AI agents from companies including OpenAI, Meta and xAI are running into roadblocks on popular websites. Users have reported that Meta’s Muse, xAI’s Grok, OpenAI’s Dots and Instinct’s agent cannot complete some online tasks.
Some restrictions are explicit. Yelp told TechCrunch it permits AI agents only if they pay to use its data licensing program. Delta Air Lines is preventing agents from booking tickets, while JPMorgan Chase and Charles Schwab have confirmed they block agents from accessing customer accounts over security concerns. Users have also reported trouble with Cars.com and Amtrak, though those companies’ policies are not confirmed in the article.
Some sites are willing to work with agents
Amazon has taken a more confrontational approach. It objected to Meta’s Muse accessing its site and has also been reported to block other agents. Amazon previously sued Perplexity over its shopping agent. A judge ordered Perplexity to stop, but an appeals court overturned that ruling in August; Amazon has since amended its complaint.
Meta says it would rather work with businesses than have them turn away customers using personal agents. It has partnerships that let Muse shop at Walmart, Gap, Sephora and Best Buy. Shopify has also opened its storefront network to agents.
Not every block targets AI
Some failures may come from standard anti-bot defenses. These systems are used to stop scams and hacking, but can also flag an agent as suspicious. Users have reported Google account blocks while using Muse and checkout problems on Walmart, despite Meta’s partnership.
Cloudflare, which provides web infrastructure, has introduced tools that let sites block AI crawlers. These controls can limit unwanted traffic, but the article’s source says extra checks could also make routine browsing more cumbersome. OpenAI and Google did not immediately respond to The Verge’s requests for comment; Instinct declined to comment.
Why it matters
People using agents to shop, book travel or manage accounts may find that the agent cannot complete a task, even when it can access other sites. Some blocks are deliberate and others may be anti-bot systems misidentifying agents; the source does not establish how widely either problem affects users.
