# Bot protection

> How ShopAssist detects scripted traffic, proof-of-work and Cloudflare Turnstile challenges, and the daily cost guard that protects your AI budget.

Source: https://shopassist.coec.dk/docs/widget/bot-protection · Updated 2026-10-01

Public chat widgets attract bots that try to use your AI for free. ShopAssist protects your store in three layers.

## Abuse scoring [#scoring]

Every chat session gets a score from signals such as automation user agents, missing browser headers, data-center IP ranges, many sessions from one network, repeated identical messages and prompt-injection attempts. A high score triggers a challenge; a very high score blocks the session. Conversations blocked before an AI reply are never billed.

## Challenges [#challenges]

By default the challenge is a **proof of work**: the shopper's browser solves a small puzzle in the background, without cookies or third parties. Under budget pressure the puzzle gets harder.

For stores under repeated attack, use **Cloudflare Turnstile** with your own Cloudflare account:

1. Create a Turnstile widget in Cloudflare for your storefront hostnames.
2. In **Settings → Security → Challenges**, enter the site key and secret (the secret is write-only).
3. Add `https://challenges.cloudflare.com` to your CSP ([Content Security Policy](/docs/widget/content-security-policy#turnstile)).

Cloudflare then processes the challenge as your sub-processor. You can also challenge every new session (**Challenge mode → Always**).

## Cost guard [#cost-guard]

Daily limits per store protect your AI budget (especially with your own key): AI replies, input tokens and, with your own key, an estimated provider cost in USD. You can change them in **Settings → Security**. As usage approaches a limit:

| Daily usage | Effect                                                                 |
| ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 50 %        | Every new session is challenged                                        |
| 80 %        | Harder challenges, shorter context; owners are emailed                 |
| 90 %        | The rest is reserved for verified shoppers and signed-in customers     |
| 100 %       | The assistant pauses until midnight UTC and shows your contact options |

No single network may use more than a fair share of the daily limits, so one attacker can't use up your budget for everyone. Sudden surges in new sessions turn on challenges automatically for an hour.