> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://waf-doc.inext.checkpoint.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://waf-doc.inext.checkpoint.com/additional-security-engines/anti-bot-challenge-rules/good-bot-managment.md).

# Good Bot Managment

Good Bots let you allow known and trusted bots, search engine crawlers, AI assistants, and other legitimate automated clients, to bypass [Anti-Bot enforcement](/additional-security-engines/anti-bot-challenge-rules.md). Good bots are allowed on the same URIs configured in your Anti-Bot rules.

{% hint style="warning" %}
This exemption applies only to the Anti-Bot engine, traffic from an allowed good bot is still evaluated by your other security engines (e.g., IPS, WAF).
{% endhint %}

### Mode

The **Mode** toggle at the top of the Good Bots section turns the feature **Enabled** or **Disabled**. When disabled, no good bot allowances (custom rules or providers) are applied, and all traffic is evaluated normally by your Anti-Bot rules.

### Add a Custom Good Bot Rule

<figure><img src="/files/C2CaTlbknDeriYnZa3H7" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

1. Go to the **Good Bots** Sub practice under Anti-Bot.
2. Click the list icon in the toolbar above the table to add a rule.
3. Fill in the rule fields:
   * **Name** — a label to identify the rule (e.g., `Good Bot Example`).
   * **Category** — the type of bot (e.g., `Search Engine`).
   * **Match** — the condition used to identify the bot's traffic. Choose one:
     * **Source IP**
     * **Source Identifier**
     * **User Agent** (e.g., `Goodbot`)
     * **Custom Header** — either `<Header Name>:<Header Value>` or just `<Header Name>`
   * **Notes** (optional) — free-text comments about the rule.
4. Save the rule.

To edit a rule, select it and click the pencil icon. To remove a rule, select it and click the trash icon.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Source IP** is not supported for WAF SaaS, **Source Identifier** can be used instead.&#x20;
{% endhint %}

### Providers

Below the custom rules table, **Providers** lets you automatically allow good bots from known providers without defining a custom rule for each one:

* **All** — enables/disables every provider at once.
* Individual providers: **Google**, **Microsoft**, **Apple**, **OpenAI**, **Anthropic**, **Meta**, **LinkedIn**.

Each provider has its own **Enabled** checkbox. When a provider is enabled, its known good bots (e.g., Googlebot, Bingbot) are automatically allowed on the URIs covered by your Anti-Bot rules — no custom Match rule needed.

### Notes

* Custom rules and enabled providers work together — a bot only needs to match one of them to be allowed.
* Good Bots only affects Anti-Bot enforcement; it does not exempt traffic from other security engines.


---

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