AIOInsights research · 2026-11-01
The AI Blocked Census: how many California business websites shut out AI.
When a customer asks ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity for a recommendation, the assistant can only use what it is allowed to read. AIOInsights checked 34,519 California business websites listed in OpenStreetMap and found that 10.2% of the 24,908 reachable sites block at least one major AI crawler.
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By type of business
| Type of business | Websites reachable | Block AI | Block AI search | Block every crawler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accountants | 60 | 21.7% | 16.7% | 16.7% |
| Financial offices | 47 | 19.1% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Auto repair and dealers | 863 | 17.3% | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Tax advisors | 50 | 16.0% | 10.0% | 10.0% |
| Real estate offices | 256 | 15.6% | 1.6% | 0.0% |
| Dentists | 630 | 14.1% | 6.2% | 5.7% |
| Financial advisors | 43 | 14.0% | 7.0% | 7.0% |
| Other offices | 2,548 | 13.5% | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| Veterinarians | 224 | 12.9% | 4.5% | 4.0% |
| Doctors and clinics | 1,339 | 12.6% | 0.7% | 0.4% |
| Gyms and fitness | 729 | 11.9% | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Other businesses | 373 | 11.8% | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Other trades | 623 | 10.8% | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Shops and retail | 7,373 | 9.9% | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Law offices | 391 | 8.7% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Hotels and lodging | 603 | 8.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Restaurants, cafes and bars | 8,130 | 7.9% | 1.0% | 0.9% |
| Contractors and trades | 453 | 6.6% | 0.7% | 0.4% |
| Insurance agencies | 172 | 6.4% | 2.3% | 0.6% |
By city
Cities with at least 25 reachable business websites in the census.
| City | Websites reachable | Block AI | Block AI search | Block every crawler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 1,234 | 7.9% | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| San Francisco | 1,219 | 7.8% | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Los Angeles | 1,154 | 8.8% | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| San Jose | 973 | 11.9% | 2.4% | 2.0% |
| Fresno | 763 | 12.2% | 2.1% | 1.7% |
| Santa Barbara | 683 | 7.0% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Berkeley | 446 | 8.7% | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Pasadena | 410 | 9.3% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Oakland | 276 | 9.1% | 1.8% | 1.4% |
| Goleta | 221 | 11.3% | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| Sacramento | 211 | 10.0% | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| Simi Valley | 200 | 8.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Sunnyvale | 183 | 13.1% | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| Santa Cruz | 176 | 9.7% | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| West Hollywood | 163 | 9.8% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Santa Clara | 158 | 10.8% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Mountain View | 147 | 5.4% | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| Palo Alto | 130 | 6.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Burbank | 124 | 7.3% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Long Beach | 118 | 6.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Newport Beach | 117 | 6.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Orange | 116 | 13.8% | 3.4% | 2.6% |
| Lake Forest | 115 | 8.7% | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Redwood City | 113 | 11.5% | 0.9% | 0.9% |
| San Luis Obispo | 110 | 8.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| San Gabriel | 107 | 11.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Campbell | 107 | 11.2% | 0.9% | 0.9% |
| Milpitas | 101 | 15.8% | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Alameda | 100 | 13.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| El Cajon | 99 | 13.1% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Camarillo | 98 | 17.3% | 3.1% | 2.0% |
| Alhambra | 96 | 6.3% | 1.0% | 0.0% |
| Modesto | 95 | 10.5% | 4.2% | 2.1% |
| Turlock | 95 | 13.7% | 5.3% | 5.3% |
| Beverly Hills | 90 | 8.9% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Irvine | 88 | 11.4% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| San Mateo | 86 | 5.8% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Palm Springs | 86 | 4.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Arcadia | 79 | 10.1% | 5.1% | 5.1% |
| Sebastopol | 76 | 13.2% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Santa Monica | 75 | 12.0% | 1.3% | 0.0% |
| Redding | 75 | 14.7% | 4.0% | 4.0% |
| Glendale | 74 | 8.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Anaheim | 74 | 14.9% | 2.7% | 2.7% |
| Riverside | 73 | 11.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Gilroy | 70 | 18.6% | 2.9% | 1.4% |
| Ventura | 69 | 13.0% | 2.9% | 1.4% |
| Chico | 68 | 14.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Cupertino | 66 | 13.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Santa Rosa | 65 | 18.5% | 1.5% | 0.0% |
| Fremont | 62 | 11.3% | 1.6% | 1.6% |
| Rancho Cucamonga | 61 | 9.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Los Gatos | 60 | 10.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Los Altos | 59 | 6.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Temecula | 59 | 6.8% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Elk Grove | 59 | 20.3% | 3.4% | 1.7% |
| Poway | 58 | 6.9% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Carlsbad | 56 | 16.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Chula Vista | 55 | 12.7% | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| Escondido | 55 | 23.6% | 3.6% | 1.8% |
| Concord | 55 | 14.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Livermore | 54 | 11.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Bakersfield | 54 | 14.8% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| La Jolla | 53 | 5.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Santa Ana | 53 | 15.1% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Corona | 53 | 13.2% | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| La Mesa | 51 | 5.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Fontana | 50 | 22.0% | 2.0% | 0.0% |
| Thousand Oaks | 50 | 8.0% | 4.0% | 4.0% |
| San Clemente | 50 | 8.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| San Rafael | 49 | 6.1% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| South Pasadena | 48 | 8.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Morgan Hill | 47 | 12.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Torrance | 47 | 12.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Redlands | 46 | 15.2% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Napa | 46 | 6.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Salinas | 45 | 13.3% | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| San Marino | 45 | 11.1% | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Walnut Creek | 44 | 11.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Shafter | 44 | 15.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Danville | 44 | 11.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Albany | 43 | 4.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Visalia | 42 | 9.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Costa Mesa | 42 | 7.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Lemon Grove | 42 | 4.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Paso Robles | 42 | 11.9% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Sherman Oaks | 41 | 9.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Isla Vista | 41 | 17.1% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Roseville | 40 | 2.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| San Bernardino | 40 | 12.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Eureka | 39 | 7.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Monterey Park | 39 | 17.9% | 7.7% | 5.1% |
| Sonoma | 39 | 5.1% | 2.6% | 2.6% |
| Mission Viejo | 39 | 7.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Santa Paula | 39 | 7.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Menlo Park | 38 | 10.5% | 2.6% | 0.0% |
| Monterey | 38 | 15.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pacifica | 38 | 13.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Burlingame | 37 | 8.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| South Lake Tahoe | 37 | 18.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Dublin | 37 | 13.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Nevada City | 36 | 11.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Clovis | 36 | 5.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Downey | 36 | 11.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Fullerton | 35 | 8.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Montecito | 35 | 14.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Laguna Niguel | 34 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Arcata | 33 | 6.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Victorville | 33 | 18.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Huntington Beach | 33 | 15.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Woodland Hills | 33 | 6.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| San Marcos | 32 | 15.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Folsom | 32 | 6.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Tustin | 32 | 9.4% | 6.3% | 6.3% |
| San Pedro | 31 | 12.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Vacaville | 31 | 6.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Oxnard | 30 | 16.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Del Mar | 30 | 16.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Encinitas | 30 | 13.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% |
| Monrovia | 30 | 6.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Martinez | 30 | 16.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Northridge | 30 | 6.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Vista | 29 | 13.8% | 6.9% | 3.4% |
| Venice | 29 | 3.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pleasant Hill | 29 | 10.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pleasanton | 29 | 17.2% | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Lakeside | 28 | 17.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Emeryville | 28 | 7.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| North Hollywood | 28 | 3.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Garden Grove | 27 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Temple City | 26 | 7.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Stockton | 26 | 23.1% | 7.7% | 3.8% |
| Santee | 26 | 3.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| San Leandro | 26 | 11.5% | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Oceanside | 25 | 20.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Van Nuys | 25 | 24.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Hermosa Beach | 25 | 4.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pismo Beach | 25 | 8.0% | 4.0% | 4.0% |
How the census was taken
AIOInsights took every business in California that lists a website in OpenStreetMap (map data as of 2026-11-01; contributors credited under the Open Database License), kept one record per website, and checked each site between 2026-11-01 and the publish date. For each site it read /robots.txt with the same rules the free AIOInsights check uses, and loaded the homepage twice: once as a browser and once identifying as GPTBot, OpenAI's crawler. A site counts as reachable when the browser visit loads; only reachable sites are in the percentages.
- Blocks AI: robots.txt shuts out every crawler, or names a major AI crawler (GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT-User, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended and their kin) and disallows the whole site, or the site turns the AI crawler away with a bot challenge or a 401/403 while letting a browser in.
- Blocks AI search: shuts out the crawlers AI assistants use to answer live questions (OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT-User, Claude-SearchBot, PerplexityBot), or every crawler.
- Blocks every crawler:
User-agent: *withDisallow: /, which also shuts out Google.
This census publishes totals only. It never names a business. Any business can check its own site free, with no email, at aioinsights.com.