What is Google-Extended?
Google-Extended (AI Training Crawler)
Definition, formula, India benchmarks, and the operator-grade nuance behind it.
Google-Extended is the user-agent token Google uses for fetching content used in training Bard/Gemini and AI products, separate from Googlebot for Search. Allowing Google-Extended permits AI training; blocking it doesn't affect Search ranking.
Google-Extended = Google AI-training crawler.
Separate from Googlebot for Search.
Allow for AI citation upside; block doesn't affect SEO.
Google-Extended is Google's AI-training user-agent. Controlled via robots.txt as a separate directive from Googlebot.
robots.txt: User-agent: Google-Extended + Allow: / (or Disallow: /)The operator's read on Google-Extended
Google-Extended is the granular control Google introduced for AI training opt-out. Blocking Google-Extended removes content from Bard/Gemini training but keeps the site in Google Search. Most publishers block Google-Extended (NYT, Reuters); brands allow it for citation upside. Frameleads explicitly allows Google-Extended — citation upside outweighs training-data concern.
India 2026 benchmarks — Google-Extended
- India explicit Google-Extended allow rate: 50–70% (mixed)
- Block rate among large publishers: 60–80%
- Block rate among B2B SaaS / D2C brands: 20–40%
- AIO citation rate impact (allow vs block): minor (AIO uses Search index)
- Frameleads policy: explicit Allow
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing Google-Extended with Googlebot (different bots).
- Blocking both (Search ranking suffers).
- Allowing only Googlebot, blocking Google-Extended (citation gap).
- Not monitoring Google-Extended traffic.
Frequently asked questions
What's a typical Google-Extended value in India?
India 2026 benchmarks vary by category: India explicit Google-Extended allow rate: 50–70% (mixed); Block rate among large publishers: 60–80%; Block rate among B2B SaaS / D2C brands: 20–40%. Bands compress in saturated CPM regimes and widen as products move from impulse to considered. The right benchmark for your business depends on stage, gross margin, and channel mix.
What are the most common mistakes when tracking Google-Extended?
Three mistakes recur most often: Confusing Google-Extended with Googlebot (different bots).; Blocking both (Search ranking suffers).; Allowing only Googlebot, blocking Google-Extended (citation gap).. The simplest defense is to define each metric explicitly in your reporting playbook and avoid mixing definitions across teams.
How does Google-Extended relate to other unit-economics metrics?
Google-Extended is most useful in context. Pair it with ROBOTS-TXT and GPTBOT to build a complete picture. Google-Extended alone can mislead — the relationship between metrics matters more than any single number.
Should I optimize Google-Extended or accept industry-standard values?
Optimization depends on your stage. Early-stage businesses often have Google-Extended values outside healthy bands and need to fix structural issues (audience, creative, retention) before chasing the metric. Established businesses can compound through marginal improvements. Frameleads' Growth System maps which lever moves which metric in your specific category.
How Google-Extended behaves per industry
Google-Extended is a universal metric, but its band, drivers, and optimisation levers vary by category. Drill into the industry-specific version below for the deep view.
- Google-Extended for Real Estate DevelopersCAC 3,500–35,000 ₹ · CPC 40–280 ₹Open
- Google-Extended for D2C BrandsCAC 250–2,200 ₹ · CPC 8–60 ₹Open
- Google-Extended for B2B SaaS StartupsCAC 15,000–3,00,000 ₹ · CPC 50–1,200 ₹Open
- Google-Extended for Healthcare Clinics & HospitalsCAC 500–15,000 ₹ · CPC 15–250 ₹Open
- Google-Extended for Education & EdTechCAC 400–4,500 ₹ · CPC 12–160 ₹Open
- Google-Extended for Financial ServicesCAC 1,500–20,000 ₹ · CPC 30–950 ₹Open
- Google-Extended for Professional ServicesCAC 800–12,000 ₹ · CPC 20–500 ₹Open
- Google-Extended for Restaurants, Cafes & Cloud KitchensCAC 150–2,500 ₹ · CPC 8–120 ₹Open
- Google-Extended for Fashion & Apparel D2CCAC 200–1,200 ₹ · CPC 10–55 ₹Open
- Google-Extended for Gyms, Studios & Fitness AppsCAC 250–1,800 ₹ · CPC 12–80 ₹Open
- Google-Extended for Automotive Dealers & OEMsCAC 600–4,500 ₹ · CPC 18–120 ₹Open
- Google-Extended for Manufacturing & MSMEsCAC 3,000–35,000 ₹ · CPC 25–220 ₹Open
Long-form guides on related topics
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Sources & references
Cited primary and analyst sources. Independent of Frameleads' own data.
- IBEF — India Brand Equity Foundation: Indian Industry Reports — IBEF (Ministry of Commerce & Industry)
Sector-level market size, growth, and policy context for Indian industries.
- IAMAI — Internet & Mobile Association of India — IAMAI
Digital advertising industry body; reports on India internet user base, ad spend, and platform shares.
- MoSPI — Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation — Government of India
Primary source for India macro-economic indicators (CPI, GDP, household consumption).
- ASCI Code for Self-Regulation of Advertising in India — Advertising Standards Council of India
Mandatory baseline for all advertising claims in India — including digital, influencer, and comparative ads.
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