Preventing Malware and Spam in Form Blocks: A Security Guide
Spam is a common problem for websites using contact forms and newsletter blocks. Here's how to effectively reduce form spam on your site:
Understanding Form Spam Form spam occurs when automated bots crawl the web looking for contact forms and email addresses to send unsolicited content. While it's impossible to prevent all spam, several strategies can significantly reduce it.
Common Signs of Form Spam:
- Random letters and numbers in the Subject field
- Requests to click on "secure payment" links
- Unknown sender names and email addresses
- Suspicious links in message body
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Effective Spam Prevention Methods:
- Google reCAPTCHA
- Invisible tool that distinguishes humans from bots
- Available for forms, newsletters, pop-ups, and restock waitlists
- Shows reCAPTCHA logo at form bottom
- Confirmation Emails
- Use Squarespace or Mailchimp as storage options
- Requires subscribers to verify their email
- Available for newsletters, promotional pop-ups, and cover pages
- Mailchimp uses double opt-in by default
Handling Suspicious Submissions:
- Review each submission carefully
- Don't click suspicious links
- Report spam using the "Report as spam" button
- Watch for automated warning messages at email top
- Use "Report a message as not spam" if legitimately flagged
Email Storage Considerations: When using email storage for forms, submissions come from [email protected]. This doesn't guarantee legitimacy, so exercise caution with all submissions.
By implementing these measures, you can significantly reduce spam while maintaining a functional contact system for legitimate users.
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