Poshmark bots: What they are and how they work?
What is bot?
A bot (short for "robot") is an automated program that runs over the Internet. Some bots run automatically, while others only execute commands when a user calls them. There are many different types of bots. Some common examples include web crawlers, chat room bots, and automation bots. While most bots are used for productive purposes, some are considered malware since they perform undesirable functions.
What is Poshmark bot?
Poshmark bot is a 3rd party software that automates some parts of working with Poshmark. Most popular types are browser extensions that are mostly available for Google Chrome browsers and Firefox. Browser extensions don’t require your Poshmark account because they work on top of your opened browser tabs and can do anything without your Poshmark credentials.
Other less popular types of bots include desktop software and mobile applications that are also widely available.
Poshmark bots are not made by Poshmark, there is no official Poshmark bot.
How Poshmark bot works?
Here we will analyze the most popular and most common Poshmark bot form – browser extensions.
What are browser extensions?
Extensions are small software programs that customize the browsing experience. They enable users to tailor browser functionality and behavior to individual needs or preferences. They are built using web technologies such as HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. An extension works on top of the browsers, it cannot work alone without it. They are published in official browser extension stores, where they are checked before publication to make sure they are not harmful to users and are not malware.
Poshmark bot logic
The bot finds the share button by reading a web page’s source code and then executes the click command to that button.
And then the same logic in share dialog where it finds the “To My Followers” button and executes the click command to it.
It cycles to all visible share buttons in the web page source code until it reaches the end.
The same logic applies to party sharing and following new accounts.
As you can see, the basic logic is quite simple, but everything else like speed, delay, order, repetition, captcha detection and solving, and other features remains up to each developer. This is why there are so many different Poshmark bots available today.
Security concerns
Browser extensions have access to your entire tab and this means it can read, edit, add, or execute any code it likes. Therefore, it is better to choose a tested and safe Poshmark bot. Never enter your Poshmark account username and password, it is better to choose a Poshmark bot that does not require this information, because you have no control over what it can do.
Forget about free bots, because the only free cheese is in the mousetrap. If it's free for you, then definitely someone else is paying for it. It can collect various data, statistics, and information about the prices of your items, etc. and then sell this data to someone. You get what you pay for; so it's better to pay a fair price and know that your data is safe.
When installing a browser extension, read what permissions it requires. The bot should only require permission to read poshmark.com and poshmark.ca. No other permissions should be required for this, but if they are required, think carefully before using it and maybe try another extension that requires fewer permissions.
Are the bots against Poshmark's terms of service?
We have analyzed all the terms of service available here. And the only point where robots or automation are mentioned is the following:
Intellectual Property Rights
Service Content, Software and Trademarks
…In connection with your use of the Service you shall not engage in or use any data mining, robots, scraping or similar data gathering or extraction methods. Any use of the Service or the Service Content other than as specifically authorized herein is strictly prohibited. The technology underlying the Service (including the Software distributed in connection therewith) is the property of Poshmark, our affiliates and our partners. You agree not to copy, modify, create a derivative work of, reverse engineer, reverse assemble or otherwise attempt to discover any source code, sell, assign, sublicense, or otherwise transfer any right in the Service (including the Software)...
This is about reading and extracting data from the Poshmark web page. And there is no mention here of automating user actions. So the answer to this question is: No, bots are not against Poshmark's terms of service.
But wait there are community guidelines that have a point about automation.
WHAT POSHMARK IS NOT FOR
Automated Participation
Do not use programs or other forms of automation to participate on Poshmark. This includes, but is not limited to liking, sharing, following, and unfollowing.
And a point about penalties -
PENALITIES
Should we find your account to be in violation of any of the above, we may send you an email or take permanent or temporary action on your account privileges.
According to the guidelines, Poshmark bots in the community are not wanted. This is one of the risks you, as a user, have to take if you are thinking of using one of the Poshmark automation tools. Next, let's look at the next question, whether Poshmark can recognize that you're using a bot.
Can Poshmark detect you if you use a bot?
Technically, it is possible for Poshmark to detect any bot, but there is currently no information that they would and/or are working on a solution. Browser extensions are the most secure against detection because they work in the same way as a real user, as you have already seen in the paragraph on how they work. Avoid those bots that offer to work in the background or even work when your computer is not turned on and the Poshmark website is not open, it will be much easier to recognize that they are not real people.
Does the appearance of Captcha tests mean that Poshmark has detected my bot?
You may have come across the Captcha (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) test, which says "I'm not a robot". This does not mean that Poshmark has detected that you are using one of the Poshmark bots, but it is a protection against system abuse and you can get this check without using any bots at all. Most currently available Poshmark bots stop at such a test and give a user a notification, alert, or make an alarm sound. And it will wait for the user to come to the computer and solve the test. But some more advanced Poshmark bots like My Closet Pixie will solve these tests themselves and continue to work without additional user involvement. Ultimately, you can safely leave such bots unattended and focus on other things.
How to find a reliable Poshmark bot?
Try before you buy
Since there are several Poshmark bots available on the Internet, we recommend that you try a few first before deciding. Most have free trials, but be wary of those that require your credit card information. There is a risk that you may forget about the trial and miss the last day to cancel your subscription and the bot may already have withdrawn money from your card. Therefore, before you try a bot that requires credit card information for the trial version, we encourage you to contact the developer and ask exactly how you can unsubscribe. This will let you know if the bot is maintained and there is user support provided. If you do not receive an answer within a few days, then we recommend choosing another Poshmark bot so you don’t have to be worried about losing money. Furthermore, it is safer to choose someone who does not require credit card information during the trial, so you can be sure that you will not face such problems.
Top bots by download count
Here is a list of the most popular Poshmark bots by their number of downloads.
Red flags for Poshmark bots
Which bots should be avoided, in order from most dangerous to least dangerous.
- Requires your Poshmark username and password.
- Not updated for a very long time (more than 3 months).
- Free or very cheap (under $ 10 per month) because they are usually not updated, do not offer customer support, often have a lot of bad user reviews.
- Requires credit card information just to try the tool. If you are really very interested in such a tool, then be sure to write to their customer support before entering credit card details to make sure it is active and maintained.
Summary
Hopefully you have a better understanding about what Poshmark bots are and how they work. This will make it easier for you to decide if you want to use a Poshmark bot and how to find the most suitable bot for your needs. Be safe and do not fall for the free cheese and Happy Poshing.
