Miscellaneous Hacks - Ban Spiders by User Agent

What this mod does
With this mod you can enter User Agents to watch or ban, you can also recieve emails or have an Output.txt created and updated with time and date of visits. It doesn't just have to be spiders, you can watch, log or ban any useragent!

How to install
Simply import the product ban_spider, the mod is active by default but none of the other options are turned on.

What is a UserAgent?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_agent

Understanding a UserAgent string
http://user-agent-string.info/parse

Genuine User Getting Blocked?
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=105

Tools to help
http://whatsmyuseragent.com/SwitchingUserAgents.asp
http://www.botsvsbrowsers.com/SimulateUserAgent.asp

FAQ
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=137

How does it work?
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=381

What's a bot?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spambot

How do i ban a bot?
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=318
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....7&postcount=51

Where's output.txt located?
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=216

Bad bot lists
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=259
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=224
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....&postcount=281

Tested on vb3.7.x, vB3.8.x , vB4.x.x but should work on any version.

__________________________________________________ __________________
Special thanks to:
Lior
KH99
BoP5
for helping me sort out a few issues

...and beta testers
ForceHSS (Special thanks to Force for latest testing)
ozzy47
GreyHost

If you use this please mark as INSTALLED

History
9th June 2011 Orginal xml added
12th June 2011 Added both email notification and text file logging
22nd June 2011 Version 2.0.0, Added create thread on activity

1. Added match facility you can now use something like Yandex and it will match MOZILLA/5.0 (COMPATIBLE; YANDEXBOT/3.0; +HTTP://YANDEX.COM/BOTS)
2. Added clickable link to visited thread

22nd September 2011 added user redirect url selection
08th October Beta testing started for thread creation.
20th October Beta testing started for emailing.
21st October Beta testing complete Ver 3.0.0 uploaded
29th October minor fix added to cope with empty userid on thread creation
30th October Beta testing automatic redirection to spiders/bots IP
31st October New xml uploaded with automatic redirect to IP
25th November Minor fix for blank forumid fixed
26th November 2011 Fixed version check & create thread Off by default
17th December 2014 Version 3.1.0 uploaded, Hook changed extra logging and statistics added by Ozzy47 (Chris)
18th December 2014 Version 3.1.1 uploaded, prevented spiders being counted when mod turned off.
17th December 2014 Version 3.1.2 uploaded, due to rogue code from another mod
The Bad Bots list is now included in the product
Please prune out all those that you wish to be able to see your site (i suggest you definately prune out "DA" and "Custo" :

Support will now only be given to those who have this mod marked as INSTALLED

[Simon Lloyd]

301 is set in the redirect, i don't think i will be able to set the redirect back to the bots own source but certainly i can make the redirect selectable (and will next day or so) and i don't know whether i'll venture in to getting it to work with cms at the moment (as i have a lot on) but anything in /forum and lower i.e /forum/blog.....etc will benefit from the mod (or should!)

[smirkley]

Originally Posted by Simon Lloyd

301 is set in the redirect, i don't think i will be able to set the redirect back to the bots own source but certainly i can make the redirect selectable (and will next day or so)

Thanks. Looking forward to this. (is there a suggested redirect url that is effective and safe?)

and i don't know whether i'll venture in to getting it to work with cms at the moment (as i have a lot on) but anything in /forum and lower i.e /forum/blog.....etc will benefit from the mod (or should!)

No problem.

Thanks for everything on this.

[Simon Lloyd]

Added user redirect entry box, now you can select where you send them bad bots

Suggestion to redirect them to:
http://www.klikhierniet.net/
It's dutch ( meaning, don't click here )
I think you'll find it's very annoying and I think you could find simular ones in english

[smirkley]

Thanks for the option of where to redirect.

I set it for www.baidu.com,... checked it on the checking link you posted,.. and it shows a successful redirect back to them.

I know all bots entered will go to baidu.com, but I am not concerned with that.
(I thought funny the link you suggested )

[Simon Lloyd]

Thanks for reporting back that it works ok, i just dashed it off and was about to mark this as a beta when i realised i hadn't tested it so THANKS for being a guinea pig!

That link is annoying though

[Boofo]

Is there a setting yet for the redirect link?

[smirkley]

Yes, and I tested and it works

[ForceHSS]

any word when the Forum ID and Thread Username options will work

[Simon Lloyd]

Im still working on that, i'm trying my best to keep it all in one xml product, at the moment i'm experimenting with a seperate php file called from the product but thats not my goal.

You can use the thread creation...etc but without actually banning the spider at the moment.

There will be an update notice sent to you when i replace the xml or files here just as you did for the "use your own redirection url" change

[oldfan]

installed and thanks