Fix Vercel Bot Protection Issues
Resolve issues when MyURLMonitor cannot access your Vercel-hosted websites due to bot protection settings.
The Problem
If your website is hosted on Vercel with bot protection enabled, MyURLMonitor may be unable to access your sitemaps and website content. This happens when Vercel's firewall has:
- •Bot Protection: Set to "On"
- •Managed Rulesets: Enabled
- •AI Bots: Set to "On"
Solution 1: System Bypass Rules (Pro Plan Required)
Best Solution: If you have a Vercel Pro plan or higher, you can create System Bypass Rules to allow MyURLMonitor access while keeping bot protection active.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- 1Access Vercel Dashboard: Go to your project settings in the Vercel dashboard
- 2Navigate to Firewall: Click on "Firewall" in the left sidebar
- 3Create System Bypass Rule: Click "Add Rule" → "System Bypass Rules"
- 4Configure Rule: Add MyURLMonitor's user agent or IP ranges to bypass bot protection
- 5Apply and Test: Save the rule and test MyURLMonitor access
Note: System Bypass Rules are only available on Vercel Pro plans and above. Regular custom rules will not work for this purpose.
Solution 2: Static Subdomain (Free Alternative)
Free Workaround: If you're on Vercel's Hobby (free) plan, you can create a static subdomain to serve your sitemaps without bot protection.
Implementation Steps:
- 1Create Static Subdomain: Set up
static.yourdomain.com - 2Deploy Static Files: Create a separate Vercel project for static content (sitemaps, robots.txt)
- 3Disable Bot Protection: Turn off bot protection only for the static subdomain
- 4Update Sitemap URLs: Point MyURLMonitor to
static.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml - 5Sync Content: Set up automated deployment to keep sitemaps updated
Tip: This approach keeps your main site protected while allowing MyURLMonitor to access essential files for indexing.
Alternative Solutions
Temporary Disable Bot Protection
Temporarily turn off bot protection in Vercel's firewall settings during MyURLMonitor's crawling periods.
Not Recommended - Reduces SecurityWhitelist MyURLMonitor IPs
Contact our support team for MyURLMonitor's IP ranges to whitelist in your firewall.
Requires Pro PlanTesting Your Configuration
After implementing any solution, test MyURLMonitor's access:
- 1. Try accessing your sitemap URL directly in a browser
- 2. Run a test crawl in MyURLMonitor dashboard
- 3. Check for any error messages in the MyURLMonitor logs
- 4. Verify that new URLs are being discovered and indexed
Still Having Issues?
Our support team can help you configure the right solution for your Vercel setup.
