Exclude all hits from known bots and spiders in Google Analytics

Bot filtering


Learn what bot filtering is and how to exclude all hits from known bots and spiders in Google Analytics.

What is bot filtering?


Bot filtering allows you to disable traffic from bad bots and spiders that can show false information in the Google Analytics data of your websites. Traffic from bad bots and spiders are a big issue for webmasters, website owners, and anyone responsible for keeping an eye on data measured by Google Analytics. Bots and spiders can virtually corrupt a website’s analytical data including the website’s bounce rate and everything else measured in Real-Time, Audience, Acquisition, and Behavior reports. If bot traffic and spammy crawler bots are affecting your website’s analytical data measured by Google Analytics you may not have access to your website’s appropriate data.

Exclude all hits from known bots and spiders in Google Analytics

There are many ways to block bots and referrer spam in Google Analytics by creating exclude filters and using your .htacess file. Google Analytics also has a Bot Filtering feature that allows you to exclude all hits from known bots and spiders in Google Analytics. The Bot Filtering feature and option to exclude all hits from known bots and spiders in Google Analytics is very simple to do.

How to exclude hits from bots and spiders


1. Open your Google Analytics account and go to the Admin tab

2. In the “View” section on the right side of the page select the account you want to use or ensure that the account name is already visible.

exclude all hits from known bots and spiders

3. Click View Settings in the “View” section and scroll down to the Bot Filtering area.

bot filtering google analytics

4. In the Bot Filtering area check the box that says Exclude all hits from known bots and spiders and click the blue Save button below.

This will block known bots and spiders in Google Analytics and protect your data against bad bots and spiders.

Sean Doyle

Sean is a distinguished tech author and entrepreneur with over 20 years of extensive experience in cybersecurity, privacy, malware, Google Analytics, online marketing, and various other tech domains. His expertise and contributions to the industry have been recognized in numerous esteemed publications. Sean is widely acclaimed for his sharp intellect and innovative insights, solidifying his reputation as a leading figure in the tech community. His work not only advances the field but also helps businesses and individuals navigate the complexities of the digital world.

6 Responses

  1. When testing the filter you made the result often shows 0 because GA tests over the past 7 days and not the actual date. Mind that when you install the filter.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Useful information. My sites have been spammed frequently. Thanks for the detailed article!

  3. Andrew Conant says:

    Very good info. I was spammed by the abcdef bot and googled the URL that came up (the lyrics to “Money”, by Pink Floyd). Which led me to your page. Good SEO work!

  1. November 22, 2017

    […] Sean Doyle […]

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