A page being public does not mean automated software should request it without limits. Responsible monitoring begins by making the crawler identifiable and respecting the access preferences published by the website operator.
What robots.txt does
A robots.txt file gives automated agents instructions about which areas of a site may be accessed. It is not a complete security system, and it does not answer every legal question, but it is a clear operational signal intended for crawlers.
Reading and honoring that file helps site owners understand and control automated traffic without needing to identify every visitor individually.
A crawler should identify itself
Anonymous traffic is difficult for an administrator to evaluate. A descriptive user agent makes it possible to distinguish a known product monitor from other automated requests. EagleLytics uses the name EagleLyticsBot for this reason.
Identification creates accountability. It should be paired with a support path and behavior that matches the product's stated rules.
Restraint belongs in the software
Responsible behavior should not depend on every merchant choosing perfect settings. The product itself should enforce crawl delays, per-domain request limits, and exclusions where the company has decided not to operate.
- Read published crawler rules
- Use a descriptive user agent
- Limit requests per domain
- Slow down after errors
- Stop when a boundary is reached
Responsible crawling improves reliability
Aggressive requests can lead to blocks, unstable results, and unnecessary load for the supplier. Predictable pacing produces a healthier long-term relationship between the monitoring service, merchant, and source website.
This article provides general operational information, not legal or professional advice. Test decisions against your own catalog, supplier terms, and business requirements.