hammadtq

OpenBotAuth helps publishers control automated access from AI crawlers and agents. It verifies requests using RFC 9421 HTTP Message Signatures (via a configurable verifier) and applies per-site or per-post policies like allow, deny, teaser previews, and 402 payment-required responses. It also publishes AI-friendly endpoints like llms.txt, a JSON feed, and per-post Markdown.
Instead of blocking all bots or allowing unrestricted access, you can:
<ul>
<li>See AI bot traffic – Local-only analytics showing which bots are crawling your site</li>
<li>Verify bot identity using cryptographic signatures (RFC 9421)</li>
<li>Show teasers to unverified bots (first N words)</li>
<li>Rate limit bot access per agent</li>
<li>Whitelist/blacklist specific bots</li>
</ul>
<h4>Key Features</h4>
<ul>
<li>Bot Traffic Analytics – See which AI bots (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, etc.) are visiting your site</li>
<li>Signature Verification – Verifies RFC 9421 HTTP Message Signatures using Ed25519 cryptography</li>
<li>Content Teasers – Show first N words to unverified bots with customizable per-post settings</li>
<li>Rate Limiting – Per-agent rate limits with configurable time windows</li>
<li>Access Control – Whitelist/blacklist with wildcard pattern matching</li>
<li>Local Analytics – Visual dashboard with charts, stats cards, and decision breakdowns (no external tracking)</li>
<li>AI-Ready Endpoints – Serve llms.txt, JSON feed, and markdown for AI crawlers</li>
<li>Tabbed Admin Interface – Clean organization with Analytics, AI Endpoints, and Configuration tabs</li>
</ul>
<h4>AI-Ready Endpoints</h4>
OpenBotAuth provides machine-readable endpoints for AI systems:
<ul>
<li>/llms.txt – Standardized AI feed discovery (also at /.well-known/llms.txt)</li>
<li>/.well-known/openbotauth-feed.json – JSON list of all published posts</li>
<li>/.well-known/openbotauth/posts/{ID}.md – Per-post markdown content</li>
</ul>
Configure which post types to include (posts, pages, or custom types) and set the feed limit (up to 500 items). All data is served locally from your WordPress database. No external tracking or telemetry. Only published, non-password-protected posts are exposed.
<h4>How It Works</h4>
<ol>
<li>AI agent signs HTTP request with its private key (RFC 9421 signature)</li>
<li>WordPress plugin extracts signature headers and sends them to a verifier service</li>
<li>Verifier fetches agent’s public key from registry and verifies signature</li>
<li>Plugin applies policy: allow full content, show teaser, require payment, or deny</li>
</ol>
<h4>External Service Disclosure</h4>
This plugin connects to an external verifier service. When a signed bot request is received, the plugin sends the following data to your configured verifier URL via <code>wp_remote_post</code>:
<ul>
<li>HTTP method (GET, POST, etc.)</li>
<li>The accessed URL (including query string, if present)</li>
<li>HTTP signature headers (Signature, Signature-Input, Signature-Agent)</li>
<li>Additional HTTP header values explicitly listed in the Signature-Input header (e.g., content-type, accept, user-agent)</li>
</ul>
Privacy protection: Sensitive headers (cookies, authorization, proxy-authorization, www-authenticate) are NEVER forwarded, even if present in the request. If a bot’s signature covers a sensitive header, verification will fail with a clear error.
No WordPress user accounts or personal data is transmitted. Only the headers explicitly covered by the bot’s signature are forwarded to enable cryptographic verification. Note that the URL may include query parameters depending on your site’s structure.
You can: 
* Use the hosted verifier at <code>https://verifier.openbotauth.org/verify</code> 
* Self-host the verifier service (see documentation) 
* The verifier service may log requests server-side depending on your configuration
Analytics are local-only. Decision counts (allow/teaser/deny/pay/rate_limit) and bot traffic observations (User-Agent based) are stored in your WordPress database. No analytics data is sent to external servers.
For more information, please review our <a href="https://openbotauth.org/terms" rel="nofollow ugc">Terms of Service</a> and <a href="https://openbotauth.org/privacy" rel="nofollow ugc">Privacy Policy</a>.
<h3>Developer Hooks</h3>
<h4>Filters</h4>
openbotauth_policy 
Modify policy before applying:
<pre><code>add_filter('openbotauth_policy', function($policy, $post) {
 if ($post->post_type === 'premium') {
 $policy['price_cents'] = 1000;
 }
 return $policy;
}, 10, 2);
</code></pre>
<h4>Actions</h4>
openbotauth_verified 
Triggered when a bot is verified:
<pre><code>add_action('openbotauth_verified', function($agent, $post) {
 error_log("Bot {$agent['jwks_url']} accessed post {$post->ID}");
}, 10, 2);
</code></pre>
openbotauth_payment_required 
Triggered when 402 is returned:
<pre><code>add_action('openbotauth_payment_required', function($agent, $post, $price) {
 // Track payment requests
}, 10, 3);
</code></pre>
<h4>AI Endpoint Filters (v0.1.2+)</h4>
openbotauth_should_serve_llms_txt 
Disable llms.txt endpoint (e.g., when using Yoast):
<pre><code>add_filter('openbotauth_should_serve_llms_txt', '__return_false');
</code></pre>
openbotauth_should_serve_feed 
Disable JSON feed endpoint:
<pre><code>add_filter('openbotauth_should_serve_feed', '__return_false');
</code></pre>
openbotauth_should_serve_markdown 
Disable markdown endpoints:
<pre><code>add_filter('openbotauth_should_serve_markdown', '__return_false');
</code></pre>
openbotauth_feed_item 
Modify feed items:
<pre><code>add_filter('openbotauth_feed_item', function($item, $post) {
 $item['custom_field'] = get_post_meta($post->ID, 'my_field', true);
 return $item;
}, 10, 2);
</code></pre>
openbotauth_markdown_content 
Post-process markdown output:
<pre><code>add_filter('openbotauth_markdown_content', function($markdown, $post) {
 return $markdown . "\n\n---\nCopyright notice here";
}, 10, 2);
</code></pre>

OpenBotAuth – AI Crawler Access Control

Verify AI crawlers with HTTP Signatures and enforce allow/deny/teaser policies; also serves llms.txt and AI-ready feeds.

Freemius

Sajjad Ali

Virtual Files lets you create and manage robots.txt, ads.txt, app-ads.txt, security.txt, llms.txt, RSS feeds, and JSON files directly from your WordPress dashboard. These files can be created at any path depth (yoursite.com/robots.txt, yoursite.com/.well-known/security.txt, yoursite.com/llms.txt, yoursite.com/api/data.json) and behave just like physical files, but are stored in your database—no FTP access required.
🤖 AI-Ready Content Generation 
Connect your own AI models to generate, improve, and analyze virtual file content. Use ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Qwen, GLM, and 30+ other AI models. Simply add your API key and create perfect robots.txt, proper ads.txt files, compliant security.txt, AI-friendly llms.txt, and more—all with AI assistance. Attach posts, pages, or products as context for more relevant generation.
<h4>The Problem</h4>
Managing robots.txt, ads.txt, app-ads.txt, security.txt, llms.txt, .well-known files, and other server files traditionally requires FTP access, correct file permissions, and manual directory creation. For managed hosting or multiple sites, this becomes a maintenance nightmare.
<h4>The Solution</h4>
Virtual Files eliminates these hassles by storing everything in your WordPress database while serving content as if files physically exist at any path on your server. No FTP, no server access, no directory creation, no permission headaches.
With AI-ready integration, you can now connect your favorite AI models to: 
– Generate new files from natural language descriptions 
– Improve existing content with AI suggestions 
– Analyze files for errors, security risks, and optimization opportunities
<h4>🔥 Top Use Cases</h4>
SEO & AI Optimization 
– Create and edit your robots.txt instantly to control crawler access 
– Generate llms.txt to guide AI crawlers (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity) 
– Test different configurations without file uploads 
– Control how AI tools index and cite your content
Monetization & Security 
– Add your ads.txt or app-ads.txt for Google AdSense compliance 
– Publish a security.txt file to define your security policy (RFC 9116 standard) 
– Approve inventory and boost revenue with proper ads.txt management
Developers & API 
– Host .well-known/security.txt, .well-known/apple-app-site-association 
– Create nested API endpoints (api/v1/data.json, api/config.json) 
– Serve static configuration files at any path for headless WordPress setups 
– No need to create physical directories – paths are virtual
Managed Hosting 
– Perfect for WP Engine, Kinsta, Flywheel where FTP is limited 
– No need to contact support for simple file changes 
– Complete control from WordPress dashboard
<h4>Security & Performance</h4>
Enterprise-Grade Security: 
– All content sanitized to prevent XSS attacks 
– PHP code execution protection 
– Nonce verification on all operations 
– Role-based permission checks 
– Database-backed redundancy (included in WordPress backups)
Zero File Permission Issues: 
No chmod, no chown, no permission denied errors. Everything managed through WordPress capabilities.
Performance Optimized: 
– Smart caching (Pro) for up to 10x faster delivery 
– Minimal database queries 
– Automatic cache invalidation on updates 
– No file system overhead
<h4>🤖 AI-Powered Features</h4>
Connect 30+ AI Models 
– ChatGPT (GPT-5.2, GPT-5 Mini, GPT-4o) 
– Claude (Claude Opus 4.6, Claude Sonnet 4.6, Claude Haiku 4.6) 
– Gemini (Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, Gemini 3 Flash Preview, Gemini 2.5 Flash) 
– DeepSeek (DeepSeek-V3, DeepSeek-R1) 
– Grok, Qwen, GLM, Kimi, and 30+ more 
– Connect via OpenAI, OpenRouter, Anthropic, or Google APIs – add your keys and pay providers directly 
– Switch between models anytime 
– No markup on AI costs
AI Content Generation 
– Generate: Create new files from natural language prompts 
– Improve: Enhance existing content with AI suggestions and fixes 
– Analyze: Get detailed explanations of your code, identify errors, and receive optimization suggestions 
– Context-Aware: Attach up to 3 posts, pages, or products as context for more relevant generation 
– Streaming Responses: Watch AI generate content in real-time 
– Quick Prompts: Pre-built templates for common files (robots.txt, ads.txt, security.txt, llms.txt, JSON-LD) 
– History: All AI generations saved automatically with one-click restore
AI Use Cases 
– Generate proper robots.txt with custom rules and directives 
– Build valid ads.txt or app-ads.txt files for AdSense compliance 
– Generate security.txt following RFC 9116 standard 
– Create llms.txt for AI crawler instructions (latest AI SEO trend) 
– Build .well-known/* files for standards compliance 
– Create app-ads.txt files for mobile app monetization 
– Build JSON-LD schema markup for SEO 
– Generate RSS feeds and custom XML configurations 
– Fix syntax errors in existing code 
– Analyze code for security vulnerabilities 
– Get AI suggestions for content optimization
<h4>Free Version Features</h4>
✅ Basic File Types 
Create virtual files with these extensions: 
– TXT – Plain text files (robots.txt, ads.txt, security.txt, llms.txt) 
– MD – Markdown documents 
– JSON – API endpoints and data files
✅ Smart File Management 
– Intuitive admin interface for creating and editing files 
– Filter by extension for easy file organization 
– File status control (Active/Inactive) 
– Support for any path depth (root, subdirectories, .well-known) 
– Real-time file preview 
– Automatic MIME type detection 
– Clean URLs (yoursite.com/path/to/file.txt)
✅ SEO-Ready 
– Perfect for robots.txt management 
– Custom ads.txt and app-ads.txt support 
– .well-known directory support (security.txt, etc.) 
– Direct URL access for search engines 
– No redirect or rewrite delays
✅ Developer-Friendly 
– Simple text editor for quick edits 
– Character encoding support (UTF-8) 
– Direct content serving (no overhead) 
– WordPress REST API compatible
✅ Performance Optimized 
– Lightweight database storage 
– Minimal server resources 
– Fast content delivery 
– No file permission issues
✅ Free Version Limits 
– Up to 5 active files (inactive files don’t count) 
– Upgrade to Pro for unlimited files
<h4>Pro Version – Unlock Advanced Features</h4>
🤖 AI-Ready Content Generation 
– Connect 30+ AI models: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Qwen, GLM, and more 
– Generate, improve, and analyze content with AI 
– Attach posts, pages, or products as context 
– Real-time streaming responses 
– Quick prompt templates for common files 
– AI generation history with restore functionality 
– BYOK: Bring Your Own API Key – you pay providers directly, no markup
🚀 Premium File Types 
Expand beyond basics with: 
– XML – RSS feeds, custom XML files, and structured data 
– CSV – Data exports and imports 
– YAML – Configuration files (.yml and .yaml both supported) 
– RSS – Custom RSS feeds 
– LOG – Log file serving
💻 Advanced Code Editor 
– Syntax highlighting for all file types 
– Line numbers for easy navigation 
– Multiple themes (light/dark modes) 
– Auto-close brackets and smart indentation 
– Line wrapping for better readability 
– Comment toggle with keyboard shortcuts
⚡ Performance Caching 
– Smart file caching with configurable TTL 
– Cache warm-up for all active files 
– Automatic cache invalidation on updates 
– Cache statistics dashboard 
– Up to 10x faster file delivery
📊 Analytics & Insights 
– Access tracking for each file 
– View counts and statistics 
– Last accessed timestamps 
– File size monitoring 
– Performance metrics
📦 Import/Export 
– Backup all files as JSON 
– Bulk import from backup files 
– Duplicate detection prevents conflicts 
– Migration-ready for site transfers 
– Version control friendly
🔄 Unlimited Files 
– No file limits (Free version: 5 active files max) 
– Create unlimited virtual files
🎨 Enhanced UI/UX 
– Modern, clean interface 
– File status indicators 
– Quick copy URL buttons 
– One-click file activation 
– Accessibility ready
<h4>Free vs Pro Comparison</h4>
Free Version Includes: 
✅ TXT, MD, JSON file types 
✅ Up to 5 active virtual files 
✅ Simple text editor 
✅ Any path depth support (.well-known, subdirectories) 
✅ Active/Inactive status control 
✅ Database-driven file storage
Pro Version Adds: 
🤖 AI-ready content generation (Generate, Improve, Analyze) 
🤖 Connect 30+ AI models: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Qwen, GLM, and more 
🤖 Bring Your Own API Key – full control, no markup on costs 
🤖 Context-aware generation with post/page attachment 
🤖 Real-time streaming AI responses 
🚀 Unlimited virtual files (no 5-file limit) 
🚀 Premium file types: XML, CSV, YAML (.yml/.yaml), RSS, LOG 
🚀 Advanced code editor with syntax highlighting 
🚀 Smart file caching (up to 10x faster delivery) 
🚀 Analytics dashboard with access tracking 
🚀 Import/Export functionality for backups 
🚀 Priority email support
<a href="https://virtualfiles.intentdeep.com/pricing/" rel="nofollow ugc">Upgrade to Pro</a> | <a href="https://virtualfiles.intentdeep.com/pricing/" rel="nofollow ugc">7-Day Trial Available</a>
<h4>What Makes Virtual Files Different?</h4>
No File System Access Required 
Manage everything from your WordPress dashboard. No FTP, no server access, no permission headaches.
Virtual Directories – No Physical Folders 
Create files at any path (.well-known/security.txt, api/data.json) without creating physical directories. Paths are virtual and work instantly.
Database-Driven Reliability 
Your files are backed up with your database. No lost files due to server issues or migrations.
Version Control Friendly 
Files live in database, not Git repos. Keep your repository clean and focused on code.
Instant Updates 
Change content and it’s live immediately. No file uploads, no caching delays (with proper cache invalidation).
<h4>Try Pro Risk-Free</h4>
7-Day Trial. Experience advanced features before committing.
<a href="https://virtualfiles.intentdeep.com/pricing/" rel="nofollow ugc">Upgrade to Pro</a> | <a href="https://virtualfiles.intentdeep.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">Documentation</a> | <a href="https://virtualfiles.intentdeep.com/support/" rel="nofollow ugc">Support</a>
<h3>Troubleshooting</h3>
<h4>Virtual file returns 404</h4>
<ol>
<li>Go to Settings → Permalinks and click “Save Changes” to flush rewrite rules</li>
<li>Verify file status is set to “Active” in Virtual Files dashboard</li>
<li>Check that no physical file exists with the same name</li>
<li>Ensure permalinks are enabled (required for virtual routing)</li>
</ol>
<h4>Changes don’t appear immediately</h4>
<ol>
<li>Clear site cache (if using WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, etc.)</li>
<li>Clear browser cache (Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+Shift+R)</li>
<li>Pro users: Check cache TTL settings in Virtual Files → Settings</li>
<li>Verify file is set to “Active” status</li>
</ol>
<h4>Conflicts with existing physical files</h4>
Virtual files take precedence over physical files with the same name. To serve physical files instead: 
– Set virtual file status to “Inactive”, OR 
– Delete the virtual file from the dashboard
<h3>Privacy Policy</h3>
Virtual Files does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data. All file content is stored locally in your WordPress database.
AI Features: When using AI-powered features (Generate, Improve, Analyze), your prompts and any attached context are sent to the AI provider you’ve configured in settings. Virtual Files does not store or analyze this data beyond what’s necessary for the generation. Each AI provider has its own privacy policy and data handling practices that you should review.
The Pro version may connect to our licensing server only for license validation.
<h3>Support</h3>
Need help? Have suggestions?
<ul>
<li>Free Support: <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/intentdeep-virtual-files/" rel="ugc">WordPress.org Forums</a></li>
<li>Pro Support: <a href="https://virtualfiles.intentdeep.com/support/" rel="nofollow ugc">Priority Support</a></li>
<li>Documentation: <a href="https://virtualfiles.intentdeep.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">Knowledge Base</a></li>
<li>Feature Requests: <a href="https://virtualfiles.intentdeep.com/support/contact.html" rel="nofollow ugc">Contact</a></li>
</ul>

IntentDeep Virtual Files – AI-Ready: Robots.txt, Security.txt, Ads.txt, LLMS.txt


Intentdeep Virtual Files does exactly what it promises, and does it well.



It allows WordPress to serve clean, real virtual files (JSON, JSON-LD, TXT, MD) with correct MIME types and stable URLs, without hacks or server-level workarounds. The interface is clear, the behavior is reliable, and the analytics per file are a real plus.



I’m using it to manage machine-readable files (governance, documentation, structured resources) for interpretive SEO, and it has proven to be stable, flexible, and future-oriented.



Well engineered, useful, and clearly built by someone who understands modern web and AI needs.Highly recommended.


Very solid and thoughtfully designed plugin

Create robots.txt, ads.txt, security.txt, llms.txt & JSON files with AI-ready content generation (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) at any path. No FTP needed.

OpenBotAuth – AI Crawler Access Control vs IntentDeep Virtual Files – AI-Ready: Robots.txt, Security.txt, Ads.txt, LLMS.txt