Does Applebot support hasPart for section-level paywall exclusions?

Definition: No. Apple documents isAccessibleForFree as a page-level signal for Applebot and explicitly says that section-level markup using hasPart is not supported. A hasPart pattern documented by Google for Google Search therefore cannot be treated as an Applebot control.

Key facts

• Apple’s About Applebot documentation says isAccessibleForFree identifies pages behind a paywall, metered access, or subscription.
• Apple instructs publishers to add isAccessibleForFree to page-level structured data in JSON-LD.
• Pages marked isAccessibleForFree: false remain eligible for Apple search results, while Applebot does not use that content as additional context for AI model output in Apple products and services.
• Apple explicitly states that section-level markup using hasPart is not supported.
• Google’s subscription and paywalled content documentation documents a separate section pattern based on hasPart, WebPageElement, and cssSelector.

What does Apple document for paywalled pages?

Apple’s About Applebot page, published 4 September 2026, identifies isAccessibleForFree as a schema.org property for pages behind a paywall, metered access, or subscription. The page says to place the property in page-level JSON-LD. Its example is a page-level object:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "isAccessibleForFree": false
}
</script>

Apple describes the effect of false in terms of two surfaces. The page can remain eligible for search results. Applebot will not use the marked content as additional context when AI models generate output for display in Apple products and services. The documented signal therefore describes the access status of the page and the use of its content for that context.

Does hasPart change the scope for Applebot?

No. The same Apple documentation follows its page-level example with the sentence, “This signal applies at the page level. Section-level markup using hasPart is not supported.” The wording covers the specific question: an isAccessibleForFree value attached to a section through hasPart is outside Apple’s documented support.

Google documents a different implementation for Google Search. Its guide, updated 8 September 2026, describes schema.org JSON-LD with CreativeWork properties and shows a page-level isAccessibleForFree value plus a hasPart object of type WebPageElement:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "NewsArticle",
  "isAccessibleForFree": false,
  "hasPart": {
    "@type": "WebPageElement",
    "isAccessibleForFree": false,
    "cssSelector": ".paywall"
  }
}

Google says the cssSelector references the class name added around the paywalled section. That guidance describes Google’s handling of the markup. Apple’s page gives no equivalent Applebot support for the section-level object and expressly excludes hasPart.

What should a site owner configure?

For Applebot, represent a page-wide paywall, metered access, or subscription state with the page-level isAccessibleForFree property that Apple documents. Keep the value in the page’s JSON-LD and use the boolean shown by Apple when the page is not freely accessible.

Section-level controls require a separate documented mechanism. Google’s guide says JSON-LD and microdata are accepted formats for paywalled content, asks publishers to add a class name around each paywalled section, and says the selector references that class. Those instructions belong to Google Search’s paywall implementation and leave Applebot’s support at the page level.

Apple also documents nosnippet as a page directive for preventing Applebot from generating a description or web answer for the page. The page lists robots meta tags and the X-Robots-Tag response header as places for indexing directives. These controls are page directives, so they do not supply a documented section-level substitute for hasPart.

Related terms

• Applebot
• Applebot-Extended
• Subscription content markup

FAQ

Can I use Google’s hasPart example for Applebot?

No. You can use the example to understand Google’s documented paywall markup, but Apple’s About Applebot documentation explicitly says section-level hasPart markup is unsupported.

Does isAccessibleForFree: false remove the page from Apple search results?

No. Apple says pages with this value are eligible to appear in search results. The documented effect concerns the use of the content as additional context for AI model output in Apple products and services.

Is nosnippet a section-level paywall exclusion?

No. Apple documents nosnippet as a page directive that prevents a description or web answer for the page. Its page also documents the equivalent X-Robots-Tag response-header form.

Sources

1. Apple Support, “About Applebot”, 4 September 2026
2. Google Search Central, “Subscription and Paywalled Content Markup”, 8 September 2026

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