Bot trading uses automated Steam accounts, called bots, that a marketplace controls. To sell, you send your skin to a bot by trade offer. The site now holds the item and lists it. To buy, you pay the site and a bot sends the item to you. To swap, you send items to the bot and it sends different items back in the same or a follow-up offer.
The advantage is speed and convenience. You do not need to be online when your item sells, and swaps happen in minutes. The trade-off is that your skin leaves your inventory the moment you deposit it, and you depend on the site to pay you or return it.
How do I know a trade bot is legit?
A real marketplace lists its bots and shows the exact account name, avatar and Steam level of the bot that will send you an offer. Compare those details inside the trade window before you accept. Bots also normally have long trade histories and Steam levels above zero.
The API key scam copies bot profiles. If the offer you expected gets cancelled and a duplicate appears from an account with the same name but a different level or profile age, do not accept it. Check steamcommunity.com/dev/apikey for a key you did not create.
What happens to bot trades under CS2 trade protection?
Items you send to a bot are Trade Protected on the bot's side for 7 days, and items a bot sends you are Trade Protected in your inventory for 7 days. That means a bot cannot resell your deposit right away, and you cannot flip an item you bought until the window closes. Some sites price this delay into their fees or payout timing. Compare models at /marketplaces/fees/.
Bot trading is also how many trade-swap sites work, where you exchange several cheap skins for one better one. The site applies a fee, usually a percentage of the value difference. Use the trade profit calculator to see whether a swap actually leaves you ahead.