How WorkOS Radar's bot detection works

The evolution of bot attacks

Traditional bot detection relied on simple signals: IP addresses, user agent strings, or CAPTCHA challenges.

But modern bots have evolved. They execute JavaScript, handle cookies and sessions like real browsers, rotate through residential IP addresses that look legitimate, and can even solve most CAPTCHAs.

This is why Radar takes a fundamentally different approach.

Fingerprinting: The foundation of detection

At the heart of Radar's bot detection is its device fingerprinting system. Radar analyzes multiple device characteristics when a client attempts to authenticate.

This creates a unique signature that persists even when the bot changes IP addresses or user agents. Think of it like a customs agent checking a passport.

They're not just looking at the photo—they're checking the paper quality, the watermarks, and the UV security features.

Similarly, Radar examines multiple layers of device characteristics that make it difficult for bots to fake consistently.

Classification in action

Once Radar has a device fingerprint, it moves to classification. Rather than making a simple "bot or not" decision, Radar evaluates authentication attempts across multiple dimensions:

• Behavioral patterns: How the client interacts with the authentication system
• Timing analysis: Whether attempts follow human or machine-like patterns
• Consistency checks: How device characteristics and network signals align
• Historical context: How the current attempt compares to known patterns

Radar combines these signals to build a comprehensive risk profile. This allows organizations to have granular control - permitting beneficial automation while blocking malicious bots.

The response pipeline

When Radar detects bot activity, it flows through a decision pipeline:

1. First, Radar checks for trusted patterns (like approved testing infrastructure or internal systems).
2. For other activities, Radar evaluates each detection and can:
   1. Block the authentication attempt
   2. Allow the authentication attempt, but log the detection
   3. Notify administrators or users
   4. Take no action if no suspicious patterns are detected

This configurable response system helps balance security with usability. Not every automated attempt is malicious; organizations can tune their response based on their security needs.

Providing actionable visibility

Unlike traditional security tools that might alert you hours after an attack, Radar captures detailed context with each detection event:

• The device fingerprint details
• Classification signals that triggered
• Geographic information
• Action taken
• Related authentication patterns

This visibility helps you understand that bot activity is happening and how bots are trying to interact with your authentication system.

Try WorkOS Radar today

Modern bots are sophisticated, but they still have to interact with your authentication system in ways that leave unique fingerprints.

Radar's bot detection works by understanding these fingerprints and responding intelligently to different types of automated activity.

It's not about blocking all automation - it's about understanding and controlling how automated systems interact with your auth flows.

Sign up for WorkOS and try Radar today.