Blocking Bot traffic with Zen
Zen by Aikido helps you identify and block various types of automated traffic accessing your application. This feature enhances your security measures by providing control over unwanted bot activity.
Important: Bot blocking operates independently of the global "Blocking/Detection Mode" setting. When you enable bot blocking, it will always be enforced, even if Zen is in Detection Mode.
Use Cases
🛡️ Protect Server Resources: Prevent bots from overwhelming your infrastructure with excessive requests
💰 Reduce Costs: Lower bandwidth and computing expenses by blocking unnecessary bot traffic
🔒 Secure Content: Protect your intellectual property from automated scraping and copying
⚡ Improve Performance: Enhance site speed by reducing bot-related server load
Bot Categories We Detect
AI Data Scrapers: Automated tools that collect data for AI training purposes
Archivers: Services that create cached copies of web pages
SEO Crawlers: Bots that analyze websites for search engine optimization
Search Engines: Traditional web crawlers from search engines
AI Search Crawlers: New generation of AI-powered search engine bots
AI Assistants: Automated tools that interact with websites for user queries
Vulnerability Scanners: Tools that probe for security weaknesses
Headless Browsers: Automated browsers running without a GUI
Social Media Bots: Automated tools that scrape social media content
Tip: Consider carefully which bot categories to block, as some legitimate services (like Google's search crawler) might be necessary for your site's functionality.
How to block bot traffic
Select a specific app and continue to the Firewall tab. Click the "Manage Bots" next to "Block Bots" to configure Bot blocking.
Use the Bots dropdown to select the lists you want to enable and click on "Block bots"
Note that bot blocking is not immediate; it takes up to a minute for the block to take effect.