New bug fixing release v2.0.3 for BYB | Block You Bots - Bot Protection.

Here is a quick summary of what I changed and improved today:

- Update-safe settings: user/admin settings are no longer overwritten during upgrades (e.g. News Ticker stays OFF if you disabled it); defaults are only added when new keys are missing

- Removed dependency on settings.default.json (defaults can run directly via main.inc.php, making the config folder optional)

- Bot Limits (Tab 4): default limits + stored limits are merged correctly; existing saved values always win; extra/older entries from bot_limits.json are preserved

- Fixed plugin version not updating in Piwigo DB: the plugin header (Plugin Name, Version, etc.) must be the first comment block after

Security Update:
- mproved handling for high-frequency admin/batch workflows (e.g. metadata tools).
- Logged-in admin/webmaster requests are now ignored globally (incl. ws.php/AJAX/plugin endpoints).
- Manual temporary bans (Tab 6) still apply as intended.
- Added Emergency OFF switch for maintenance scenarios.

BYB | Block You Bots – Bot Protection v2.0.0 is out!

The big highlight is a permanent archive with backup & restore, so important data stays available even after resets.
The log section now includes a log analysis showing the Top 15 IPs & User-Agents for a quick overview.
In addition, the Debug tab got a backup/restore feature, plus a few small optimizations here and there.

Minor cosmetic flaw fixed!

Minor bug fixes and improvements.

Bot Protection v1.9.4 – Changes

1. Reduced number of “Unknown Bots”
Improved detection and classification so fewer requests appear as “Unknown”.

2. New Whitelist Statistics
A clear table for allowed bots including date, access count, and newest entries on top.

3. Enhanced Bot Protection
Refined detection rules, more reliable filtering, and improved flood protection handling (HTTP 429).

4. Privacy Protection for _data/bot_protection/
The folder is now secured by a .htaccess file.
If missing, a warning appears and the file can be created automatically with one click.

5. Improved Log Viewer
Blocked requests now appear in a pop-up window.
Unified offset calculation in KB, no PHP warnings, more stable rendering.

6. Top Bot Statistics
New chart/table showing the most frequent bots.

7. Recommended & Approved Bots List
Additional list of recommended bots with default limits and enable/disable options.

8. Improved IP Whitelist & IP Blocks
Allowed IPs and IP ranges are now processed more accurately and consistently.

9. Clearer Notifications for IP Approvals
When allowing or removing IP addresses, the admin receives clear status messages.

10. Extended BYB .htaccess Section
Now includes commented examples, with a pop-up explanation for administrators.

11. New Notification When Unblocking
A clear message appears when BYB rules are removed from .htaccess.

12. UI Improvements (additional)
Small design optimizations, info boxes (e.g., GDPR info for IPs), and more consistent layouts.

BYB – Bot Protection v1.9.1 now available — small bug-fix maintenance update.

Stability & Fixes

- Various minor bugs fixed.
- Improved Bot Detection
- Refined heuristics for “Unknown” and aggressive crawlers.

Log File:
- New “All Requests” section with live update (real-time monitoring).

Whitelist:
- User-Agent whitelist for defined clients.
- rDNS whitelist with reverse-DNS verification.

Small additions/changes added:
- Added dashboard information display
- Added option to manually add temporary bans in Blocked IPs
- News ticker settings

- What changed in version 1.8.1?
- Tab structure updated. All tabs are now separate and more stable.
- New bot signature: The new bot, IbouBot, is now detected and blocked.
- Flood limiter: Improved defaults, fewer false positives.
- Bugfix: Asset path whitelist respected, fewer “Unknown” UAs.
- Feedback form: introduced for quick help.
- Several bugs have been fixed.

- What changed in version 1.8.0?
- Tab structure updated. All tabs are now separate and more stable.
- New bot signature: The new bot, IbouBot, is now detected and blocked.
- Flood limiter: Improved defaults, fewer false positives.
- Bugfix: Asset path whitelist respected, fewer “Unknown” UAs.
- Feedback form: introduced for quick help.
- Several bugs have been fixed.

v1.7.0
Before updating/upgrading Piwigo or BYB Bot Protection, be sure to back up the /_data/bot_protection/ folder.
Compatible with Piwigo 16.0.0beta2 and PHP version 8.4.10
This plugin protects your Piwigo gallery from unwanted bots and crawlers.
It blocks common bad bots, lets you whitelist trusted bots like Googlebot and Bingbot,
and provides detailed logs and statistics.

Copyright © BYB | Block You Bots - www.blockyoubots.com
„Stay human. I block the rest.“

Features:
- Block SemrushBot, AhrefsBot, MJ12bot, DotBot, and more
- Allow Googlebot, Googlebot-Image, Bingbot etc. with daily limits
- IP blocking and referer/cookie checks
- Detailed statistics (bot log, whitelist, visitor stats)
- GDPR compliant (no plain IP storage)

v1.6.0 beta
- New features
- 4 new languages ​​added (Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Polish)
- Compatible with Piwigo 16.0.0beta2 and PHP version 8.4.10
- Admin area optimizations (improved overview, minor bug fixes)
- Improved security and stability

Minor changes, bug fixes, and added Spanish language support.

- Fixed issue with allowed IP addresses

- Fixed issue with allowed IP addresses

This plugin protects your Piwigo gallery from unwanted bots and crawlers.
It blocks common bad bots, lets you whitelist trusted bots like Googlebot and Bingbot,
and provides detailed logs and statistics.

Features:
- Block SemrushBot, AhrefsBot, MJ12bot, DotBot, and more
- Allow Googlebot, Googlebot-Image, Bingbot etc. with daily limits
- IP blocking and referer/cookie checks
- Detailed statistics (bot log, whitelist, visitor stats)
- GDPR compliant (no plain IP storage)