# TDM opt-out (TDMRep)

> Learn how a TDM opt-out declares in machine-readable form that your content may not be used for AI training — while citation stays allowed.

Synonyms: TDM opt-out, TDMRep, TDM Reservation Protocol

A TDM opt-out (text and data mining opt-out) is a usage reservation in machine-readable form. With it you declare unambiguously that your website content may not be used for the automated analysis of large amounts of data — in particular for the training of AI models. TDMRep is the standardised format in which this reservation is stored, so machines reliably recognise it.

The distinction matters: a TDM opt-out protects against training, meaning against your content permanently flowing into an AI model. It does not, however, prevent an AI answer system from reading and citing your page at the moment of a question. This distinction is decisive — because as a rule you do want to be cited, but you would rather not be absorbed into training.

For you this means keeping sovereignty over your content. You decide what it may be used for — and you make that decision technically enforceable, instead of leaving it to a legal text alone.

The right order matters: first decide what may happen with your content, then store the reservation in machine-readable form — that way your site stays citable without your text flowing into AI models unasked.

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Source: https://btlabs.dev/en/glossary/tdm-opt-out-tdmrep
Last-Modified: 2026-08-12T05:19:57.150Z
Languages: [de](https://btlabs.dev/llms/de/glossary/tdm-opt-out-tdmrep) · [it](https://btlabs.dev/llms/it/glossary/tdm-opt-out-tdmrep)
See also: [llms.txt](https://btlabs.dev/llms.txt) · [ai.txt (Policy)](https://btlabs.dev/ai.txt) · [identity.json](https://btlabs.dev/identity.json)