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

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

VB4.x Version of Ban Spiders By User Agent

Tested on vb3.7.x, vB3.8.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, Extra logging and statistics added by Ozzy47 (Chris)
18th December 2014 Version 3.1.2 uploaded, due to rogue process from other mod
18th December 2014 Version 3.1.3 uploaded, due to previous one being VB4 mistakingly uploaded

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

[jl255]

i suppose it shld be pretty safe to use the default list of spider list to ban on this plugin? i've no idea which to prune.....

[Simon Lloyd]

There are quite a few lists posted throughout this thread, take a look at them, if you use the built in one then

Originally Posted by Simon Lloyd in Mod Description

Please prune out all those that you wish to be able to see your site (i suggest you definately prune out "DA" and "Custo" :

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by jl255

i suppose it shld be pretty safe to use the default list of spider list to ban on this plugin? i've no idea which to prune.....

See if the default one helps the issue you're having, first. Is my suggestion. The default list is a good list.

[Wajow-community]

Is there a mod for vb 4.x.x

[Max Taxable]

Found on the developer's profile:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=268208

[qpurser]

Really love this mod a lot and works great on 4.2.1

Finally Baidu is not showing up anymore in my "online users" list.

I saw another bot recently searching my forum and from some research it seems to be a bad one also: AhrefsBot http://blocklistpro.com/content-scra...o-spybots.html

I added this to my list:
Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; AhrefsBot/2.0; +http://ahrefs.com/robot/)
and
Mozilla*Ahref

Was this the correct way to do it?

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by qpurser

I added this to my list:
Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; AhrefsBot/2.0; +http://ahrefs.com/robot/)
and
Mozilla*Ahref

Was this the correct way to do it?

NO!!!



Including "Mozilla" and "compatible" in this list blocks just about the entire world!

Get rid of that entry and simply put: "AhrefsBot" in instead!

[qpurser]

Originally Posted by Max Taxable

NO!!!

Including "Mozilla" and "compatible" in this list blocks just about the entire world!
Get rid of that entry and simply put: "AhrefsBot" in instead!

Thank you for the quick reply.
I was reading post #127 and 128 and thought as long there is something behind the "mozilla" in the same line there wouldn't be an issue. My mistake I guess

[Max Taxable]

Originally Posted by qpurser

Thank you for the quick reply.
I was reading post #127 and 128 and thought as long there is something behind the "mozilla" in the same line there wouldn't be an issue. My mistake I guess

You might be right but 1.) I wouldn't risk it, and 2.) it's not necessary.

[Simon Lloyd]

When banning whatever you add to the list will be looked for in its entirety, so if you enter "today" then it will ban:
Today
thisdayistoday
wheretodayis
one day today

if you entered "here today" then it will not ban:
one day today
thisdaytoday
today....etc

but it will ban:
we were here today
allhere todayagain....etc

When banning bots make sure you go to WOL and check out their UA as it may not contain their name in the UA.