How location is determined
The module sends the visitor IP address to the configured geolocation provider and receives country and service information. Country results are estimates and can be affected by mobile carriers, corporate gateways, hosting networks, and privacy services.
Geolocation Service
| Setting | Use |
|---|---|
| IP2Location | Commercial API option; enter the provider API key. |
| IPStack | Commercial API option; enter the provider API key. |
| IP-API | Free/limited option; the key can remain blank. Review provider limits and terms before production use. |
| Test Geolocation Service | Checks connectivity and configuration before country enforcement is enabled. |
Country Blocking
| Mode | Effect |
|---|---|
| Block selected countries | Blacklist mode. All countries are allowed except those selected. |
| Allow only selected countries | Whitelist mode. Every country not selected is denied. Use only for sites with a deliberately narrow audience. |
Hold Ctrl on Windows or Cmd on macOS while selecting multiple countries. Test administrator, customer, payment, monitoring, and integration traffic before using allow-only mode.
VPN and Proxy Detection
Check for hidden-address services asks the provider whether the address is associated with a VPN or proxy. The available actions are:
- Log Only: record it without restricting the visitor.
- Flag for Review: mark it for administrator attention.
- Block Immediately: deny access without waiting for core strikes.
Analytics and Reporting
Track Visitor Geographic Data adds country-level totals to Bot Guard dashboards and reports. Include Geographic Data in Email Reports adds a country summary to scheduled messages when Email Notifications and the relevant report are enabled.
Recommended rollout
- Select and test the provider.
- Enable country tracking without blocking.
- Use blacklist mode for a small, clearly justified set of countries.
- Set VPN/proxy handling to Log Only or Flag for Review.
- Review results over several traffic cycles.
- Enable active blocking only after confirming expected customers and operational services remain accessible.
Reset to Defaults
Reset returns module settings to their defaults. Record or export important values before using it; do not use Reset as a substitute for temporarily disabling the module.