Bots are software applications that run automated tasks on the internet. Some bots are harmless and are used to simply save time since they can complete repetitive tasks faster than humans.
- Twitter, for example, may use data bots to generate up-to-date information like news or weather forecasts.
- Search engines like Google also use bots to scour the internet for answers to your questions.
- Even comparison websites such as Expedia use bots to find you the best deals on hotels.
However, bots can also have a dark side. They can be used to create false user or agency accounts, bombard your site with “fake” views that skew marketing data or even steal content from your site. So it’s essential to be aware of the “bad” bots you may encounter as a site manager—and know that we’re here to help!
What are “bad” bots?
Have you ever had to confirm that you weren’t a robot before entering a website? This is to stop the bad bots from getting through.
There are several types of bad bots:
- Many use "spam" to direct web traffic.
- Some look for public forms to fill out automatically—like user registrations or the comments section of a webpage—in hopes of posting ads or links to another site.
- Some leave blog comments or send emails that read, “Check out my site! >>>> [link to suspicious site].”
- Other bots are designed to bombard a site to steal content or hold up available bandwidth—making it hard for real users to access the information they're looking for.
Sometimes bots can be tricky to spot because they're coded to emulate human behavior.
I’m a site manager. What should I look out for?
Your site uses forms to register users, agencies, and programs. You probably have a general idea as to the number and types of users and agencies who register with your site. Here are the types of unusual bot activity that you should be aware of:
- A sudden influx in new user or agency registrations (often with unusual names)
- An unexpected, and often extreme, increase in site visits
- Multiple registrants using similar email addresses and unusual names (often within a short window)
- Forms filled out incorrectly (i.e., international postcodes paired with U.S. states or full names in the first name field), signaling a fake user profile.
Most site managers won't encounter bots, but it’s important to look out for unusual activity. You can do this by checking your user-management area regularly for new users, and by checking your site’s Google Analytics accounts for a spike in site visits.
I’ve suspected a bot. What do I do?
There are a few things you can do if you suspect there's a bot on your site:
- If you suspect a user is not a real person, you can deactivate their account.
- If you think you have a bot but aren't sure, please contact our Customer Experience team. We'll be happy to take a look at the account to determine if they're a real user or not.
- If you want to add an additional layer of security to your site, you can enable Captcha from your site's Main Settings.
To enable Recaptcha:
- Click on Settings from your site manager panel and then click Main Settings.
- Under the Site Information section, scroll to Security.
- Toggle the button beside Include Captcha on Registration to On.
- Remember to click Update Settings to save your changes.
Now, when users register on your site, they'll be asked to verify if they're a human and not a bot before accessing your site.
Final thoughts
While complete bad-bot annihilation across the internet isn't possible today, we have measures in place to help minimize bot traffic on your site. Bad bot occurrences in our Get Connected community are rare, but knowing what to look for will help you combat and report suspicious activity—if it should arise. We've worked hard to put measures in place that prevent bad bots and we're prepared to help you as needed if you suspect a bad bot on your site.