Five fixes you can make this month, on any platform

By idealbusiness.ai team · Sources checked on 30 October 2026

Fixes 1–3 help your shop get found when people ask AI assistants about products. Fixes 4–5 give AI agents that compare and shop for someone the facts they need about your products, delivery and returns.

1. Let AI assistants' crawlers in

Why it matters. Each AI company runs separate crawlers, and robots.txt controls most of them. Search crawlers decide whether you can appear in answers. Training crawlers collect content for future models. OpenAI says sites that block OAI-SearchBot "will not be shown in ChatGPT search answers", while GPTBot is for training [1]. PerplexityBot surfaces sites in Perplexity search and isn't used for training [3]. At Anthropic, Claude-SearchBot improves search results and ClaudeBot collects training data [4]. Google-Extended controls Gemini training and grounding, and Google says it does not affect inclusion or ranking in Google Search [2]. For AI Overviews and AI Mode, the control is your robots.txt rules for Googlebot [5]. Whether you allow training is a separate business decision.

Two-minute check. Open yourshop.com/robots.txt. Look for OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot, Claude-SearchBot or Googlebot followed by Disallow: /, and for a blanket User-agent: * / Disallow: /. Google also suggests checking that your CDN or host isn't blocking crawling [5].

• Shopify: Create a robots.txt.liquid template in the theme code editor. It replaces Shopify's generated file, so save a copy of your current /robots.txt first [6].
• WooCommerce: With Yoast SEO, go to Yoast SEO > Tools > File editor. Otherwise, upload a robots.txt file by FTP [7].
• Shoptet: Go to Vzhled a obsah > Editor > HTML kód. The Content Signals setting covers search, AI answers and AI training. By default, AI answers are "not set" and AI training is "not allowed". Any custom text in the Robots.txt box switches Content Signals off [8].
• PrestaShop: Go to SEO and URLs and click "Generate robots.txt". Add your own rules afterwards, because generating again replaces the file [9].

2. Make key pages readable without JavaScript

Why it matters. Vercel tested this in 2024 and found that "none of the major AI crawlers currently render JavaScript". Gemini, which uses Googlebot's infrastructure, was the exception [10]. If prices or descriptions only appear after scripts run, many AI crawlers see an empty page. Google also asks for important content "in textual form" [5].

Two-minute check. In Chrome DevTools, open the Command Menu, run "Disable JavaScript" and reload your homepage and one product page. If the title, price, images or navigation disappear, that content depends on JavaScript [11]. Another check is to use "View page source" and search for a product's price.

• Shopify: Shopify advises rendering the initial content, including product information and price, with Liquid and HTML rather than client-side frameworks [11]. Run the check again after adding apps that inject content.
• WooCommerce, Shoptet and PrestaShop: we found no platform documentation on this. Run the check above on your theme and on any page builder, add-on or module that loads products or prices with scripts.

3. Add product structured data

Why it matters. Structured data labels your price, currency, stock and identifiers in a format machines can read. Google's merchant listing guidelines require name, image and offers (with price, currency and availability). They recommend gtin and brand [12]. The markup must match what's visible on the page [5].

Two-minute check. Run a product URL through Google's Rich Results Test and fix any critical errors [12].

• Shopify: Themes can output Product data with the structured_data Liquid filter. Shopify's example includes offers, price, currency, availability and brand [13]. Fill in the Barcode (ISBN, UPC, GTIN) and Vendor fields. Shopify lists both among the details that AI platforms consider [14].
• WooCommerce: Core WooCommerce outputs Product JSON-LD with name, price, currency, availability, SKU and a GTIN when one is valid. Brand isn't in that code [15]. Since version 9.2, products have a "GTIN, UPC, EAN or ISBN" field [16].
• Shoptet: Product detail pages use schema.org microdata [17]. Enter EAN under Produkty > Přehled > product > Sklad > Kódy [18]. The Rich Results Test shows which product details your template outputs.
• PrestaShop: Version 9.2 adds JSON-LD structured data in the core, which modules can extend [19]. Add EAN-13, UPC, ISBN and MPN in the product's Options tab, under Condition & References. Set the brand under Basic settings [20].

4. Publish clear return and shipping policies, and mark them up

Why it matters. An AI agent that compares shops needs to know delivery costs, delivery times and return terms. Google supports MerchantReturnPolicy and shipping markup. You can set one shop-wide policy and override it for individual products [21][22]. Google ranks the sources: settings in Merchant Center or Search Console override markup on your site [21][22]. So if your shop doesn't output policy markup, setting your return and shipping policies in Merchant Center covers Google.

Two-minute check. Check that your footer links to a plain-text returns page and a shipping page. In Merchant Center, go to Products & store > Shipping and returns and check that a return policy shows as "Verified" [23].

• Shopify: Go to Settings > Policies. The return terms in your policy come from the return rules you set there [24][25].
• WooCommerce: WooCommerce creates a draft "Refund and Returns Policy" page. Edit it, publish it and link it from your menu or footer [26]. Google for WooCommerce can sync your shipping settings to Merchant Center [27].
• Shoptet: Set the return period under Nastavení > Objednávky > Ostatní nastavení [28].
• PrestaShop: Turn returns on and set the number of days under Customer Service > Merchandise Returns [29]. In 9.2, modules can add MerchantReturnPolicy data [19].

5. Keep a product feed current

Why it matters. AI agents work from catalogues, not just from pages. Shopify says Google AI Mode and Gemini can get your products through Google Merchant Center [31]. Google also advises keeping your Merchant Center information up to date [5]. OpenAI says merchants share product feeds through the Agentic Commerce Protocol so that their catalogues are "fully represented in ChatGPT" [36]. OpenAI also publishes a feed specification for discovery in ChatGPT. It mentions onboarding but doesn't describe a public sign-up process [37].

Two-minute check. In Merchant Center, compare the price and stock of three products with your live site.

• Shopify: The Google & YouTube channel syncs products to Merchant Center automatically [30]. Eligible products are added to Shopify Catalog automatically. Choose which AI channels can sell your products under Sales channels > Agentic [31][32]. For Shopify shops, OpenAI says "no additional work is required" to appear in ChatGPT [36].
• WooCommerce: The Google for WooCommerce plugin syncs your product feed to Merchant Center and updates listings automatically [33].
• Shoptet: Copy the Google Nákupy URL from Propojení > XML feedy into Merchant Center and set the fetch frequency to daily. Shoptet updates the feed every hour [34].
• PrestaShop: The PrestaShop Marketing with Google module sends catalogue data to Merchant Center "in real-time" [35].

Not sure how to prepare, or need help adopting the latest AI practices? Get in touch: hello@idealbusiness.ai

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Sources

1. Overview of OpenAI Crawlers — OpenAI — https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/bots
2. Google's common crawlers — Google for Developers — https://developers.google.com/crawling/docs/crawlers-fetchers/google-common-crawlers
3. Perplexity Crawlers — Perplexity — https://docs.perplexity.ai/docs/resources/perplexity-crawlers.md
4. Does Anthropic crawl data from the web, and how can site owners block the crawler? — Claude Help Center (Anthropic) — https://support.claude.com/en/articles/8896518
5. AI Features and Your Website — Google Search Central — https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features
6. Customize robots.txt — Shopify Developers — https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/seo/robots-txt
7. The robots.txt file in Yoast SEO — Yoast — https://yoast.com/help/how-to-edit-robots-txt-through-yoast-seo
8. HTML kódy — Shoptet Podpora — https://podpora.shoptet.cz/html-kody/
9. SEO and URLs — PrestaShop 8 documentation — https://docs.prestashop-project.org/v.8-documentation/user-guide/configuring-shop/shop-parameters/traffic/seo-and-urls
10. The rise of the AI crawler — Vercel (17 Dec 2024) — https://vercel.com/blog/the-rise-of-the-ai-crawler
11. Render essential content in Liquid and HTML, not JavaScript — Shopify Developers — https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices/performance/render-essential-content-server-side
12. Merchant listing (Product, Offer) structured data — Google Search Central — https://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/structured-data/merchant-listing
13. Liquid filters: structured_data — Shopify Developers — https://shopify.dev/docs/api/liquid/filters/structured_data
14. Optimizing your products for AI platforms — Shopify Help Center — https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shopify-catalog/optimizing-products
15. WC_Structured_Data (class-wc-structured-data.php) — WooCommerce Code Reference — https://woocommerce.github.io/code-reference/files/woocommerce-includes-class-wc-structured-data.html
16. WooCommerce 9.2: A better experience for all users — WooCommerce Developer Blog — https://developer.woocommerce.com/2024/08/21/woocommerce-9-2-a-better-experience-for-all-users/
17. Structured data — Shoptet Developers — https://developers.shoptet.com/home/shoptet-tools/editing-templates/structured-data/
18. EAN — Shoptet Podpora — https://podpora.shoptet.cz/hc/cs/articles/360003160411-EAN
19. Changes in PrestaShop 9.2.x — PrestaShop Developer Documentation — https://devdocs.prestashop-project.org/9/modules/core-updates/9.2/
20. Managing Products — PrestaShop 8 documentation — https://docs.prestashop-project.org/v.8-documentation/user-guide/selling/managing-catalog/managing-products
21. Merchant return policy (MerchantReturnPolicy) structured data — Google Search Central — https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/return-policy
22. Merchant shipping policy (ShippingService) structured data — Google Search Central — https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/shipping-policy
23. Set up your return policies for Shopping ads and free listings — Google Merchant Center Help — https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/14011730
24. Adding store policies — Shopify Help Center — https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/checkout-settings/refund-privacy-tos
25. Setting up return and cancellation rules — Shopify Help Center — https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/fulfillment/managing-orders/returns/return-rules
26. Guidelines – Refund and Return Policy Page — WooCommerce — https://woocommerce.com/document/refund-policy-page-guidelines/
27. Google for WooCommerce: Setup and configuration — WooCommerce — https://woocommerce.com/document/google-for-woocommerce/get-started/setup-and-configuration/
28. Vrácení zboží a odstoupení od smlouvy — Shoptet Podpora — https://podpora.shoptet.cz/vraceni-zbozi-a-odstoupeni-od-smlouvy/
29. Merchandise Returns — PrestaShop 8 documentation — https://docs.prestashop-project.org/v.8-documentation/user-guide/selling/managing-customer-service/merchandise-returns
30. Set up the Google & YouTube channel — Shopify Help Center — https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-sales-channels/google/getting-setup/connect
31. Shopify agentic storefronts — Shopify Help Center — https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-sales-channels/agentic-storefronts
32. Shopify Catalog — Shopify Help Center — https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shopify-catalog
33. Google for WooCommerce — WordPress.org plugin directory — https://wordpress.org/plugins/google-listings-and-ads/
34. Google Nákupy — Shoptet Podpora — https://podpora.shoptet.cz/google-nakupy/
35. PrestaShop Marketing with Google — PrestaShop Help Center — https://help-center.prestashop.com/hc/en-us/articles/28399806197138--PrestaShop-Marketing-with-Google
36. Powering Product Discovery in ChatGPT — OpenAI (24 Mar 2026) — https://openai.com/index/powering-product-discovery-in-chatgpt/
37. Products – Agentic Commerce (product feed spec) — OpenAI Developers — https://developers.openai.com/commerce/product-feeds/spec