How to block old versions of browsers 2018

Block bad bots and spammers using old browsers

[JamesSC]

I'm new here, so I hope I'm doing this right.

The most definitive article on the web on blocking bad bots and spammers who use old browsers as their user agents that I've been able to find is this Webmasterworld thread from 2012.

[webmasterworld.com ]

But it's now 6 years old, and the browser versions mentioned have changed quite a bit.

More importantly, do Iamzippy, Lucy24 and the others weighing in there then still feel the same way about the same browser versions as they did six years ago, or are they doing things differently now for reasons that have arisen between then and now?

If any then or now are still successfully blocking bad guys by blocking their outdated browser versions, what Regex code is working best for you now, but, more importantly, what is your philosophy of doing this or not?

Thanks,

James

[TorontoBoy]

I don't block by browser version, usually, because there are a vast number of them. I have also not found a list of legit browser versions. I block using user agent, referrer, and lastly IP.

[not2easy]

All "old browsers" aren't necessarily bad guys. you'd be better off learning how to identify unwanted behavior and determining the ideal method to keep them off your sites. Look at your raw access logs and identify behavior, learn to use the various blocking methods and blco the actual bad guys no matter if they claim to be on the most up to date browsers in use.

UA blocking is one method, but you should not necessarily block all old browsers until your data shows that none of your wanted traffic is using them - or unless you plan to offer a continue option on your custom 403 page and don't mind upsetting visitors.

[JamesSC]

Thanks guys.

So I take it the info in the 2012 thread I'm coming from should now be considered obsolete and no longer good practice? It's pretty much the go to reference on Google and several others copy directly from it.

I can see how any misstep in version coding could mistakenly block a bunch of good visitors.

[topr8]

welcome to WebmasterWorld

the most comprehensive info available anywhere online regarding your question is here ...

[webmasterworld.com...]

everything you need to know is in that forum - although you need to make your own choices about what to block

[TorontoBoy]

Have you taken a look at your raw access log?

[ClosedForLunch]

I block old browser versions.

My websites are free to visit but you need to tuck your shirt in and comb your hair if you want to come in.

[lucy24]

Before blocking any browser, study your logs--your actual logs, not analytics--and make sure that NO human is using a browser of that vintage. Watch out for different platforms: a version number that is ludicrously out of date for Windows may be the current version for Linux. The one thing you can safely block is UAs that genuinely cannot occur, like PPC Mac with an OS > 10.5. (I actually looked up the number recently after noticing an absurd number of robots claiming to be on PPC Macs.)

If your sole target audience is the kind of person who religiously buys a new car every other year even when there is absolutely nothing wrong with the old one, your blocking criteria will be different from someone whose target audience includes reservation schools using donated computers from 2003.

Every blocked human--regardless of grounds--is a human who is unable to tell their friends (in person or on social media) how great your site is.

[Leosghost]

My websites are free to visit but you need to tuck your shirt in and comb your hair if you want to come in.

That would block an awful lot of silicon valley coders ( and other coders even millionaires and billionaires who wear T shirts and do not have combed hair ) , the sort who work at Google, facebook Instagram, and the ones from Seattle etc ..But, if your demographic is LDS members from Salt Lake City..it could work for you :)

[lucy24]

As I understood the post, it isn’t sufficient to be well groomed. You also need to be wearing garments that are no more than three years old, made according to a fashion that the site owner deems acceptable.

[JamesSC]

Good advice, all.

I'll dismiss the thread I linked as out of date now and invalid.

Thanks.

[keyplyr]

Hi JamesSC and welcome to WebmasterWorld [webmasterworld.com]

You'll probably gain a better understanding reading this: Blocking Methods [webmasterworld.com]

[tangor]

There is no magic list you can plug and play because what might work for Sam will not work for Joe (or Samantha or Josephine). Your logs will reveal the activity, and the actors, and the UAs that are problematic.

Some things are pretty obvious, and the Spider Ident forum here is a great place to get educated, but even then, you will have to make your own decisions.

[justpassing]

What do you call "old versions of browsers" ? How much "old" ? There are still people out there, using "old" version of Windows for example, on old computers. There is nothing wrong wit this, if you have a computer which allows you to do what you need, there is no need to get a new one. But these old version of Windows do not always support too recent browsers. (I said Windows, but it can be MacOS too of course).

Having your site to render correctly on "old" browsers is another thing.

May be I am wrong but the only thing I block, from an age point of view, is when browsers are trying to connect with the protocol HTTP/1.0, I only accept connections from HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2.

Also I block all browsers which are not support TLS v1.1 (and above).