through OAI-SearchBot.
- "Opting out deletes past training." Controls apply to future crawling.
- "More training data about me means more mentions." No company documents a direct link between the two.
Related
Questions
Can I remove my site from AI training data?
You can opt future content out with crawler controls such as GPTBot, ClaudeBot or Google-Extended. Past training isn't undone.
Does opting out of training hurt AI search visibility?
Companies document separate controls for training and search. OpenAI, for example, separates GPTBot from OAI-SearchBot.
Is training data the same as the search index?
No. Training data shapes the model; a search index is what retrieval systems query at answer time.