NovaAct bot

What is NovaAct?

NovaAct is an advanced AI-driven browser automation agent developed by Amazon. It represents a significant advancement in web automation technology, combining natural language processing capabilities with precise web interaction functionality. NovaAct identifies itself in server logs with the user agent string NovaAct, following standard HTTP header conventions while maintaining a consistent identifier across sessions and device types.

This autonomous agent is built on a modified Chromium engine integrated with the Playwright automation framework. NovaAct is designed to perform complex multi-step tasks across websites by breaking them down into sequential actions. Unlike traditional web crawlers, NovaAct can maintain session states across domains, implement error recovery mechanisms, and optimize latency through resource prefetching.

NovaAct exhibits distinctive behavioral patterns that differentiate it from human users, including fewer redundant resource requests, higher API call frequency during form submissions, and consistent timing between page transitions. It can also dynamically resize its viewport to adapt to various device profiles and responsive designs.

Why is NovaAct crawling my site?

NovaAct visits websites primarily to execute automated tasks that would typically require human interaction. This includes filling out forms, navigating multi-page processes, making reservations, and completing e-commerce transactions. Its presence on your site likely indicates that it's performing these operations on behalf of authorized users or services.

The frequency of NovaAct visits depends entirely on the specific tasks it's been assigned. It may appear during high-demand periods for certain services or follow regular scheduled patterns for routine operations. NovaAct is triggered by user requests or scheduled automation workflows rather than indiscriminately crawling content.

In most cases, NovaAct's activities should be considered authorized as it operates with user consent, though website owners may want to monitor its behavior to ensure it aligns with their terms of service and doesn't place undue load on their infrastructure.

What is the purpose of NovaAct?

NovaAct serves as a sophisticated automation platform that enables efficient completion of complex web-based tasks. Its primary function is to streamline processes that would otherwise require manual human interaction, saving time and reducing errors for both users and businesses.

The agent supports various services including data retrieval, form submissions, appointment scheduling, and transaction processing. Information collected during these operations is used specifically for the completion of user-requested tasks rather than general data harvesting.

For website owners, NovaAct can provide value by increasing engagement with their services and reducing friction in user workflows. However, it may also raise concerns about server load, security, and the potential for automated interactions to skew analytics or stress infrastructure.

How do I block NovaAct?

NovaAct respects standard robots.txt directives, making this the recommended first approach for controlling its access to your site. To block NovaAct completely, add the following to your robots.txt file:

User-agent: NovaAct
Disallow: /

To restrict access to specific directories or files:

User-agent: NovaAct
Disallow: /restricted-area/
Disallow: /members-only/
Disallow: /checkout/

The official documentation recommends against blocking NovaAct entirely except in cases of confirmed malicious activity. Instead, consider implementing alternative management strategies such as rate limiting through API gateways or content prioritization using meta tags.

If you choose to block NovaAct, be aware that this may prevent legitimate automated interactions that benefit your users. For instance, if your site offers services that users access through automation tools powered by NovaAct, blocking could disrupt these workflows and potentially impact user satisfaction or conversion rates.

For more granular control, you can implement conditional logic in your server configuration to manage NovaAct's access based on specific criteria like time of day, server load, or request patterns.