Comparitech.com provides some helpful information on helpful vs. harmful bots:
Search engine bots: Also known as web crawlers or spiders, these bots are used by search engines to organize and index pages.
Chatbots: These bots are designed to simulate conversations with users, typically answering common questions or guiding users through processes like making appointments.
Monitoring bots: Website admins, IT professionals, and cybersecurity teams utilize monitoring bots to track website performance, uptime, and security threats.
Shopping bots: These bots can help users track prices, find deals, or alert shoppers when an item is restocked. Some automate the process of applying discount codes at checkout.
Notification bots: These are bots that deliver updates like news and weather alerts or sports scores according your preferences. They are often integrated into messaging apps and social media platforms to keep you updated in real time.
Spam bots: These bots flood online spaces with irrelevant content that no one has asked for, often promoting scams or artificially boosting the visibility of specific online content.
Scraper bots: Not all scraper bots are harmful. These are bots that collect content, prices, and other data from websites. These bots become harmful when they take information without permission. They can be used to steal intellectual property or to collect intelligence on a competitor, harming businesses by undermining SEO efforts or duplicating content.
Credential stuffing bots: These bots can be found scanning databases of leaked online credentials, attempting to log in to compromised accounts. Credential stuffing bots look to exploit users who reuse the same passwords across accounts. This can lead to unauthorized access and even identity theft.
DDoS bots: Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) bots are used to flood a website or server with traffic, causing disruptions. Such attacks can not only be financially damaging to a business but can also result in a loss of reputation if the website or services become inaccessible to customers.
Spam or impersonation bots: These bots are most commonly found on social media and messaging platforms pretending to be real users. They may impersonate celebrities or customer service agents, but they can also impersonate every-day users. These bots are looking to deceive users into clicking on malicious links, sharing personal data, or sending money.