• Registered: 2008-11-19
  • Posts: 56

Topic: Read permissions and bots?

IF I disable read permissions forum for guest, can (google) bots still crawl the contents of forum??

If I see another forum like phpbb, I know bots still can crawl the page (I see in the online user)

Thx smile

  • Slavok
  • PunBB Developer
  • Offline
  • From: Russia
  • Registered: 2008-06-11
  • Posts: 1,238

Re: Read permissions and bots?

No, they can't. We think that use of method, like in phpBB, is not secure. It is easy to substitute UserAgent-value in HTML-request

Slavok's Website

  • Registered: 2008-11-19
  • Posts: 56

Re: Read permissions and bots?

Yes I know by changing user agent someone can view the content of forum moreover there is FF's addons to do this.

But this is bad for SEO neutral

Ok thank for answers big_smile

4 Reply by User33 (edited by User33 2008-12-16 17:20)

  • User33
  • PunBB senior member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2008-02-03
  • Posts: 875

Re: Read permissions and bots?

I don't see why it isn't secure. You're just showing guest-viewable content to robots instead of guests.

I think the percentage of people that know how to change their User Agent header isn't high enough to stop you from making your site SEF and, eventually, getting more views.