> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://fulbix.gitbook.io/fulbix-fraud-and-ip-blocker/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://fulbix.gitbook.io/fulbix-fraud-and-ip-blocker/setup/bot-scraper-and-automation-protection.md). # Bot, Scraper & Automation Protection ### What Are Bots and Why Do They Target Your Store? A bot is an automated program that visits websites without a real human behind it. Many bots are harmless — search engine crawlers like Googlebot help your SEO. But malicious bots exist to exploit your store in ways that cost you money and damage your business. **Common ways bots harm Shopify stores:** * **Checkout spam** — bots fill your checkout with fake orders, consuming inventory and triggering Shopify's fraud flags * **Credential stuffing** — bots try thousands of stolen username/password combinations to take over customer accounts * **Price scraping** — competitors send bots to harvest your pricing every few hours * **Content scraping** — bots copy your product descriptions and images for use on competitor sites * **Form abuse** — bots spam your contact forms, newsletter signups, and review submissions Fulbix's bot protection identifies and blocks these bots before they can interact with your store. *** ### Opening Bot Protection Settings 1. Go to **Security** in the left sidebar. 2. Select the **Bot Protection** tab. 3. Scroll down to the **Protection Modules** section. *** ### The 5 Protection Modules Each module can be toggled on or off independently. Changes to toggles save **instantly** — no Save button needed. *** #### Shopping Abuse **What it blocks:** Bots, headless browsers, and scripts that: * Spam your checkout with test or fake orders * Abuse contact forms, newsletter signups, or account creation flows * Perform bulk add-to-cart actions **Recommended:** On for all stores. *** #### AI & Scrapers **What it blocks:** AI crawlers and web scrapers that: * Harvest your product titles, descriptions, and prices * Download your product images and catalogue data * Feed your content into competitor AI systems or price comparison engines **Recommended:** On for all stores, especially those with unique product content or competitive pricing. *** #### Competitor & Spy Tools **What it blocks:** Commercial tools and services that: * Monitor your pricing changes in real time * Track your promotional campaigns and discount patterns * Alert competitors when you change a price or add a product **Recommended:** On for stores in competitive niches (fashion, electronics, beauty, supplements, etc.). *** #### TOR Exit Nodes **What it blocks:** Any visitor routing their traffic through the TOR anonymity network. TOR is sometimes used by privacy advocates, but it is also the tool of choice for fraudsters conducting carding attacks, account takeovers, and refund fraud — because it is extremely difficult to trace. **Recommended:** On for all stores. Very low false positive risk. *** #### Persistent Visitor Protection **What it blocks:** Suspicious visitors who try to evade a previous block by: * Switching to a new IP address * Clearing their browser cookies * Starting a new browser session When enabled, Fulbix creates a browser fingerprint for suspicious visitors. If they reconnect — even from a different IP — their fingerprint is recognized and they remain blocked. See Article 7 for a full explanation of how this works and how to configure the track duration. *** ### Default Response Below the module toggles is a **Default Response** setting. This controls what happens when the Security system detects a threat from the modules above. **Block page** — the visitor sees your custom block message. Clear and explicit. **Redirect page** — the visitor is silently forwarded to a URL you provide. Enter a full `https://` URL in the field that appears. > **Note:** This Default Response applies to bot protection triggers. VPN/proxy blocks have their own separate response setting. *** ### Trusted Bots — Always Allowed Fulbix maintains a built-in list of verified legitimate bots that are **always allowed**, regardless of your security settings. You cannot accidentally block these. | Bot | Purpose | | --------------- | ----------------------- | | Googlebot | Google search indexing | | Bingbot | Microsoft Bing indexing | | GPTBot | OpenAI crawler | | Facebookbot | Facebook link previews | | ClaudeBot | Anthropic AI crawler | | Twitterbot | Twitter/X link previews | | Applebot | Apple search crawler | | Slackbot | Slack link previews | | LinkedInBot | LinkedIn link previews | | Pinterest Bot | Pinterest crawler | | DuckDuckBot | DuckDuckGo indexing | | Yahoo! Slurp | Yahoo search indexing | | Wayback Machine | Internet Archive | | Screaming Frog | SEO auditing tool | | Ahrefs Bot | SEO analytics | | SEMrush Bot | SEO analytics | > **Your SEO is not affected.** Google, Bing, and all major search engine crawlers are always allowed through, no matter what protection settings you use --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://fulbix.gitbook.io/fulbix-fraud-and-ip-blocker/setup/bot-scraper-and-automation-protection.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.