How big can a user agent string get?

Question

If you were going to store a user agent in a database, how large would you accomdate for?

I found this technet article which recommends keeping UA under 200. It does

Answer 1

How's this for big?:

Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 5.1; Trident/4.0; YPC 3.2.0; SearchSystem6829992239; SearchSystem9616306563; SearchSystem6017393645; SearchSystem5219240075; SearchSystem2768350104; SearchSystem6919669052; SearchSystem1986739074; SearchSystem1555480186; SearchSystem3376893470; SearchSystem9530642569; SearchSystem4877790286; SearchSystem8104932799; SearchSystem2313134663; SearchSystem1545325372; SearchSystem7742471461; SearchSystem9092363703; SearchSystem6992236221; SearchSystem3507700306; SearchSystem1129983453; SearchSystem1077927937; SearchSystem2297142691; SearchSystem7813572891; SearchSystem5668754497; SearchSystem6220295595; SearchSystem4157940963; SearchSystem7656671655; SearchSystem2865656762; SearchSystem6520604676; SearchSystem4960161466; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Hotbar 10.2.232.0; SearchSystem9616306563; SearchSystem6017393645; SearchSystem5219240075; SearchSystem2768350104; SearchSystem6919669052; SearchSystem1986739074; SearchSystem1555480186; SearchSystem3376893470; SearchSystem9530642569; SearchSystem4877790286; SearchSystem8104932799; SearchSystem2313134663; SearchSystem1545325372; SearchSystem7742471461; SearchSystem9092363703; SearchSystem6992236221; SearchSystem3507700306; SearchSystem1129983453; SearchSystem1077927937; SearchSystem2297142691; SearchSystem7813572891; SearchSystem5668754497; SearchSystem6220295595; SearchSystem4157940963; SearchSystem7656671655; SearchSystem2865656762; SearchSystem6520604676; SearchSystem4960161466; .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152; .NET CLR 3.5.30729)

Answer 2

My take on this:

• Use a dedicated table to store only UserAgents (normalize it)
• In your related tables, store an Foreign Key value to point back to the UserAgent auto-increment primary key field
• Store the actual UserAgent string in a TEXT field and care not about the length
• Have another UNIQUE BINARY(32) (or 64, or 128 depending on your hash length) and hash the UserAgent

Some UA strings can get obscenely long. This should spare you the worries. Also enforce a maximum length in your INSERTer to keep UA strings it under 4KB. Unless someone is emailing you in the user-agent, it should not go over that length.

Answer 3

Assume the user agent string has no limit on its length and prepare to store such a value. As you've seen, length is unpredictable.

In Postgres, there's a text type that accepts strings of unlimited length. Use that.

Most likely though, you'll have to start truncating at some point. Call it good at a reasonably useful increment (200, 1k, 4k) and throw away the rest.

Answer 4

Noticed something like this in our apache logs. It looks abnormal to me but I regularly see such things in logs mostly from Windows systems.

Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 6.0; Trident/4.0; (R1 1.6); SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; InfoPath.2; OfficeLiveConnector.1.3; OfficeLivePatch.0.0; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET CLR 3.0.30618; 66760635803; runtime 11.00294; 876906799603; 97880703; 669602703; 9778063903; 877905603; 89670803; 96690803; 8878091903; 7879040603; 999608065603; 799808803; 6666059903; 669602102803; 888809342903; 696901603; 788907703; 887806555703; 97690214703; 66760903; 968909903; 796802422703; 8868026703; 889803611803; 898706903; 977806408603; 976900799903; 9897086903; 88780803; 798802301603; 9966008603; 66760703; 97890452603; 9789064803; 96990759803; 99960107703; 8868087903; 889801155603; 78890703; 8898070603; 89970603; 89970539603; 89970488703; 8789007603; 87890903; 877904603; 9887077703; 798804903; 97890264603; 967901703; 87890703; 97690420803; 79980706603; 9867086703; 996602846703; 87690803; 6989010903; 977809603; 666601903; 876905337803; 89670603; 89970200903; 786903603; 696901911703; 788905703; 896709803; 96890703; 998601903; 88980703; 666604769703; 978806603; 7988020803; 996608803; 788903297903; 98770043603; 899708803; 66960371603; 9669088903; 69990703; 99660519903; 97780603; 888801803; 9867071703; 79780803; 9779087603; 899708603; 66960456803; 898706824603; 78890299903; 99660703; 9768079803; 977901591603; 89670605603; 787903608603; 998607934903; 799808573903; 878909603; 979808146703; 9996088603; 797803154903; 69790603; 99660565603; 7869028603; 896707703; 97980965603; 976907191703; 88680703; 888809803; 69690903; 889805523703; 899707703; 997605035603; 89970029803; 9699094903; 877906803; 899707002703; 786905857603; 69890803; 97980051903; 997603978803; 9897097903; 66960141703; 7968077603; 977804603; 88980603; 989700803; 999607887803; 78690772803; 96990560903; 98970961603; 9996032903; 9699098703; 69890655603; 978903803; 698905066803; 977806903; 9789061703; 967903747703; 976900550903; 88980934703; 8878075803; 8977028703; 97980903; 9769006603; 786900803; 98770682703; 78790903; 878906967903; 87690399603; 99860976703; 796805703; 87990603; 968906803; 967904724603; 999606603; 988705903; 989702842603; 96790603; 99760703; 88980166703; 9799038903; 98670903; 697905248603; 7968043603; 66860703; 66860127903; 9779048903; 89670123903; 78890397703; 97890603; 87890803; 8789030603; 69990603; 88880763703; 9769000603; 96990203903; 978900405903; 7869022803; 699905422903; 97890703; 87990903; 878908703; 7998093903; 898702507603; 97780637603; 966907903; 896702603; 9769004803; 7869007903; 99660158803; 7899099603; 8977055803; 99660603; 7889080903; 66660981603; 997604603; 6969089803; 899701903; 9769072703; 666603903; 99860803; 997608803; 69790903; 88680756703; 979805677903; 9986047703; 89970803; 66660603; 96690903; 8997051603; 789901209803; 8977098903; 968900326803; 87790703; 98770024803; 697901794603; 69990803; 887805925803; 968908903; 97880603; 897709148703; 877909476903; 66760197703; 977908603; 698902703; 988706504803; 977802026603; 88680964703; 8878068703; 987705107903; 978902878703; 8898069803; 9768031703; 79680803; 79980803; 669609328703; 89870238703; 99960593903; 969904218703; 78890603; 9788000703; 69690630903; 889800982903; 988709748803; 7968052803; 99960007803; 969900800803; 668604817603; 66960903; 78790734603; 8868007703; 79780034903; 8878085903; 976907603; 89670830803; 877900903; 969904889703; 7978033903; 8987043903; 99860703; 979805903; 667603803; 976805348603; 999604127603; 97790701603; 78990342903; 98770672903; 87990253903; 9877027703; 97790803; 877901895603; 8789076903; 896708595603; 997601903; 799806903; 97690603; 87790371703; 667605603; 99760303703; 97680283803; 788902750803; 787909803; 79780603; 79880866903; 9986050903; 87890543903; 979800803; 97690179703; 876901603; 699909903; 96990192603; 878904903; 877904734903; 796801446903; 977904803; 9887044803; 797805565603; 98870789703; 7869093903; 87790727703; 797801232803; 666604803; 9778071903; 9799086703; 6969000903; 89670903; 8799075903; 897708903; 88680903; 97980362603; 97980503903; 889803256703; 88980388703; 789909376803; 69690703; 6969025903; 89970309903; 96690703; 877901847803; 968901903; 96690603; 88680607603; 7889001703; 789904761803; 976807703; 976902903; 878907889703; 9897014903; 896707046603; 696909903; 666603998903; 969902703; 79680421803; 9769075603; 798800192703; 97990903; 9689024903; 668604803; 969908671903; 9996094703; 69990642703; 97890895903; 977805619903; 79980859903; 88980443803; 98970649603; 997602703; 888802169903; 699907803; 667602028803; 786903283903; 997607703; 969909803; 798809925903; 9976045603; 97790903; 9789001903; 966903603; 9789069603; 968906603; 6989091803; 896701603; 6979059803; 978803903; 997606362603; 88980803; 98970803; 88880921703; 8997065703; 899700703; 698908703; 797801027903; 7889050903; 87890603; 78690703; 99660069703; 97980309903; 976800603; 666606803; 898707703; 79880019803; 66960250803; 7978049803; 88780602603; 79680903; 88880792703; 96990903; 667608603; 87790730903; 98970903; 9699032903; 8987004803; 88880703; 89770046603; 978800803; 969908903; 9798022603; 696901903; 799803703; 989703703; 668605903; 79780903; 998601371703; 796803339703; 87890922603; 898708903; 9966061903; 66960891903; 96790903; 8779050803; 98870858803; 976909298603; 9887029903; 669608703; 979806903; 878903803; 99960703; 9789086703; 979801803; 66960008703; 979806830803; 99760212703; 786906603; 797807603; 789907297703; 96990703; 786901603; 796807766603; 896702651603; 789902585603; 66660925903; 9986085703; 66960302703; 69890703; 789900703; 89970903; 9679060703; 9789002903; 979908821603; 986708140803; 976809828703; 7988082803; 79680997903; 99960803; 9788081903; 979805703; 787908603; 66960602803; 9887098703; 978803237703; 888806804603; 999604703; 977904703; 966904635703; 97680291703; 977809345603; 8878046703; 988709803; 976900773603; 989703903; 88780198603; 87790603; 986708703; 78890604703; 87790544803; 976809850903; 887806703; 987707527603; 79880803; 9897059603; 897709820603; 97880804803; 66960026703; 9789062803; 9867090803; 669600603; 8967087703; 78890903; 89770903; 97980703; 976802687603; 66860400803; 979901288603; 96990160903; 99860228903; 966900703; 66760603; 9689035703; 9779064703; 7968023603; 87890791903; 98770870603; 9798005803; 6969087903; 9779097903; 6979065703; 699903252603; 79780989703; 87690901803; 978905763903; 977809703; 97790369703; 899703269603; 8878012703; 78790803; 87690395603; 8888042803; 667607689903; 8977041803; 6666085603; 6999080703; 69990797803; 88680721603; 99660519803; 889807603; 87890146703; 699906325903; 89770603; 669608615903; 9779028803; 88880603; 97790703; 79780703; 97680355603; 6696024803; 78790784703; 97880329903; 9699077703; 89870803; 79680227903; 976905852703; 8997098903; 896704796703; 66860598803; 9897036703; 66960703; 9699094703; 9699008703; 97780485903; 999603179903; 89770834803; 96790445603; 79680460903; 9867009603; 89870328703; 799801035803; 989702903; 66960758903; 66860150803; 6686088603; 9877092803; 96990603; 99860603; 987703663603; 98870903; 699903325603; 87790803; 97680703; 8868030703; 9799030803; 89870703; 97680803; 9669054803; 6979097603; 987708046603; 999608603; 878904803; 998607408903; 968903903; 696900703; 977907491703; 6686033803; 669601803; 99960290603; 887809169903; 979803703; 69890903; 699901447903; 8987064903; 799800603; 98770903; 8997068703; 967903603; 66760146803; 978805087903; 697908138603; 799801603; 88780964903; 989708339903; 8967048603; 88880981603; 789909703; 796806603; 977905977603; 989700603; 97780703; 9669062603; 88980714603; 897709545903; 988701916703; 667604694903; 786905664603; 877900803; 886805490903; 89970559903; 99960531803; 7998033903; 98770803; 78890418703; 669600872803; 996605216603; 78690962703; 667604903; 996600903; 999608903; 9699083803; 787901803; 97780707603; 787905312703; 977805803; 8977033703; 97890708703; 989705521903; 978800703; 698905703; 78890376903; 878907703; 999602903; 986705903; 668602719603; 979901803; 997606903; 66760393903; 987703603; 78790338903; 96890803; 97680596803; 666601603; 977902178803; 877902803; 78790038603; 8868075703; 99960060603)

Answer 5

Since it's for database purposes and there is no practical limit i'd go for a UserAgents Table with UserAgentId as Int and UserAgentString as NVarChar(MAX) and use a foreign key on the original table.