Bots

What are bots

Bots are automated programs that use preset rules or algorithms to simulate human behavior to perform repetitive tasks. Over half of all internet traffic comes from bots that scan content, interact with pages, chat with users, or seek attack targets. Bots fall into two categories:

• good bots: Operate legitimately to benefit your site, such as search engine crawlers that index content or customer service chatbots that assist users.

• malicious bots: Harm your site through illegal or aggressive methods such as credential-stuffing attacks, scraping contact information for phishing, or other malicious activities.

To manage high-volume bot traffic, ESA uses extensive threat intelligence and AI to classify requests into categories, including Definite Bots, Likely Bots, Verified Bots, and Likely Human. You can configure a specific action for each bot category.

Choose a bot management mode

ESA offers two bot management modes:

• Smart Mode: Best for low-risk applications or rapid deployment. This mode provides basic protection without complex configuration. Provides predefined categories (such as Definite Bots, Likely Bots, and Verified Bots), lets you configure an action for each bot category, and uses JavaScript Detection to quickly identify and block malicious crawlers.

• Professional Mode: Designed for high-risk applications that require granular control. Your technical team customizes rules for specific business requirements. You can build a multi-layered defense system by using a custom rule set with criteria such asIP/User Agent identification, behavioral analysis, JavaScript challenge, and rate limiting.

Feature support across plans