ZonifyBot detection
Shopify Bot Blocker
Zonify shows you which bots visit your Shopify store, and tells the real ones from the fakes. Googlebot is checked against Google's own list of addresses, so a scraper using Google's name is marked Fake. Then you choose which kinds of bot to block. Search engines are never on that list.
Free to install · No code · Nothing is blocked until you add a rule
Fake bots, proven
Checked against the owner's own addresses.
Off until you choose
Nothing is blocked until you switch a type on.
Search engines stay in
Google, Bing and ad checkers can't be blocked here.
What bot detection does on Shopify
A bot is a program that visits your store instead of a person. Some are good: Google and Bing read your pages so shoppers can find you. Some are not: scripts that copy your prices, or programs that pretend to be Google so you don't block them.
Zonify looks at every visitor that runs its script and labels the bots: search engines, ad checkers, AI crawlers, SEO tools, scripts, automated browsers and cloud servers. They get their own Bots page and are kept out of your visit numbers, so your Analytics counts people.
Know every bot, block the ones you don't want
Every bot, named
Googlebot, Bingbot, GPTBot, Ahrefs, Python scripts, headless Chrome and more, each with its type, address and pages.
Fake bots, caught
A visitor that says it is Googlebot but comes from an address Google doesn't use is marked Fake.
Verified bots, marked
Bots proven by their owner's published addresses get a Verified badge, and are never blocked by type.
Block by type
Seven switches: fake bots, automated browsers, scripts and scrapers, AI crawlers, SEO tools, cloud servers and other bots.
Counts people, not bots
Bots are kept out of your visit numbers. A Bots card on your Dashboard and in Analytics shows how many came.
In Analytics and the CSV
The visits list shows people and bots together, with a People or Bots filter, and the CSV export has both.
How Zonify spots a fake Googlebot
Every program sends a name with its visit, and any program can send any name. Scrapers often call themselves Googlebot, because few stores dare to block Google.
So Zonify checks the address, not just the name. Google, Bing, Apple, OpenAI, Perplexity and DuckDuckGo publish the addresses their bots use, and Zonify downloads those lists every day. For others, it asks the internet's address book who the address belongs to, and checks the answer both ways. A Googlebot from an address Google doesn't own is marked Fake, with the reason written out.
Choose which bots to block
On the Bots page, switch on the types you want kept out. A blocked bot sees “Store not available”, and the visit is logged with the reason Bot rule. Each switch saves at once, and Undo puts it back.
Some bots can't be switched on: search engines, ads and shopping checkers, social previews and uptime checkers. Blocking them would hide your store from Google and break your ads. Any bot Zonify has verified is never blocked by type either.
When to block bots
Start with the types that no shopper ever is.
Someone copying your store
A competitor's script keeps reading your product pages and prices. Block scripts and scrapers, and automated browsers.
Fake search engines
Programs hide behind Google's or Bing's name. Block fake bots. The real Googlebot isn't affected.
AI crawlers and SEO tools
You'd rather AI companies and SEO tools didn't read your store. Block them, knowing you may show up less in AI answers.
Start blocking bots in three steps
The full walkthrough is in how to block bots on Shopify.
- 1
Install Zonify
Install it free from the Shopify App Store. It asks for no access to your orders, products or customers, because it doesn't need any.
- 2
Turn on the app embed
In your theme editor, open App embeds and switch Zonify on. Nothing runs on your store until you do. Zonify's Onboarding page links straight there.
- 3
Look, then switch types on
Open Bots in Zonify and see who has been visiting. Then switch on the types you want blocked. It applies within about 30 seconds.
Good to know
What bot blocking can't do
It's a good filter for bots that run your store's pages like a browser. It isn't a wall.
We list the limits before you install, so nothing about how Zonify works comes as a surprise later.
Bots that don't run JavaScript
Simple scripts that only download your page's code never run Zonify, so they can't be seen or stopped.
Most AI crawlers never reach Zonify
Shopify turns most AI crawlers away from app requests before Zonify can check them, so they rarely show up.
A hidden name stays hidden
A bot that calls itself Chrome is only caught if it fakes a search engine, says it's run by a program, or comes from a cloud server.
After the page loads
Like every Zonify rule, the block replaces the page in the browser. A bot that grabs the page first has already seen it.
Cloud servers include some VPNs
Some shoppers browse through a VPN on a cloud server. Blocking cloud servers can turn them away too.
A fake can pass once
Some checks take a moment. A fake bot's first page can get through while Zonify checks, and the next one is blocked.
Questions
Bot blocking questions
Can't find your answer? More answers are in the Zonify FAQ, or contact us and we'll reply.
Will blocking bots hurt my Google ranking?
Not through Zonify's bot rules. Search engines and ad checkers can't be switched on as a bot type, and a bot Zonify has verified, like the real Googlebot, is never blocked by type. Your country rules still apply to search engines like any visitor, so check a page with Google Search Console's URL Inspection tool after changing country rules.
How does Zonify know a Googlebot is fake?
Google publishes the addresses its crawlers use, and Zonify downloads that list every day. It also asks the address's reverse DNS name, which must end in googlebot.com or google.com and point back to the same address. A visitor that says it is Googlebot but fails both checks is marked Fake. If a check can't finish in time, the bot is marked Not proven yet, never Fake.
Can Zonify stop someone scraping my product prices?
It can stop scrapers that run your pages in a browser, such as headless Chrome, Selenium or Puppeteer, and scripts that say what they are. It can't stop a script that only downloads your page's code, because that never runs Zonify. Turn on Scripts and scrapers and Automated browsers on the Bots page.
Should I block AI crawlers like GPTBot?
It's your choice. Blocking them keeps AI companies from reading your store through Zonify, but you may show up less in AI answers and AI shopping results. Most AI crawlers are turned away by Shopify before they reach Zonify, and many don't run JavaScript, so few show up on the Bots page.
Are bots counted in my visits?
No. Bots are kept out of every visit number, chart and country list in Zonify. You see them on the Bots page, in the Bots card on your Dashboard and in Analytics, and in the visits list when you choose Everyone or Bots.