Cloudflare was released Precursor, a new bot behavior detection system that tracks mouse movement, typing rate, scrolling, clipboard activity, page visibility, and more throughout the browsing session. 
The system is designed to detect advanced bots that can run JavaScript, use real browsers, and bypass traditional challenges. CAPTCHA.
Cloudflare says that Precursor does not record actual keystrokes and instead studies timing and rhythm.
The company also says that the data is not linked to user identities or permanent profiles.
Precursor is already out and provides a session-level view of website activity, continuously collecting powerful signals from the browser to block unwanted automated traffic with:
- Privacy-centric defense: Designed to protect end-user privacy, Precursor records aggregate behavioral patterns rather than recording specific user inputs. For example, keyboard activity is recorded solely as a timing rate – it never records actual keystrokes.
- Zero-code, one-click setup : Precursor is activated with a single click, automatically allowing Cloudflare to inject a compact, dynamic script that traverses the network, without requiring modifications to the underlying code. The script evaluates dimensions of the interaction path, such as mouse movement, scroll rate, typing rate, clipboard activity, and page view duration.
- A real-time analysis engine: Cloudflare servers instantly decompress telemetry data sent by a user's browser and scan it for signs of fake or computer-generated activity. We then validate whether the interaction streams are rationally mapped to human behavior, such as a cross-reference that cursor activity aligns with page visibility or that text fields are focused during typing.
- Safety measures for the entire duration of the session: Unlike traditional defense challenges that are reset per request, Precursor continuously evaluates the user’s journey through a web application or page. Automated agents cannot reset their behavioral signatures by refreshing a page, allowing defense algorithms to adjust a session’s Bot Score using a complex context.
Although the press releases will range from very select to rare, I said I'd pass...because sometimes the editors hide.
