Getting Started

To get started and support the adoption of RSL, simply add a pre-defined RSL license template to your robots.txt file.

Step 1: Create a license file

Create a new file called license.xml in your website root directory and add one of the following license templates to your license.xml file (or create a custom license):

Example License Template	Example Use
Prohibit AI training	Still evaluating AI licensing approach
Allow AI training without restrictions	Small blog, personal content
Allow AI training with usage reporting and attribution	SaaS, Ecommerce
Allow AI training with custom licensing agreement	Large / medium content publisher
Allow AI training with collective licensing agreement	All content publishers
Allow use through a Creative Commons (CC) license	Creative Commons works
Allow use through an open source (OSI) license	Open source software

Template: Prohibit AI training

This RSL license prohibits using your website content for AI training but permits other applications including using the content for websearch applications.

<rsl xmlns="https://rslstandard.org/rsl">
  <content url=”/”>
    <license>
      <prohibits type="usage">train-ai</prohibits>
    </license>
  </content>
</rsl>

Template: Allow AI training

This RSL license explicitly gives permission to applications to use your website content for AI training.

<rsl xmlns="https://rslstandard.org/rsl">
  <content url=”/”>
    <license>
      <permits type="usage">train-ai</permits>
    </license>
  </content>
</rsl>

Template: Allow AI training with usage reporting and attribution

This RSL license permits using your website content for AI training, but requires the application to register with an RSL License Server, share usage / measurement data with you when your content is used, and provide attribution through a visible, functional link back to the original content source.

<rsl xmlns="https://rslstandard.org/rsl">
  <content url="/" server="https://rslcollective.org/api">
    <license>
      <permits type="usage">train-ai</permits>
      <payment type="attribution"/>
    </license>
  </content>
</rsl>

Template: Allow AI training with custom licensing agreement

This RSL license template requires connecting with you through your licensing contact form to obtain permission to use your website content for AI training.

<rsl xmlns="https://rslstandard.org/rsl">
  <content url=”/”>
    <license>
      <permits type="usage">train-ai</permits>
      <payment type="subscription">
        <custom>https://your-website.com/contact-form.html</custom>
      </payment>
    </license>
  </content>
</rsl>

Note

Replace https://your-website.com/contact-form.html with the URL of the your licensing contact form.

Template: Allow AI training with collective licensing agreement

This RSL license template requires clients that want to use your website content for AI training to obtain a standard license from an RSL License Server.

<rsl xmlns="https://rslstandard.org/rsl">
  <content url="/" server="https://rslcollective.org/api">
    <license>
      <permits type="usage">train-ai</permits>
      <payment type="royalty">
        <standard>https://rslcollective.org/license</standard>
      </payment>
    </license>
  </content>
</rsl>

Template: Allow use through a Creative Commons (CC) license

This RSL license template allows clients to use your website content by complying with the terms of the Creative Commons standard license.

<rsl xmlns="https://rslstandard.org/rsl">
  <content url="/">
    <license>
      <permits type="usage">all</permits>
      <payment type="atribution">
        <standard>https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</standard>
      </payment>
    </license>
  </content>
</rsl>

Template: Allow use through an open source (OSI) license

This RSL license template allows clients to use your website content by complying with the terms of the MIT open source license. (Or select another OSI license of your choice.)

<rsl xmlns="https://rslstandard.org/rsl">
  <content url="/code/">
    <license>
      <permits type="usage">all</permits>
      <payment type="atribution">
        <standard>https://opensource.org/license/mit</standard>
      </payment>
    </license>
  </content>
</rsl>

Step 2: Update your robots.txt file

Add a link to your license.xml file by adding the following line to your robots.txt file:

  License: https://your-website.com/license.xml

Note

If your website uses subdomains, each subdomain requires its own robots.txt file, and you must include a link to your license.xml file in each one.

Step 3: Support RSL adoption

Join the RSL community to protect the rights and livelihoods of writers, artists, and publishers in the AI era.

1. Register your RSL License

Register your RSL license with the nonprofit RSL Collective, or another RSL License Server to enable AI companies to license your content.

2. Share your Support

Protect the open web and livelihoods of creators by sharing your support for the RSL standard on social media:

Share on X Share on Threads