How to Reduce Spam on Your Website Forms

Spam submissions have become more frequent in recent years, largely due to advancements in AI and automation. These unwanted messages can clutter your inbox, waste valuable time, and even pose security risks to your business. While no solution is foolproof, there are effective strategies to minimize spam and keep your website forms clean.

Our Recommended 3-Part Anti-Spam Strategy for WordPress Sites

To significantly reduce spam, we recommend implementing the following solutions:

1. Antispam Honeypot

A honeypot is an invisible field added to your form that only bots can see. Since legitimate users won’t interact with it, any submission that fills out this hidden field is flagged as spam. This simple yet effective technique helps filter out many bot-generated entries.

2. Google reCAPTCHA

Google’s reCAPTCHA adds an extra layer of protection by verifying whether a form submission comes from a human. While it’s a great first line of defense, it’s not always enough on its own against more advanced bots. Most websites can use Google reCAPTCHA for free, and it requires little to no interaction from human visitors. Learn more about Google reCAPTCHA.

3. Akismet Plugin

For an even stronger defense, Akismet offers powerful spam filtering with an impressive 99.99% accuracy rate. It integrates seamlessly with Gravity Forms to block spam before it reaches your inbox, without affecting user experience. Akismet requires a paid subscription (starting at $10/month) for access to its API. Explore Akismet’s pricing.

No Perfect Solution, But a Big Improvement

While these tools won’t eliminate spam entirely (spammers are always evolving), they can drastically reduce the number of unwanted form submissions you receive. By implementing these measures, you’ll save time, protect your inbox, and keep your website running smoothly.

Need help setting up these anti-spam solutions? Contact us, and we’ll make sure your forms are optimized for security and efficiency.