# AI Shield

<div class="doc-callout doc-callout--info">
  <strong>Why it matters</strong>: AI Shield influences what bots/crawlers see vs real visitors—especially with Direct link, redirects, and analytics.
</div>

<figure class="doc-illustration">
  <img
    src="/images/product/product-marketing-features.png"
    alt="OnLynk marketing page section describing product features relevant to traffic handling"
    width="1440"
    height="900"
    loading="lazy"
    decoding="async"
  />
  <figcaption>AI Shield applies in production on your link pages; layered signals separate automated traffic from real visitors.</figcaption>
</figure>

## Goals

**AI Shield** helps protect your links from automated traffic and reduces platform risk when sharing—especially if you use **Direct link** or redirects.

## How it works (high level)

AI Shield classifies traffic as “likely automated” vs “likely human”. Exact signals evolve over time, but the result is consistent: bots/crawlers are handled more conservatively.

## What happens next

- **Direct link** — Automated traffic is less likely to be forwarded straight to your destination, so crawlers more often see a safer landing-page experience.
- **Geo-restrictions** — Rules still apply, but automation is handled more conservatively than real visitors.
- **Analytics** — Automated traffic is separated so your numbers stay closer to real human behavior.

> **Note:** AI Shield is continuously updated. Focus on outcomes (safer previews and cleaner analytics), not the underlying signals.

## Related

- **[Direct link](https://docs.onlynk.me/features/direct-link/)** — Why landing pages matter alongside bot handling
- **[Page analytics](https://docs.onlynk.me/page-analytics/)** — Reading dashboard metrics