AWS WAF Bot Control helps you manage bot traffic effectively by allowing you to distinguish between verified bots, like those from search engines, and unverified or potentially malicious bots. Below is an overview of how to configure your web ACL to allow verified bots:
1. Prerequisites
- Ensure AWS WAF Bot Control is enabled on your web ACL.
- Familiarize yourself with rule management and default actions in AWS WAF.
2. Add a Rule to Allow Verified Bots
- Step 1: Access the AWS WAF console and navigate to your web ACL.
- Step 2: Click on Add rules and select Add managed rule group.
- Step 3: From the list, choose the AWS-managed rule group for Bot Control.
- Step 4: Customize the rule settings to specify actions for verified bots. For example, set the rule action to “Allow” for known search engine crawlers.
3. Configure Rule Prioritization
- Place the rule to allow verified bots at a higher priority than other rules that may block or inspect bot traffic. This ensures legitimate bot traffic is allowed before being evaluated by other rules.
4. Test and Monitor Traffic
- Use Amazon CloudWatch metrics or AWS WAF logs to monitor traffic and verify that legitimate bot traffic is being allowed.
- If issues arise, review the logs for misconfigurations or additional rules blocking the traffic.
5. Fine-Tune Bot Control
- Optionally, add rules to block or challenge unverified or suspicious bots. This enhances your application’s security posture while ensuring smooth access for verified bots.
By leveraging AWS WAF Bot Control, you can effectively manage legitimate bot traffic and prevent disruptions from unverified bots.
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