Agents Are Tracking: Single Web Site Version
August 6, 2024
This essay is the work of a dumb humanoid. No smart software required.
How many software robots are crawling (copying and indexing) a Web site you control now? This question can be answered by a cloud service available from DarkVisitors.com.
The Web site includes a useful list of these software robots (what many people call “agents” which sounds better, right?). You can find the list of about 800 bots as of July 30, 2024) on the DarkVisitors’ Web site at this link. There is a search function so you can look for a bot by name; for example, Omgili (the Israeli data broker Webz.io). Please, note, that the list contains categories of agents; for example, “AI Data Scrapers”, “AI Search Crawlers,” and “Developer Helpers,” among others.
The Web site also includes links to a service called “Set Up Your Robots.txt.” The idea is that one can link a Web site’s robots.txt file to DarkVisitors. Then DarkVisitors will update your Web site automatically to block crawlers, bots, and agents. The specific steps to make this service work are included on the DarkVisitors.com Web site.
The basic service is free. However, if you want analytics and a couple of additional features, the cost as of July 30, 2024, is $10 per month.
An API is also available. Instructions for implementing the service are available as well. Plus, a WordPress plug in is available. The cloud service is provided by Bit Flip LLC.
Stephen E Arnold, August 6, 2024
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