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fix: do not send bot user-agent to APIs #1581

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31a commented 2026-03-27 00:21:09 +00:00
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currently continuwuity sends (bot; +https://continuwuity.org) in its user-agent in every request (except URL previews). this can lead to protocol requests (especially those for /.well-known/) being blocked by spam filters, and sending it in protocol requests serves no purpose.

this PR changes the user-agent back to continuwuity/version for all API requests (which is everything excluding external-redirect media downloads and URL previews)

this PR also updates the documentation to show the correct value for the default user-agent for URL previews.

Fixes: #1580

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  • I have written an appropriate pull request title and my description is clear.
  • I understand I am responsible for the contents of this pull request.
  • I have followed the contributing guidelines:
<!-- In order to help reviewers know what your pull request does at a glance, you should ensure that 1. Your PR title is a short, single sentence describing what you changed 2. You have described in more detail what you have changed, why you have changed it, what the intended effect is, and why you think this will be beneficial to the project. If you have made any potentially strange/questionable design choices, but didn't feel they'd benefit from code comments, please don't mention them here - after opening your pull request, go to "files changed", and click on the "+" symbol in the line number gutter, and attach comments to the lines that you think would benefit from some clarification. --> currently continuwuity sends `(bot; +https://continuwuity.org)` in its user-agent in every request (except URL previews). this can lead to protocol requests (especially those for `/.well-known/`) being blocked by spam filters, and sending it in protocol requests serves no purpose. this PR changes the user-agent back to `continuwuity/version` for all API requests (which is everything excluding external-redirect media downloads and URL previews) this PR also updates the documentation to show the correct value for the default user-agent for URL previews. <!-- Example: This pull request allows us to warp through time and space ten times faster than before by double-inverting the warp drive with hyperheated jump fluid, both making the drive faster and more efficient. This resolves the common issue where we have to wait more than 10 milliseconds to engage, use, and disengage the warp drive when travelling between galaxies. --> <!-- Closes: #... --> Fixes: #1580 <!-- Uncomment the above line(s) if your pull request fixes an issue or closes another pull request by superseding it. Replace `#...` with the issue/pr number, such as `#123`. --> **Pull request checklist:** <!-- You need to complete these before your PR can be considered. 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fix: do not send bot user-agent to APIs
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Jade reviewed 2026-03-27 00:23:35 +00:00
src/core/info/version.rs
@ -38,3 +42,4 @@
format!("{}/{} (embedbot; facebookexternalhit/1.1; +{WEBSITE})", name(), version_ua())
}
fn init_user_agent_bot() -> String { format!("{}/{} (bot; +{WEBSITE})", name(), version_ua()) }
Jade commented 2026-03-27 00:23:35 +00:00
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What - URL previews already have their own UA directly above this

What - URL previews already have their own UA directly above this
31a commented 2026-03-27 00:25:31 +00:00
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but external media queries do not. whether downloading random images directly with a user-agent for previews will break anything depends on how exactly facebook uses facebookexternalhit, but 31a decided to just not change the current behavior

but external media queries do not. whether downloading random images directly with a user-agent for previews will break anything depends on how exactly facebook uses `facebookexternalhit`, but 31a decided to just not change the current behavior
Jade commented 2026-03-27 00:28:14 +00:00
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External media is just a federation endpoint.

External media is just a federation endpoint.
forgejo-actions commented 2026-03-27 00:23:58 +00:00
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Please add a changelog fragment to changelog.d/ describing your changes.

<!-- changelog-check-action --> Please add a changelog fragment to `changelog.d/` describing your changes.
Jade reviewed 2026-03-27 00:24:07 +00:00
src/core/info/version.rs
@ -32,4 +36,3 @@
#[inline]
pub fn user_agent_media() -> &'static str { USER_AGENT_MEDIA.get_or_init(init_user_agent_media) }
fn init_user_agent() -> String { format!("{}/{} (bot; +{WEBSITE})", name(), version_ua()) }
Jade commented 2026-03-27 00:24:07 +00:00
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Is there a reason to not include the website?

Is there a reason to *not* include the website?
nex commented 2026-03-27 00:25:27 +00:00
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this can lead to protocol requests [...] being blocked by spam filters

This is not a reason to change metadata - remotes should be configured to not block legitimate traffic.

> this can lead to protocol requests [...] being blocked by spam filters This is not a reason to change metadata - remotes should be configured to not block legitimate traffic.
31a commented 2026-03-27 00:27:39 +00:00
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@nex wrote in #1581 (comment):

this can lead to protocol requests [...] being blocked by spam filters

This is not a reason to change metadata - remotes should be configured to not block legitimate traffic.

31a actually agrees with that, but everyone else seems not to

@nex wrote in https://forgejo.ellis.link/continuwuation/continuwuity/pulls/1581#issuecomment-26815: > > this can lead to protocol requests [...] being blocked by spam filters > > This is not a reason to change metadata - remotes should be configured to not block legitimate traffic. 31a actually agrees with that, but everyone else seems not to
gan commented 2026-03-27 00:28:09 +00:00
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@nex
There's currently no server implementations that have a string "bot" in them, this is also not the common web convention, furthermore I'm not sure what bot would use S2S, so what makes the traffic legitimate in that case?

@nex There's currently no server implementations that have a string "bot" in them, this is also not the common web convention, furthermore I'm not sure what bot would use S2S, so what makes the traffic legitimate in that case?
nex commented 2026-03-27 00:29:46 +00:00
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I'm not sure why other servers are relevant here? Automated programs utilising "bot" is also a common web convention. The bot is the server.

I'm not sure why other servers are relevant here? Automated programs utilising "bot" is also a common web convention. The bot is the server.
Jade commented 2026-03-27 00:30:00 +00:00
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bot means automated, which generally describes all federation traffic

`bot` means automated, which generally describes all federation traffic
gan commented 2026-03-27 00:31:31 +00:00
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That'll be relevant if user would desire to filter bots for whatever reason, and Continuwuity is the only server implementation that will be filtered in that case, furthermore I never saw a server being the "bot" either.

That'll be relevant if user would desire to filter bots for whatever reason, and Continuwuity is the only server implementation that will be filtered in that case, furthermore I never saw a server being the "bot" either.
nex commented 2026-03-27 00:32:44 +00:00
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The server is literally the bot, that is what the server is, an automated program, potentially making autonomous requests. Aka a bot.
Again, remotes should not filter legitimate traffic. This is not a continuwuity problem.

The server is literally the bot, that is what the server is, an automated program, potentially making autonomous requests. Aka a bot. Again, remotes should not filter legitimate traffic. This is not a continuwuity problem.
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