AnIRC bot is a set ofscripts or an independentprogram that connects toInternet Relay Chat as aclient, and so appears to other IRC users as another user. An IRC bot differs from a regular client in that instead of providing interactive access to IRC for a human user, it performs automated functions.

Often, an IRC bot is deployed as a detached program running from a stable host. It sits on anIRC channel to keep it open and prevents malicious users fromtaking over the channel. It can be configured to givechannel operator status to privileged users when they join the channel, and can provide a unified channel operator list. Many of these features require that the bot be a channel operator. Thus, most IRC bots are run from computers which have longuptimes (generally running aBSD derivative orLinux) and a fast, stableInternet connection. As IRC has become popular with manydial-up users as well,shell accounts atshell providers have become popular as a stable Linux server with a decent connection to run a bot from.

Aside from managing channel permissions, a bot can also perform functions such as logging what is posted to an IRC channel, giving out information on demand (very popular in IRC channels dealing with user support), creatingstatistics tracking the channel's top posters and longest-livedlurkers, or hostingtrivia,Uno and other games. These functions are usually provided by scripts, often written in ascripting programming language such asTcl orPerl by the bot's users. Channels dedicated tofile sharing often useXDCC bots to distribute their files.

IRC bots are particularly useful onIRC networks such asEFnet andIRCnet withoutchannel registration services, and on networks likeUndernet orQuakeNet that require conditions to be met (minimum user count, etc.) before a channel may be registered. Where bots are used for administrative functions such as this, they may need more access than a normal client connection allows. Some versions of IRC have a "Service" protocol that allows clients with these extra powers. Such server-sanctioned bots are calledIRC services.

Bots are not always welcome. Some IRC networks forbid the usage of bots. One of the reasons for doing so is that eachnickname connected to the network increases the size of the networkdatabase which is being kept insync across all servers. Allowing for bots in large networks can cause a relevant amount ofnetwork trafficoverhead which needs to be financed and may even lead tonetsplits.^[1][2]

• Basshunter's 2006 song,Boten Anna, is about a female IRC user mistaken for an IRC bot

• Chatterbot
• Comparison of Internet Relay Chat bots

• Documentate the original linux program to do irc bots.

• Chatterbot

• IRC
• IRC bots

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