Using an AI detection tool to prepare your dealership for AI-driven search

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into consumer behavior and digital tools, dealerships must decide whether to allow AI bots and crawlers to access their websites. Many dealers have embraced AI to streamline operations like inventory tracking and customer service, but fewer have considered how AI interacts with their dealership’s online presence. Using an AI detection tool can help dealerships assess how AI systems view and interpret their sites, a critical first step in understanding visibility and optimizing for future growth. A large portion of dealership websites are actively restricting or blocking AI access. This can limit visibility, distort search results and hinder future performance.

On this episode of Up to Speed, Mike Mader, Principal with Baker Tilly’s dealership advisory service team, is joined by Adam Gillrie, Strategist and Founder of Savvy Dealer, to discuss how blocking AI from your website can stifle growth and lead to long-lasting impacts for your dealership.

Gillrie reveals that approximately 30% of dealership websites completely block AI crawlers, while another 50% restrict access in ways that render their content unreadable to AI tools. While these actions may stem from legitimate concerns, such as protecting employee data or avoiding misuse of inventory information, they may also inadvertently undermine future visibility and competitiveness. With so few dealerships currently allowing AI to crawl their sites, this points to a major opportunity for dealerships that use an AI detection tool to evaluate and optimize their AI accessibility before competitors do.

The reason behind blocking AI often mirrors early hesitancy toward search engines like Google. In Google's early years, businesses resisted allowing the search engine to crawl their sites, fearing resource drain and loss of control. Today, similar fears are resurfacing with AI. Some website providers, particularly caching companies, are even positioning themselves as gatekeepers, offering “AI positioning” services that act as toll bridges between dealership websites and AI tools.