Recon FAQ

Short answers to the questions merchants ask us most. A clone is a copy of your store on another web address: a fake website or copycat store that uses your name, photos and products. A lookalike domain is a web address with a name like yours.

Does Recon take fake sites down?

No. Recon finds clones of your store and prepares the reports to send. You review and send them. The host, the registrar or the browser company then decides whether to remove the site. After you report a clone, Recon checks it on every scan and tells you when it goes offline. See Report a clone of your store.

Can I warn shoppers who land on a clone?

Yes, on some clones. If a clone shows your store’s pages, Recon can add a red bar at the top: "This is not the official [your store name] website." It is off until you turn it on from the clone’s case, and it never shows on your own domains. It does not take the clone down, so keep sending the reports. See Warn shoppers on a clone of your store.

Will Recon slow my store down?

No. Clone detection is a small inline script in your theme. It loads no extra file. On your own store's domains, it stops at once and does nothing. Recon runs its scans on its own servers, not in your store.

Does Recon see my customers' data?

No. Recon does not collect or store your customers' data. Clone detection only acts when your store's code loads on another web address. Then it sends Recon details about that page, such as its address and title, not details about the shopper.

Why has Recon not found any clones?

Often, this is good news: there is no clone of your store right now. Recon keeps watching and tells you if one appears.

Check that clone detection is on. It only catches clones made while it is on. If it is off, the Overview page shows Clone detection is off. See Turn on clone detection in your theme.

Can Recon find every clone?

No. No tool can promise that, and Recon can miss some clones. If you know of a clone that Recon has not listed, email support@recon.bot with the address.

How often does Recon scan?

The Free plan scans every week. The Pro plan scans every day. You can also scan at any time: open Overview and click Run scan. One scan covers every domain Recon watches.

Why does Recon say "Scans are overdue"?

Recon shows this when your last scan is older than it should be: more than 2 days on Pro, or more than 9 days on Free. Click Run scan to scan now. If the message comes back, email support@recon.bot.

What do I do when a scan failed?

If you see Scan failed, or "The scan didn’t finish", click Run scan to try again. A scheduled scan that did not finish runs again later. Recon shows "Recon will try again" in Recent activity on the Overview page. If scans keep failing, email support@recon.bot.

Is a lookalike domain illegal?

Not by itself. Many lookalike domains are parked, unused, or owned by someone with a similar name. A lookalike becomes a problem when it copies your store, sends fake emails as you, or a security service flags it as unsafe. Recon lists lookalikes so you can keep an eye on them. We cannot give legal advice. For a question about your trademark, ask a lawyer. See Lookalike domains.

Recon lists a domain that is mine. What do I do?

Click This is my domain next to it on the Clones page. Recon then stops mentioning it.

A customer bought from a fake site. What now?

1. Ask the customer for the web address of the site, and any order email they got.
2. Tell the customer to contact their bank or card company. They can often dispute the charge.
3. In Recon, open Clones and look for the site. If it is there, open its case and send the reports. If it is not there, email the address to support@recon.bot.
4. Tell your customers your real web address, for example on your home page and social accounts.

Does Recon email me when it finds a clone?

Yes. On the Free plan, new clones go in your summary email. On the Pro plan, Recon also sends a clone alert soon after it finds one, grouped with others found at the same time, and at most one an hour. See Alerts and summary emails.

What does Recon cost?

Recon has a Free plan and a Pro plan. Pro has a 14-day free trial. See Recon Free and Pro plans.

How do I contact support?

Email support@recon.bot. A person reads every email. You can also open Settings in Recon and click Contact support in the Support card.

Related articles

• Getting started with Recon: set up Recon in a few minutes.
• Report a clone of your store: what to do when Recon finds a clone.
• Recon Free and Pro plans: what each plan includes.