Node.js Core Bot Protection Module

Core

Node.js Core

BotBye! core module for Node.js — the low-level building block used by all BotBye framework integrations.

Use this package when no framework-specific integration is available for your environment, or when you need full control over how request information is passed to the SDK.

For most use cases, prefer a framework-specific package:

@botbye/node-http — Node.js http module
@botbye/express — Express
@botbye/fastify — Fastify
@botbye/cloudflare-worker — Cloudflare Workers
@botbye/nextjs — Next.js
@botbye/nuxt — Nuxt

Install

npm i @botbye/node-core

yarn add @botbye/node-core

Configuration

@botbye/node-core does not export init and evaluate directly. Call moduleApiFactory to create an SDK instance:

import { moduleApiFactory } from "@botbye/node-core";
import { nodeHttpClient } from "@botbye/node-core/node-http-client";

const { init, evaluate, dev } = moduleApiFactory({
  httpClient: nodeHttpClient,
});

init({
  // Use your project server-key
  serverKey: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
});

Call init once at application startup, before any calls to evaluate.

moduleApiFactory options

Option	Type	Required	Description
httpClient	THttpClient	Yes	HTTP client used for API calls.
requestInfoExtractor	(request: R, global: TGlobalOptions) => TRequestInfo	No	Converts a custom request object into request info, enabling { request: R } in evaluate.
url	string	No	Override BotBye API endpoint. Can also be set via init.

HTTP clients

Two built-in HTTP clients are available:

Import path	When to use
@botbye/node-core/node-http-client	Standard Node.js environments (uses built-in http/https)
@botbye/node-core/fetch-http-client	Runtimes with the Fetch API (Deno, Bun, edge runtimes)

If neither fits (custom proxy, special auth headers, retry logic), implement the THttpClient interface:

import type { THttpClient } from "@botbye/node-core";

const myHttpClient: THttpClient = {
  type: "my-client",
  call(url, init) {
    const controller = new AbortController();
    const result = fetch(url, {
      method: init.method,
      headers: init.headers,
      body: JSON.stringify(init.body),
      signal: controller.signal,
    }).then((r) => r.text());
    return { result, abort: () => controller.abort() };
  },
};

init options

Option	Type	Required	Description
serverKey	string	Yes	Server key from your BotBye project
url	string	No	Override BotBye API endpoint (default: https://verify.botbye.com)
logger.level	"error" "warn" "info" "debug" "log"	No	Log level (default: "info")
logger.logger	TLogger	No	Custom logger instance implementing { error, warn, info, debug, log }
timeouts.evaluate	number	No	Timeout in milliseconds for each evaluate call

Building a custom integration

requestInfoExtractor lets you build a first-class integration for any framework not yet covered by an official package. It bridges the gap between a framework's native request object and the TRequestInfo shape that evaluate needs internally.

What it does:

When requestInfoExtractor is provided, evaluate gains a second calling form: instead of passing fields explicitly, you can pass { request: YourRequestObject }. The extractor is called automatically to derive ip, headers, requestMethod, and requestUri from it.

// Without requestInfoExtractor — explicit fields only
evaluate({ type: "validate", request: { ip, headers, requestMethod, requestUri, token } });

// With requestInfoExtractor — framework request object accepted directly
evaluate({ type: "validate", request: { request: req, token } });

Both forms remain valid side by side. Routes that already pass fields explicitly continue to work.

Token handling:

The extractor may also return a token field (e.g. extracted from a known header). If the caller also passes token in the event, the event's value takes precedence. This lets the extractor provide a sensible default while allowing per-call overrides.

TypeScript:

The generic parameter R on moduleApiFactory<R> flows through to the evaluate signature. Providing requestInfoExtractor is what makes the typed { request: R } form valid:

import { moduleApiFactory } from "@botbye/node-core";
import { nodeHttpClient } from "@botbye/node-core/node-http-client";
import type { Request } from "express";

const { init, evaluate, dev } = moduleApiFactory<Request>({
  httpClient: nodeHttpClient,
  requestInfoExtractor: (req, global) => {
    try {
      return {
        ip: req.ip ?? req.socket.remoteAddress ?? "0.0.0.0",
        headers: req.headers as Record<string, string>,
        requestMethod: req.method,
        requestUri: req.url,
        token: req.headers["x-botbye-token"] as string ?? null,
      };
    } catch {
      global.logger.warn("Failed to extract request info from Express request");
      return { ip: "0.0.0.0", headers: {} };
    }
  },
});

init({
  // Use your project server-key
  serverKey: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
});

// Now evaluate accepts Express Request directly
app.use(async (req, res, next) => {
  const result = await evaluate({
    type: "validate",
    request: {
      request: req,
      // "x-botbye-token" is an example — pass the token from wherever you store it
      token: req.headers["x-botbye-token"] as string,
    },
  });

  if (result.decision === "BLOCK") {
    return res.status(403).json({ error: "Forbidden" });
  }

  next();
});

The global argument passed to the extractor exposes global.logger — use it for warnings when the request object is malformed or unexpected.

Usage

Call evaluate with an event object describing what you know about the request. It returns a promise that resolves to a decision.

async function handleRequest(ip, headers, method, url, token) {
  const result = await evaluate({
    type: "validate",
    request: {
      ip,
      headers,
      requestMethod: method,
      requestUri: url,
      token,
    },
  });

  if (result.decision === "BLOCK") {
    return { status: 403 };
  }

  // proceed normally
}

Without requestInfoExtractor, all request fields must be provided explicitly — there is no framework request object to pass.

There are three event types — validate, risk, and full — each suited for a different layer of your application.

validate — edge-level bot check

Use at the edge — API gateway, route handler, middleware — when you just want to know: was this request made by a bot? No user or domain context needed.

Event fields:

{
  type: "validate";
  request:
    // Option A: custom request object — only available when requestInfoExtractor is configured
    | { request: R; token?: string | null }
    // Option B: explicit fields
    | { ip: string; headers: Record<string, string>; requestMethod?: string | null; requestUri?: string | null; token?: string | null };
  customFields?: Record<string, string>;
}

Pass IP and headers extracted from your runtime's request object.

Option A — passing a framework request object directly — requires requestInfoExtractor to be configured in moduleApiFactory.

The token is a one-time token generated by the BotBye client-side SDK that contains information about the user's device.

Pass whatever the client sent; if no token is received, the decision will be "BLOCK" due to an invalid token.

async function handleRequest(ip, headers, method, url, token) {
  const result = await evaluate({
    type: "validate",
    request: {
      ip,
      headers,
      requestMethod: method,
      requestUri: url,
      token,
    },
  });

  if (result.decision === "BLOCK") {
    return { status: 403 };
  }

  // proceed normally
}

risk — domain-level risk scoring

Use inside services that already know the user: auth, payments, account management, etc. The purpose shifts from "is this a bot?" to "is something suspicious happening for this user?" — credential stuffing, account takeover, account sharing, logins from a new geo.

Event fields:

{
  type: "risk";
  request:
    // Option A: custom request object — only available when requestInfoExtractor is configured
    | { request: R }
    // Option B: explicit fields
    | { ip: string; headers?: Record<string, string>; requestMethod?: string | null; requestUri?: string | null; token?: string | null };
  event: {
    type: string;
    status: "ATTEMPTED" | "SUCCESSFUL" | "FAILED" | "UNKNOWN";
  };
  user: {
    accountId: string;
    username?: string | null;
    email?: string | null;
    phone?: string | null;
  };
  customFields?: Record<string, string>;
  botbyeResult?: string; // if a validate call was made earlier, pass its result.botbyeResult here to link the requests; omit if there was no prior validate
}

event and user are the key fields here — they define what action is being performed and who is performing it, which is what drives the risk score.

ip is equally important: BotBye tracks which IPs access the account to detect patterns like account sharing, credential stuffing, and suspicious geo logins.

Pass it directly as { ip }, or pass a request object via Option A if requestInfoExtractor is configured.

// Inside an auth service, after a login attempt
async function onLoginAttempt({ ip, userId, email, loginSucceeded }) {
  const result = await evaluate({
    type: "risk",
    request: { ip },
    event: {
      type: "login",
      status: loginSucceeded ? "SUCCESSFUL" : "FAILED",
      // "SUCCESSFUL" | "FAILED" | "ATTEMPTED" | "UNKNOWN"
    },
    user: {
      accountId: userId,
      email,
    },
  });

  if (result.decision === "BLOCK") {
    // Lock account, trigger MFA, send alert, etc.
  }
}

Linking validate and risk events

When the same request is evaluated at two layers — for example, once at the edge (type: "validate") and then again inside a domain service (type: "risk") — BotBye can link both events and display them as a single event in the dashboard.

Step 1 — edge layer (gateway, middleware, or entry point): run validate and capture botbye_result:

const edgeResult = await evaluate({
  type: "validate",
  request: {
    ip,
    headers,
    requestMethod: method,
    requestUri: url,
    token,
  },
});
const edgeBotbyeResult = edgeResult.botbye_result;
// Pass edgeBotbyeResult downstream — a request header, function argument, shared context, etc.

Step 2 — domain service (auth, payment, account management): pass it as botbyeResult in the risk call:

const riskResult = await evaluate({
  type: "risk",
  request: { ip },
  event: {
    type: "login",
    status: loginSucceeded ? "SUCCESSFUL" : "FAILED",
  },
  user: {
    accountId: userId,
    email,
  },
  botbyeResult: edgeBotbyeResult,
});

botbye_result is optional in the response — if it is absent, omit botbyeResult and the events will be recorded independently.

full — edge check and domain scoring in one call

Use when you have all context at once: raw request, token, user, and event. A login endpoint is a typical example — it receives the HTTP request and immediately knows the user and outcome.

Event fields:

{
  type: "full";
  request:
    // Option A: custom request object — only available when requestInfoExtractor is configured
    | { request: R; token?: string | null }
    // Option B: explicit fields
    | { ip: string; headers: Record<string, string>; requestMethod?: string | null; requestUri?: string | null; token?: string | null };
  event: {
    type: string;
    status: "ATTEMPTED" | "SUCCESSFUL" | "FAILED" | "UNKNOWN";
  };
  user: {
    accountId: string;
    username?: string | null;
    email?: string | null;
    phone?: string | null;
  };
  customFields?: Record<string, string>;
}

Equivalent to running validate and risk in a single call.

Option A requires requestInfoExtractor.

async function handleLogin({ ip, headers, method, url, token, email, password }) {
  const user = await findUser(email);
  const loginSucceeded = user && (await checkPassword(user, password));

  const result = await evaluate({
    type: "full",
    request: {
      ip,
      headers,
      requestMethod: method,
      requestUri: url,
      token,
    },
    event: {
      type: "login",
      status: loginSucceeded ? "SUCCESSFUL" : "FAILED",
    },
    user: {
      accountId: user?.id ?? "unknown",
      email,
    },
  });

  if (result.decision === "BLOCK") {
    return { status: 403 };
  }

  // proceed normally
}

Response

evaluate always returns a Promise<TEvaluationResult>:

type TEvaluationResult =
  | {
      decision: "ALLOW" | "BLOCK" | "CHALLENGE";
      request_id: string;
      risk_score: number;
      scores: Record<string, number>;
      signals: string[];
      botbye_result?: string;
    }
  | {
      decision: "ALLOW";
      botbye_result?: string;
      error: { message: string };
    };

Check result.decision to decide how to handle the request:

"ALLOW" — request appears legitimate, proceed normally
"BLOCK" — bot or suspicious activity detected, block the request
"CHALLENGE" — uncertain, consider issuing a CAPTCHA, MFA or additional verification step

When the response contains an error field, BotBye could not evaluate the request (e.g. invalid server key). In that case decision defaults to "ALLOW" so that a misconfiguration does not block real users — but you should monitor and fix the underlying error.

Examples of BotBye API responses

Blocked (bot detected):

{
  "request_id": "f77b2abd-c5d7-44f0-be4f-174b04876583",
  "decision": "BLOCK",
  "risk_score": 0.95,
  "scores": { "bot": 0.95 },
  "signals": ["AutomationTool"]
}

Allowed:

{
  "request_id": "f77b2abd-c5d7-44f0-be4f-174b04876583",
  "decision": "ALLOW",
  "risk_score": 0.05,
  "scores": { "bot": 0.05, "ato": 0.02 },
  "signals": []
}

Challenge:

{
  "request_id": "f77b2abd-c5d7-44f0-be4f-174b04876583",
  "decision": "CHALLENGE",
  "risk_score": 0.65,
  "scores": { "bot": 0.65 },
  "signals": ["SuspiciousFingerprint"],
  "challenge": { "type": "captcha", "token": "..." }
}

Invalid server-key:

{
  "decision": "ALLOW",
  "error": { "message": "[BotBye] Bad Request: Invalid Server Key" }
}

Advanced: multiple instances

Use moduleApiFactory to create independent SDK instances (useful when protecting multiple projects from one service):

import { moduleApiFactory } from "@botbye/node-core";
import { nodeHttpClient } from "@botbye/node-core/node-http-client";

const sdkA = moduleApiFactory({ httpClient: nodeHttpClient });
const sdkB = moduleApiFactory({ httpClient: nodeHttpClient });

sdkA.init({
  // Use your project server-key
  serverKey: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
});

sdkB.init({
  // Use your project server-key
  serverKey: "11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111",
});

Dev utilities

import { moduleApiFactory } from "@botbye/node-core";
import { nodeHttpClient } from "@botbye/node-core/node-http-client";

const { dev } = moduleApiFactory({ httpClient: nodeHttpClient });

// Change log verbosity at runtime
dev.setLoggerLevel("debug"); // "error" | "warn" | "info" | "debug" | "log"