Really Simple Licensing (RSL) is a modern counterpart to RSS that lets publishers embed machine-readable licensing terms defining how their content may be used—whether freely, via subscription, pay-per-crawl, or pay-per-inference. These terms can apply to websites, books, videos, images, and proprietary datasets.
RSL uses an open, XML-based format that can be referenced from robots.txt, feeds, web pages, or media files so both humans and bots can understand usage terms. This enables:
The standard is being advanced by a Technical Steering Committee in collaboration with publishers, platforms, and infrastructure partners.
RSL has drawn support from prominent publishers and platforms and introduces an automated licensing layer on top of robots.txt so AI systems encounter usage terms before accessing content. See coverage at The Verge and Ars Technica.
The standard supports business models such as free access, subscriptions, pay-per-crawl, and pay-per-inference—so publishers can be compensated when AI systems crawl or generate outputs from their content.
With CDN-level integrations (e.g., Fastly) RSL can act like a “bouncer at the door,” blocking unlicensed bots at the edge unless they comply with terms. Collective rights management also helps coordinate legal enforcement.
robots.txt, feeds, pages, or media.RSL makes licensing transparent, enforceable, and scalable—helping publishers protect and monetize their work while giving AI developers a standardized path to access high-quality content responsibly.
At Ingenious, Inc., we build sites optimized for indexing from day one—without sacrificing control. If you don’t want your hard-won content turned into indistinct AI slop, we’ll help you integrate RSL the right way.
Our custom sites, powered by Infinitus CMS, make it easy to update content regularly—so you can keep feeding the bots without the hassle, or stop them at the door.
Get in touch today to learn how we can help your website grow without giving your content away.