About CAIBotList & Its Purpose
Q: Why was CAIBotList created? What problem does it solve?
CAIBotList was built out of frustration with the official Character.AI search. It's often difficult to find specific or niche bots there, and creators struggle for visibility as only a tiny fraction of bots are easily discoverable. Our goal is simple: provide a reliable, effective search engine so users can discover the vast range of bots C.AI hosts, and creators can get their work seen.
Q: How is CAIBotList different from the official C.AI search?
We offer several key differences:
- Scale: We index far more bots (currently approaching 2 million) compared to C.AI's often limited search results.
- Filtering: We provide more powerful search filters (tags, fandoms, categories, creators, etc.) for targeted discovery.
- Freshness: Our index is updated daily.
- Transparency: We track bot availability, marking bots as "Unavailable" if they seem shadowbanned or removed on C.AI, rather than just having them disappear.
- Focus: We are dedicated solely to improving bot discovery.
Q: Does CAIBotList host bots or allow chatting?
No. CAIBotList is purely a search engine and directory for Character.AI bots. We help you find interesting bots, but you must click through to the official Character.AI website or app to actually chat with them.
Q: Is CAIBotList affiliated with Character.AI?
No. CAIBotList is an independent project built by a community member (@Mischa) for the community. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Character.AI Pte. Ltd.
Finding & Using Bots
Q: How quickly are new bots added or updated?
Creator profiles and their bots are checked for updates every 24 hours.
For bots released within the last 7 days, we check more frequently: every 8 hours.
You can see the specific last update time for any creator on the statistics tab of their CAIBotList profile page.
Q: Why do some bots say "Unavailable"?
Character.AI sometimes removes or 'shadowbans' bots without explanation. Instead of immediately deleting these bots from our index (which would erase their existence here), we mark them as "Unavailable." This provides transparency for users and creators, helps track bot status, and preserves the bot's information page on our site.
Q: Can I search for NSFW bots? How is content rated?
CAIBotList aims to provide a flexible discovery experience while maintaining a generally SFW (Safe For Work) environment by default.
For all users: By default, search results are filtered to exclude bots that might be tagged or categorized as potentially NSFW.
For authenticated (logged-in) users: You have access to a Content Rating Filter in your settings. This allows you to adjust the filtering level and potentially include bots that might be considered NSFW based on their available metadata (tags, category, etc.).
Important Considerations:
- Using the filter is optional and controlled by the logged-in user.
- The identification of potentially NSFW bots relies on the available metadata, which may not always be perfectly accurate.
- While this filter provides user control, CAIBotList does not explicitly curate, verify, or promote NSFW content. Our volunteer editors may still remove overtly inappropriate or harmful metadata according to site guidelines.
Data Accuracy & Corrections
Q: Where does the bot data come from?
All bot information (name, description, interaction counts, creator links) originates from publicly accessible data on the Character.AI website. We index this public information similar to how search engines like Google crawl websites.
Q: How are Categories, Fandoms, and Tags assigned? Is it accurate?
When a new bot is first indexed, an automated AI process (using GPT) analyzes its public text (name, tagline, description, greeting) to suggest initial metadata like category, fandom, and tags.
Accuracy: This AI process provides a starting point but is not perfect. It can be inaccurate. Accuracy improves significantly through two methods:
- Creator Edits: Verified creators can directly edit and correct the metadata for their own bots.
- Community Editing: Our volunteer editors ('Ghostbusters') review bots, correct inaccuracies, and respond to user reports.
Metadata quality is an ongoing effort involving AI assistance, creator input, and community curation.
Creators & Verification
Q: How are new creators added and listed?
We discover new creators and their bots in several ways:
- Automated Discovery: Checking C.AI's curated/featured lists daily (though often limited).
- Direct Connection: When a creator signs in via Discord and connects their C.AI account(s) on CAIBotList (most reliable method).
- User Suggestion: Logged-in users can suggest creators via the search page if no results are found.
Q: How do I get verified as a creator?
Verification confirms ownership and allows you to edit your bots' details. It's a security measure:
- Sign in to CAIBotList via Discord.
- Go to 'Connect Account' on your profile.
- Get your unique verification code.
- Temporarily add this code to your C.AI profile bio.
- Our system automatically checks your bio (usually within 10 mins).
- Once detected, you're verified. You can remove the code from your bio.
The '@verified' Discord role is assigned manually afterwards; please ping @Mischa if missed.
Q: Is connecting my C.AI account safe?
Yes. The verification process only involves checking your public C.AI bio for the temporary code we provide. We never ask for, nor do we need, your Character.AI password or login credentials.
Q: Why use Discord for login/verification?
Many C.AI users and creators are active on Discord. Using Discord provides:
- A secure, standard login method (OAuth).
- A central place for our community (feedback, support, editor coordination).
- A way to potentially contact creators if needed (though we rarely do).
Q: How can I remove my bots from CAIBotList?
We respect creator requests. Please contact the site admin (@Mischa) directly via Direct Message (DM) on Discord with your removal request, and we will process it as soon as possible.
Community & Contribution
Q: How can I help improve CAIBotList?
Community contributions are essential! You can help by:
- Suggesting missing creators (use the option on the search page when logged in).
- Reporting errors or suggesting improvements for bot metadata directly on bot pages.
- Providing feedback and ideas on our Discord server.
- Engaging constructively with the community.
Q: What are the 'Ghostbusters'? Who are the editors?
The '@ghostbusters' is our name for the dedicated team of volunteer bot editors.
They play a crucial role by reviewing bot metadata, correcting inaccuracies reported by users or found during checks, and generally helping organize the vast number of bots. Their work directly improves search relevance.
Note: Editors respect creator ownership. They only edit metadata for bots whose creators have not verified their accounts on CAIBotList.
Technical & Future Plans
Q: Why does the site sometimes feel slow?
Indexing and searching nearly 2 million bots daily is technically demanding, especially on efficient infrastructure. While we strive for speed, you might experience occasional slowness during peak usage or complex searches. Improving site performance and stability is our absolute top technical priority right now.
Q: Are new features planned?
Our primary focus currently is on performance, stability, and scalability as the bot index grows. We're also building better tools to support our volunteer editors. While we always welcome user suggestions for new features, fundamental performance improvements must come first to ensure the site remains usable and reliable for everyone.
