The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Bots, Fraud, & Other Online Store BS
Sep 16, 2025
Online store owners are facing a surge of bots, with 10x more bots than actual shoppers registered on some sites. Fraudsters are testing stolen credit cards on inexpensive items, leading to urgent discussions about accurate analytics and fraud prevention. The hosts also tackle the absurdity of excessive SEO requests and highlight tools like the Shopify Launch Checklist. Listeners learn about innovative apps like Promo Party and strategies to improve customer engagement, all while navigating the complexities of ecommerce challenges with humor and insight.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Filter Analytics To Reduce Bot Noise
- Different analytics tools filter bots differently so cross-tool comparisons vary widely.
- Filtering Shopify analytics by country and device can improve signal-to-noise for US-focused stores.
AI Lowers The Barrier For Bot Attacks
- AI makes it easier for attackers to generate automation scripts, increasing bot activity.
- Not all bots are malicious; search engine and legitimate AI crawlers are useful and should not be blocked indiscriminately.
ChatGPT Driving Real Orders
- Kurt found orders where the UTM medium showed ChatGPT as the source and those buyers converted.
- ChatGPT's Shopify integration can surface products and drive real revenue for stores.