Bluesky reply bot checker
Simon Willison has published a tool called the Bluesky reply bot checker, which examines any Bluesky profile for evidence of a likely reply bot.
Writing about the tool, Willison said automated reply bots had been a persistent problem on Twitter, where his follower count attracts a large number of automated replies, and that they have started appearing on Bluesky as well. He noted that unlike Twitter, Bluesky still offers a freely available and useful API, though he added that the absence of such an API does not slow the bots down, only making investigation more frustrating.
According to Willison, the tool looks for signals including replies posted within seconds of other posts from the same account, and accounts that never post their own content, images or links but instead consistently reply to messages from other users with more followers. It also checks for question marks, which Willison said targets reply bots that prompt him to spend time answering a question no human asked.
Willison said he had Opus 5.5 write the tool using what he described as vibe coding. He tagged the post with twitter, bluesky, vibe-coding and ai-misuse.
Based on reporting from the original publisher. Visit the source for full context and later updates.
Publisher excerpt
Tool: Bluesky reply bot checker Automated reply bots on Twitter are a scourge - as someone with a decent number of followers I attract a swarm of these, such that anything I post there attracts dozens of mindless automated replies. They've started manifesting on Bluesky as well. Unlike Twitter, Bluesky still has a freely available and useful API. The lack of such a thing doesn't slow down the bots, but it does make investigating them a lot more frustrating. So I had Opus 5.5 vibe code this tool , which examines any