How to identify and detect crawler behavior?

To identify and detect crawler behavior, you can use the following methods:

1. User-Agent Analysis:
   Crawlers often identify themselves with unique or suspicious User-Agent strings. For example, a bot might use "Googlebot" or "Scrapy/2.6.1". You can log and analyze User-Agent headers to flag known or suspicious bots.

   Example: If a request comes with "User-Agent: DataMinerBot/1.0", it’s likely a crawler.

2. Request Patterns:
   Crawlers typically make requests at a high frequency or follow a predictable pattern (e.g., sequential URL traversal). Monitor for unusual request rates or repetitive access to similar pages.

   Example: If a single IP makes 1,000 requests per minute to different product pages, it’s probably a crawler.

3. IP Reputation and Blacklists:
   Check if the requesting IP is listed in known bot databases or has a history of malicious activity.

   Example: Services like Tencent Cloud’s Anti-DDoS Pro or Web Application Firewall (WAF) can help identify and block suspicious IPs.

4. Behavioral Analysis:
   Legitimate users interact with pages (e.g., scrolling, clicking), while crawlers often fetch pages without executing JavaScript or interacting with dynamic content.

   Example: If a request doesn’t execute JavaScript or fetches only specific API endpoints, it may be a crawler.

5. Honeypot Traps:
   Hide links or pages that are invisible to users but detectable by bots. If these links are accessed, the visitor is likely a crawler.

   Example: Add a hidden link like <a href="/bot-trap" style="display:none;"> and log accesses to it.

6. Tencent Cloud Solutions:

   • Tencent Cloud WAF: Detects and blocks malicious bots using rule-based and AI-driven methods.
   • Tencent Cloud Anti-DDoS Pro: Mitigates traffic from botnets and scrapers.
   • Tencent Cloud EdgeOne: Provides bot protection and request filtering at the edge.

By combining these techniques, you can effectively identify and mitigate crawler behavior.