Why doesn’t my website show up in AI searches?

One of the biggest questions we’re hearing from dealers and marketers today is: 

“Why doesn’t my website show up for AI searches—on tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or other large language models (LLMs)?” 

It’s a valid concern. As more dealerships explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) fits into their marketing, visibility in these emerging AI-driven search experiences is becoming just as important as visibility on Google.

But the real question isn’t just why your website doesn’t show up. Instead, it’s: 

“Why do website and CMS providers block LLMs and AI tools from crawling in the first place?”

Why websites get blocked from AI tools.

Most dealership websites are managed through a Content Management System (CMS) such as Dealer.com, Dealer eProcess, or Dealer Inspire. These providers often block bots—including crawlers used by LLMs like ChatGPT—for two primary reasons:

1. Protecting Analytics Data
   Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and other reporting platforms rely on accurate user behavior data. If automated bots are allowed to crawl freely, they inflate traffic, skew engagement metrics, and disrupt conversion tracking. That means you can’t clearly separate real shoppers from automated bot activity—leading to poor marketing decisions.

2. Conserving Server Resources
   Every visit—human or bot—uses server resources like CPU, bandwidth, and memory. Allowing unlimited bot crawling can slow down websites, damage SEO performance, and even cause downtime. By default, CMS providers block these crawlers to keep dealership websites fast and available for real customers.



This isn’t unique to AI tools—it’s the same reason some providers block marketing software like SEMrush or Ahrefs unless you specifically request access.



The solution: LLM.txt for dealership websites.

So, how can you make your website accessible to AI without opening the floodgates to all bots?



Enter LLM.txt—a new solution designed specifically for AI tools and large language models.



Think of it like this:

• XML sitemaps help Google understand your website’s structure for search indexing.
• LLM.txt is a specialized sitemap for AI tools.

Instead of crawling every page (and overloading servers), LLM.txt provides AI with a curated map of your website—pointing to the most important and relevant content.



This gives ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI models structured access to your dealership’s key information (inventory pages, service specials, financing details, etc.) without disrupting analytics or performance.

Why this matters for dealerships.

AI-driven search is already influencing how consumers research and shop for vehicles. If your dealership’s website isn’t optimized and accessible for these tools, you risk falling behind competitors who are embracing AI visibility today.

By working with your CMS provider—or a digital marketing partner—you can implement strategies like LLM.txt to:

• Increase AI visibility – Make sure your dealership appears in AI-powered search results.
• Protect performance – Maintain clean analytics and fast site speed.
• Future-proof your marketing – Stay ahead of where search and consumer research are headed.

Final takeaway.

Website providers aren’t blocking AI tools to keep you invisible—they’re protecting site performance and analytics. The key is finding the balance between safeguarding your website and opening the right doors for AI.



For dealerships, now is the time to ask:

• Is my website accessible to AI search tools?

• Do I have an LLM.txt strategy in place?
• Am I future-proofing my digital marketing for AI-driven search?



Those who take action now will lead the next wave of automotive digital marketing.