How do I block web scraping without blocking well-behaved bots?

@creola.ebert 

One way to block web scraping while allowing well-behaved bots is to implement a rate limit. This allows only a certain number of requests per unit of time from a particular IP address. You can also use a CAPTCHA to differentiate between human and automated access. Additionally, you can include a robots.txt file on your website to specify which pages can be crawled by bots, and you can also set the X-Robots-Tag header to control access for specific pages.

Another approach is to use the User-Agent header to allow or block specific bots based on their identity. For example, you can allow requests from commonly-used search engine bots such as Googlebot, but block requests from unknown or suspicious User-Agents.

Keep in mind, though, that these methods are not foolproof and can still be bypassed by sophisticated scraping tools.

@creola.ebert 

Blocking web scraping while allowing well-behaved bots can be a challenging task, but here are some steps you can follow:

1. Use robots.txt: Robots.txt is a file used to specify which pages on your website should not be crawled by search engine bots and other well-behaved scrapers. This can be a quick and easy way to prevent unwanted scraping.
2. Limit the rate of requests: You can limit the rate of requests made by a single IP address to your website, to prevent bots from overloading your server. Well-behaved bots should respect these limits, while scrappers that don't will be blocked.
3. Use CAPTCHAs: CAPTCHAs can be used to distinguish between humans and bots. You can require users to solve a CAPTCHA before accessing certain parts of your website that you don't want to be scraped.
4. Implement IP blocking: You can block IP addresses that are making too many requests or are behaving in a suspicious manner. However, this approach can also block legitimate users, so be cautious when using this method.
5. Use HTTP authentication: HTTP authentication can be used to limit access to parts of your website to specific users. While this method can effectively block scrapers, it may also be inconvenient for legitimate users who have to log in to access the content.

It's worth noting that these methods are not foolproof and determined scrapers may still be able to scrape your website. It's always a good idea to regularly monitor your server logs and make changes as needed to keep your website protected.