Troubleshooting Website Contact Form Issues and Spam

Contact forms are essential for visitor communication, but they're also frequent targets for spam and abuse. This guide covers common problems and how to protect your forms.

Protecting Your Form from Spam

Add a CAPTCHA

CAPTCHA challenges verify that a human is submitting your form rather than an automated bot. Most form plugins and builders include built-in CAPTCHA options.

Google reCAPTCHA is the most widely used solution and offers several versions:

• reCAPTCHA v2 – The familiar "I'm not a robot" checkbox
• reCAPTCHA v3 – Invisible verification that scores visitors based on behavior

Other alternatives to reCAPTCHA

• hCaptcha – A privacy-focused alternative that works the same as reCAPTCHA, free plan available
• Cloudflare Turnstile – A privacy-focused alternative that often doesn't require completing a puzzle

Check your form plugin's settings for CAPTCHA options, or consult your plugin's documentation for integration steps.

Use a Honeypot Field

A honeypot is a hidden form field invisible to human visitors but detected by bots. When a bot fills in the hidden field, the submission is rejected. Many form plugins include this as a simple toggle in settings, and it works quietly alongside CAPTCHA for layered protection.

Enable Rate Limiting

Some form plugins allow you to limit how many submissions can come from the same IP address within a set timeframe. This prevents bots from flooding your inbox with hundreds of messages in minutes.

Common Configuration Mistakes

Never Send a Copy to the Sender

Many contact forms offer an option to send the submitter a copy of their message. Disable this feature. Here's why:

Spammers exploit this function by entering a victim's email address in your form along with their spam content. Your server then sends the spam on their behalf, making you an unwitting participant in their campaign. This can result in:

• Your server's IP address being blacklisted
• Your emails landing in spam folders for all recipients
• Potential suspension of your hosting account for sending spam

If visitors need confirmation their message was received, display a thank-you message on screen rather than sending an email.

Validate the Recipient Address

Ensure your form sends messages to a fixed email address defined in your form settings rather than accepting a recipient address from form input. A misconfigured form that allows user-supplied recipient addresses becomes an open relay for spammers.

Require All Essential Fields

Make name, email, and message fields mandatory. Empty or partial submissions are often signs of bot activity and rarely represent legitimate inquiries.

Additional Protective Measures

Use Email Validation

Enable email address validation to ensure the submitted address follows proper formatting. Some plugins can also verify the domain has valid mail records.

Add a Confirmation Checkbox

Require visitors to check a box confirming they agree to your privacy policy or terms before submitting. Bots often skip checkboxes, and this adds a small barrier that stops simple automated scripts.

Consider Time-Based Detection

Some advanced form plugins track how quickly a form is completed. A human typically takes at least several seconds to fill out a form, while bots submit instantly. Forms completed in under two seconds can be automatically rejected.

Keep Everything Updated

Outdated form plugins often contain security vulnerabilities that spammers actively exploit. Regularly update your contact form plugin, theme, and CMS to their latest versions.

What to Do If You're Already Receiving Spam

1. Enable CAPTCHA immediately if not already active
2. Check for the send-a-copy option and disable it
3. Review your mail logs to assess whether your server has been sending outbound spam
4. Update all plugins and software to close potential vulnerabilities
5. Consider temporarily disabling the form if the volume is severe while you implement fixes

When Spam Persists

If you've implemented all these measures and still receive significant spam, consider:

• Switching to a more robust form plugin with better anti-spam features
• Using a third-party form service that specializes in spam prevention
• Adding JavaScript-based form rendering, which some bots cannot process
• Implementing a Web Application Firewall that filters malicious requests before they reach your form

Contact our support team if you need help identifying the source of persistent form spam or configuring your protection settings.