> For an index of all Botscent documentation, see https://botscent.nibnalin.me/llms.txt.

# Django

Add the server half of Botscent to a Django project and check the install.

Add the server half of Botscent to a Django project. The server half runs as Django middleware and puts the request's own verdict on `request.botscent`. For the page half, see [A script tag](/docs/script-tag), [React](/docs/react), [Vue](/docs/vue) or the page for the framework your site uses.

## Before you start

You need:

* A Django project
* Python 3.11 or later

## 1. Install the package

Install `botscent` from PyPI.

```sh title="Terminal"
pip install botscent
```

With uv or poetry, use `uv add botscent` or `poetry add botscent`.

## 2. Add the server half

In `example/settings.py`, add `botscent.django.BotscentMiddleware` to `MIDDLEWARE`. Keep your existing entries.

```python title="example/settings.py"
MIDDLEWARE = [
    # your existing middleware
    "botscent.django.BotscentMiddleware",
]
```

Every request now carries its own verdict on `request.botscent`.

The middleware works in sync and async middleware stacks.

By default, the middleware does not send the verdict to the page. Django runs at the origin, and an origin cannot see whether a CDN in front of it stores HTML. The `BOTSCENT_TRANSPORT = True` setting turns the sending on. For the details, see [From the server to the page](/docs/server-to-page).

> **Warning:** Do not set `BOTSCENT_TRANSPORT = True` unless no shared cache stores your HTML. If a cache stores an agent's page and ignores `Cache-Control: no-store`, a person can get the agent's `Server-Timing` entry. If you are not sure, keep the default.

## 3. Add the page half

The server half reads only what each request declares. The page half finds agents that operate a browser, from inside the page. The page half comes from the npm package `botscent`.

If Django renders your HTML, add `<script defer src="/botscent.js"></script>` to each template. Serve `node_modules/botscent/dist/botscent.js` at `/botscent.js` from your own origin. If a frontend framework renders your pages, add the page half there instead. The [Quickstart](/docs/quickstart) lists every framework.

## 4. Read the verdict

In a view, read `request.botscent`.

```python title="example/urls.py"
from django.http import JsonResponse
from django.urls import path


def verdict(request):
    return JsonResponse(request.botscent)


urlpatterns = [path("verdict", verdict)]
```

A request from `curl` to `/verdict` gets `{"type": "agent", "agent_name": "curl", "reasons": ["ua.declared-agent-token"]}`.

To give an agent access, use `botscent.is_verified(request.botscent)`. Use no other field for access. See [The trust model](/docs/trust-model).

## 5. Check the install

Start the app. Then run the check against one of its pages.

```sh title="Terminal"
npx botscent check http://localhost:8000/
```

The `page-script` check prints `pass`, and the check exits with code 0. The `server-half` check prints `unknown`, because the transport is off at an origin. If a check fails, see [Verify your install](/docs/verify).

## Next steps

* [The verdict](/docs/verdict): what `type`, `agent_name` and `reasons` mean.
* [From the page to the server](/docs/page-to-server): read a page report with `botscent.read_report`.
* [Server API (Python)](/docs/python-api): every function of the Python package.
* [Django example](https://github.com/nalinbhardwaj/botscent/tree/main/examples/django): the tested Django project.