The Bot Handbook: Spambot

A spambot is a piece of software designed to automatically spread malicious or questionable information that appears in public or private content, databases, or user messages. The aim of a spambot attack is to manipulate customer behavior or statistics used by a store or marketplace.

Typically the scheme is based on automated bulk account creation. Web spambots create user accounts and use them to post spam messages, comments and reviews, and boost online ratings. They can skew analytics and influence users, often with unforeseen consequences.

Spambots can litter your site with fake reviews, comments, and opinions. In recent years, the use of these bots made international headlines. Spambots had been used to manipulate real users on social media platforms and even spread misinformation about elections and political figures.