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Protection Modes Overview

The LLMTAG plugin offers three distinct protection modes, each designed for different use cases and levels of AI protection. Choose the mode that best fits your website’s needs.

Choose Your Protection Level

Basic • Standard • Advanced - Each mode offers increasing levels of protection and customization

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Basic Mode

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What It Does

Basic Mode provides essential AI protection through passive declaration only:
  • llmtag.txt Generation: Automatically creates a compliant llmtag.txt file
  • Policy Declaration: Communicates your AI usage policies to compliant agents
  • No Active Blocking: Relies on AI agents to respect your policies voluntarily

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Best For

Personal Blogs

Perfect for: Individual bloggers, hobby sites, personal websitesWhy: Simple setup with minimal configuration required

Simple Websites

Perfect for: Small business sites, portfolio sites, basic websitesWhy: Lightweight protection without performance impact

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Configuration

Basic Mode uses a simple configuration interface: 
# Generated llmtag.txt example
spec_version: 3.0
ai_training_data: disallow
ai_use: search_indexing
1

Set Global Policy

Choose your default AI training and usage policies for the entire site.
2

Generate llmtag.txt

The plugin automatically generates and serves your llmtag.txt file.
3

Monitor Compliance

Check if AI agents are respecting your policies (passive monitoring only).

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Limitations

Basic Mode does not actively block AI agents. It relies on voluntary compliance with your llmtag.txt policies.
  • No Active Blocking: AI agents can still access your content
  • Limited Analytics: Basic monitoring only
  • No Custom Rules: Cannot set agent-specific or path-specific policies
  • No Advanced Features: No verification challenges or custom directives

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Standard Mode

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What It Does

Standard Mode combines passive declaration with active AI agent blocking:
  • llmtag.txt Generation: Full llmtag.txt file with customizable policies
  • AI Agent Blocking: Blocks 60+ known AI agents and crawlers
  • Basic Analytics: Tracks blocked requests and agent activity
  • Path-Based Protection: Different policies for different content sections

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Best For

Business Websites

Perfect for: Company websites, professional blogs, business portfoliosWhy: Balanced protection with good performance and useful analytics

Content Sites

Perfect for: News sites, content publishers, educational sitesWhy: Protects content while maintaining search engine visibility

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Configuration

Standard Mode offers comprehensive configuration options: 
# Generated llmtag.txt example
spec_version: 3.0
ai_training_data: disallow
ai_use: search_indexing, generative_synthesis

# Protect premium content
Path: /premium/
ai_training_data: disallow
ai_use: search_indexing

# Allow research bots
User-agent: ResearchBot
ai_training_data: allow
ai_use: research
1

Configure Global Policies

Set your default AI training and usage policies.
2

Select AI Agents to Block

Choose which AI agents to block from the database of 60+ agents.
3

Set Path-Based Rules

Configure different policies for different sections of your site.
4

Enable Analytics

Activate monitoring and reporting features.

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Features

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Advanced Mode

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What It Does

Advanced Mode provides the most comprehensive AI protection available:
  • Full llmtag.txt Customization: Complete control over all directives and rules
  • Advanced AI Agent Blocking: Custom agent lists, whitelisting, and exceptions
  • Comprehensive Analytics: Detailed reporting, trends, and insights
  • Custom Rules Engine: Create complex, conditional protection rules
  • Developer API: Full API access for custom integrations
  • Verification Challenges: Cryptographic verification for advanced compliance

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Best For

Enterprise Sites

Perfect for: Large corporations, enterprise websites, high-traffic sitesWhy: Maximum protection with full customization and enterprise features

High-Value Content

Perfect for: Premium content sites, subscription services, proprietary informationWhy: Advanced protection for valuable intellectual property

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Configuration

Advanced Mode offers complete control over all aspects of AI protection: 
# Generated llmtag.txt example
spec_version: 3.0
ai_training_data: disallow
ai_use: search_indexing, generative_synthesis

# Custom verification challenge
verification_challenge: sha256:custom_hash_here

# Complex agent-specific rules
User-agent: GPTBot
ai_training_data: allow
ai_use: search_indexing, generative_synthesis, research

User-agent: CommercialAI
ai_training_data: disallow
ai_use: search_indexing

# Advanced path-based protection
Path: /premium/
ai_training_data: disallow
ai_use: search_indexing
verification_challenge: sha256:premium_verification_hash

Path: /research/
ai_training_data: allow
ai_use: search_indexing, generative_synthesis, research
1

Configure Global Policies

Set comprehensive default policies with custom directives.
2

Create Custom Agent Rules

Define complex rules for specific AI agents and scenarios.
3

Set Up Path Protection

Configure advanced path-based protection with verification challenges.
4

Enable Advanced Analytics

Activate comprehensive monitoring, reporting, and insights.
5

Configure API Access

Set up developer API access for custom integrations.

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Advanced Features

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Mode Comparison

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Feature Matrix

  • Basic Mode
  • Standard Mode
  • Advanced Mode
Features:
  • ✅ llmtag.txt generation
  • ✅ Basic policy declaration
  • ❌ AI agent blocking
  • ❌ Analytics
  • ❌ Custom rules
  • ❌ API access
Performance Impact: Minimal Setup Time: 2 minutes Best For: Simple sites, personal blogs

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Choosing the Right Mode

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Decision Matrix

Choose Basic If:

  • You have a simple website
  • You want minimal setup
  • You trust AI agents to comply voluntarily
  • You don’t need detailed analytics

Choose Standard If:

  • You have a business website
  • You want active AI agent blocking
  • You need basic analytics
  • You want path-based protection

Choose Advanced If:

  • You have enterprise requirements
  • You need maximum protection
  • You want full customization
  • You need API integration

Upgrade Anytime

  • You can upgrade between modes
  • Your settings are preserved
  • No data loss during upgrade
  • Easy one-click upgrade process

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Mode Configuration

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Switching Between Modes

1

Access Settings

Go to LLMTAG > Settings in your WordPress admin.
2

Select New Mode

Choose your desired protection mode from the dropdown.
3

Review Changes

The system will show you what features will be added or removed.
4

Confirm Switch

Click Save Changes to apply the new mode.
5

Verify Configuration

Check that all features are working correctly in the new mode.

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Preserving Settings

When switching between modes, your existing settings are preserved. Features that are not available in the new mode will be disabled but not deleted.
  • Global Policies: Preserved across all modes
  • Path-Based Rules: Preserved in Standard and Advanced modes
  • Agent Blocking: Preserved in Standard and Advanced modes
  • Custom Rules: Preserved in Advanced mode only
  • API Settings: Preserved in Advanced mode only

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Performance Considerations

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Resource Usage by Mode

Basic Mode

CPU Usage: < 1% Memory Usage: < 5MB Database Queries: Minimal Page Load Impact: < 5ms

Standard Mode

CPU Usage: 1-3% Memory Usage: 10-20MB Database Queries: Low Page Load Impact: 5-15ms

Advanced Mode

CPU Usage: 3-5% Memory Usage: 20-50MB Database Queries: Moderate Page Load Impact: 15-30ms

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Optimization Tips

1

Enable Caching

Use WordPress caching plugins to minimize performance impact.
2

Optimize Database

Regularly clean up old analytics data to maintain performance.
3

Monitor Resources

Use the plugin’s built-in performance monitoring to track resource usage.
4

Scale Gradually

Start with Basic mode and upgrade as your needs grow.

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Troubleshooting

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Common Issues by Mode

Symptoms: File returns 404 or 403 errors Solutions:
  • Check file permissions (should be 644)
  • Verify .htaccess rules
  • Clear caching plugins
  • Contact hosting provider
Symptoms: AI agents still accessing content Solutions:
  • Verify protection is enabled
  • Check AI agent database is updated
  • Review .htaccess modifications
  • Test with different user agents
Symptoms: Slow page loads, high resource usage Solutions:
  • Enable caching
  • Optimize database queries
  • Reduce analytics data retention
  • Consider upgrading server resources

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Best Practices

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Mode Selection

Start Simple

Begin with Basic mode and upgrade as your needs grow. This ensures optimal performance and avoids over-engineering.

Match Your Needs

Choose the mode that matches your actual requirements, not just the most advanced option.

Monitor Performance

Regularly monitor your site’s performance and adjust the mode if needed.

Plan for Growth

Consider your future needs when selecting a mode to avoid frequent changes.

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Configuration Tips

Follow these tips for optimal configuration in any mode:
  • Test thoroughly after switching modes
  • Backup settings before making major changes
  • Monitor analytics to ensure protection is working
  • Update regularly to get the latest AI agent blocking
  • Document your configuration for future reference
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