ChatGPT Browsing is a feature introduced by OpenAI in 2023 that allows ChatGPT to retrieve live web content during a conversation rather than relying solely on its training-data knowledge cutoff. Initially launched in a limited beta using the Bing search index, the feature was expanded and made available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers, and later rolled into the broader ChatGPT Search product launched in October 2024. When browsing is enabled, ChatGPT issues search queries, retrieves and reads web pages using the OAI-SearchBot and GPTBot crawlers, and synthesises the retrieved content into its response, typically including citations. From an SEO perspective, ChatGPT Browsing is significant because content that ranks well in Bing or that is otherwise accessible to OpenAI’s crawlers may be quoted or cited in ChatGPT answers, creating a new form of referral visibility. Webmasters can allow or block ChatGPT’s crawlers via robots.txt directives.