Bot detection for http request

Questions & Answers

What is the purpose of the `isbot` Go library?

The `isbot` Go library is designed to detect HTTP requests that originate from bots, such as web crawlers, preview renderers, or other automated clients, rather than from a regular user-initiated browser request.

Who is the target audience for the `isbot` library?

The `isbot` library is intended for Go developers who need to filter or categorize incoming HTTP traffic to their web applications or services, distinguishing between human users and various types of automated bots.

How does `isbot` detect bots differently from simpler methods?

Instead of relying solely on the User-Agent string, `isbot` analyzes the entire `http.Request` object to gather more comprehensive data for bot detection. It also prioritizes performance by using efficient string comparison methods over regular expressions.

In what scenarios would a developer typically use `isbot`?

Developers would use `isbot` when they need to apply specific logic or rate limiting to bot traffic, exclude bots from analytics, or prevent unwanted automated interactions with their service. It helps in understanding and managing different types of web traffic.

Can `isbot` be used if only the User-Agent string is available?

Yes, `isbot` provides a `UserAgent()` function that can be used to check if a User-Agent string belongs to a known bot. However, the library highly recommends using the `Bot()` function, which takes the full `http.Request` for more accurate detection.