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Bot scans are QR Code scans triggered by automated software, not real people. Scanova detects these using device type identification and flags them separately as BOT traffic in scan data.

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What are bot scans

When a QR Code’s URL is crawled, previewed, or tested by automated tools, it registers as a scan in analytics. Common sources include:
  • Search engine crawlers indexing the destination URL (for example Googlebot, Bingbot)
  • Security scanners checking URLs for malware or phishing
  • Link preview tools generating previews when a URL is shared on messaging or social platforms
  • Uptime monitors periodically pinging URLs to check availability
  • QR Code testing tools used during campaign setup and quality assurance
Some common examples seen in scan data: Googlebot, AhrefsBot, Semrushbot (SEO crawlers); Twitterbot, Slackbot (link preview generators); Pingdom, UptimeRobot (monitoring tools).

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Impact on scan data

Bot scans inflate the Total Scans count, making it harder to measure real user engagement accurately. For QR Codes deployed on high-traffic pages or shared widely online, bot scans can make up a significant portion of scan data.

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Excluding bot traffic

Scanova provides an Exclude Bot Traffic filter on the Analytics page and in report/email report requests. When enabled, all metrics — including scan breakdowns by date, location, device, and OS — reflect human scans only, giving a cleaner view of actual campaign performance.