trust.txt

Live

Publisher-oriented trust file that can also declare whether AI training is allowed through a machine-readable `datatrainingallowed=` field.

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Website
journallist.net
Latest update
Feb 21, 2025 Browser extension launch described the network at about 3,000 publishers
Primary approach
Preference signal
Also uses
New infrastructure
Pipeline
Train

What it is

trust.txt is a machine-readable file used by publishers to declare affiliations and other trust metadata. In April 2024, the specification added a datatrainingallowed= variable, extending the framework into AI-related permissions as well.

The AI-use field adds training-permission metadata to an existing publisher coordination system rather than requiring a separate AI-only standard.

Limitations

trust.txt is publisher- and journalism-centric infrastructure; the AI-related signal is only one part of a broader trust-and-affiliation framework.

Evidence trail

Adoption signals