Bot Activity on Only a Portion Emails on the Same Domain

[AMDH]

We recently turned on Log Bot Activity and I'm seeing something I can't explain. I'm hoping someone may have some insight to share based on their experience.

We are seeing bot activity recorded on only a portion of emails from the some email domain but not all emails. For example:

- Total of 100 emails with @abccompany.com in the database

- Only 20 emails with @abccompany.com have Bot Activity

Thoughts?

[Jo_Pitts1]

@AMDH,

It could be device specific.  i.e. 20 people using iPhones?

[Darshil_Shah1 · Accepted solution]

Yes, apart from the device, it could be due to the conditional content or personalization, i.e., emails with dynamic content or personalization based on recipient data might be less likely to trigger bot activity as their structure could deviate from patterns used by typical bots.  

Also, no bot detection methods are 100% reliable. Here's why:

• False positives: Sophisticated bots can mimic human behavior and bypass detection methods.
• False negatives: Newer or custom bots might not be on the IAB list Marketo relies on.
• Limitations of detection techniques: Analyzing IP addresses, user agents, and click patterns can be inconclusive.

While Marketo's bot detection is constantly evolving, it's crucial to be aware of its limitations and consider other factors when analyzing email engagement metrics.

[AMDH]

Thanks. I also discovered many fall into the Match with Proximity pattern. I believe this is part of it as well. 

[Zoe_Forman]

@AMDH  for my 2 pence 

There has been a lot of BOT chat in various communities, and the general consensus is that it’s helpful, but it’s not foolproof.

If more than 10+ emails opened in less than 1 minute of delivery they are probably BOTS.

You will find  bots still slipping through even with the feature activated.

It reinforces the notion that email metrics—at their core—are unreliable, even in the best of circumstances. It's still a good idea to have it enabled so you have as much signal as possible, but better to coach/train your marketers to focus on things further downstream from the inbox. 

Email metrics are really directional instead of a truth and is going to continue to get more difficult as privacy laws get more stringent. As well as the Apple Privacy  and option to hide email addresses can also be a factor as well as the device.

While some of your metrics may initially take a hit its better to have BOT filters switched on - quality over quantity