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Mode Selection

Location: first screen, before the numbered steps.

Mode Selection is where the overall setup path is chosen. The selected preset applies a starting configuration across every later step, and the rest of the wizard remains adjustable from there.

What this step controls

Four presets, each tied to a documented policy posture:

  • Essential — Free preset for the safest broad starting point.
  • AI-First — Pro preset for sites that want deeper AI governance.
  • Fortress — Premium preset for the strictest protection-oriented setup.
  • Custom — Pro / Premium manual path for module-level control.

The preset only seeds defaults. Every numbered step that follows can be refined without leaving the wizard.

How to decide

Use Essential when:

  • the site is a small business or general-content WordPress install;
  • the goal is a safer default robots.txt without complex trade-offs;
  • discoverability matters more than aggressive bot restriction.

Use AI-First when:

  • content is central to the site (publishing, editorial, documentation);
  • AI usage clarity matters publicly;
  • llms.txt and machine-readable signals make sense in context.

Use Fortress when:

  • archive exposure, scraping sensitivity, or compliance pressure justifies a protection-first stance;
  • the site accepts a more restrictive trade-off against broad openness.

Use Custom when:

  • the operator (agency, advanced publisher) already understands the category trade-offs;
  • per-client or per-property composition is needed.

For the full decision matrix, see the Presets overview.

What this step does not do

This step does not:

  • authenticate any bot or verify any crawler;
  • replace the per-step adjustments that follow;
  • guarantee that a preset is the right long-term choice — review the preview at Step 14 before publishing.

Plan tier

  • Free: Essential.
  • Pro: Essential, AI-First, and Custom.
  • Premium: all four presets including Fortress.