Spam Detection and Protection

Publicly accessible forms are vulnerable to spam, and combating it is difficult due to the ever-evolving tactics of spammers and bots. However, there are various solutions available to minimize the submission of spam or to mark entries as spam. It’s important to note that no single method can catch 100% of spam, and as a result, there are numerous anti-spam techniques and services. For optimal results, it’s recommended to use multiple solutions simultaneously.

Articles

First Steps

Spam is a problem which impacts all publicly accessible forms eventually but there are steps you can take to reduce the amount of spam which is successfully submitted.

A Solutions Guide to Spam Prevention

This article explains how to catch different types of spam, such as bots, disposable email addresses, and gibberish content, with the Gravity Forms features and add-ons best suited to detect or block them.

The Advanced Honeypot

This article explains how the Advanced Honeypot detects and handles spam submissions, and links to related developer filters and troubleshooting resources.

Submission Speed Check

This article explains how the Submission Speed Check, part of Gravity Forms’ Advanced Honeypot, detects spam based on submission timing, and how to choose a threshold and mode that fit your forms.

Integrations And Plugins

This article explains the spam protection and validation options available for Gravity Forms, from official add-ons to third-party plugins.

Resources

This article presents additional complementary solutions for protecting forms from spam beyond dedicated add-ons and plugins.

Troubleshooting Entries Marked as Spam

If entries are being marked as spam but don’t appear to be spam, the steps below can help identify the cause and resolve it.

Reviewing Spam Submissions

The following features are available on the Entries List and Entry Detail pages when entries have been marked as spam by a compatible anti-spam plugin.

Akismet Anti-Spam

Gravity Forms now includes support for the Akismet Anti-Spam plugin within the official Gravity Forms Akismet Add-On