How To Deal With SPAM Comments and E-mails on Your Blog

For an exceedingly long time, I have been receiving several spam comments on my blog and I didn’t know how to deal with them apart from marking them as spam or deleting them.

This was not until my hosting service provider, sent me a warning that the send e-mail service associated with one of my domains has been disabled. This meant that I could send any e-mails with e-mail addresses created on this domain. e.g connect@cheptiony.com

Here is a screenshot of the e-mail.

Upon my investigation, I realized the spam e-mails was originating from my blog.

I have some knowledge on WordPress. I can do basic edits. But for this case, I couldn’t fix. So, I had to hire a WordPress expert to fix it. It’s cheaper and less stressful.

Read also Don’t Sign Up Everywhere Using Your E-mail and Phone Number. Here’s Why.

The common reasons associated to a Sendmail/SMTP service deactivation are usually the following:

• If account limits are reached,
• Due to mass mailing
• If majority of emails are subject to SPAM content.

In this blogpost, I will be explaining how to deal with spam comments and e-mails.

How Do You Identify Spam Comments and E-mails?

When you post a blogpost on WordPress, you have the choice of either enabling or disabling comments from readers. When you enable, you give readers a chance to comment and share their thoughts about your blogposts.

What many bloggers don’t know is that the comments section of a WordPress blog- when enabled-is vulnerable and subject to spam bot comments.

As a new blogger, you will be thrilled when you receive many comments on your blogposts. Alot of spam comments are positive. The comment authors say how much they were happy to read your posts without particularly pointing on anything you mentioned on the post.

Additionally, if you are keen, you will notice that they carry links to either pornography sites or Viagra affiliate links. This are usually products not in anyway associated with your site. Here is an example of a comment.

Read also Getting Requests on Your Blog for Services? Tips to Ensuring You get Paid After Delivery

What Spam Bots Do

Spam bots are capable of sending mass e-mails through your contact us form on your blog. You can wake up to several e-mails on your inbox from different e-mail addresses but same IP location. These E-mails come with different subject lines e.g ‘Viagra Can Safe your Marriage.’ It’s really annoying if you are person who means business.

So how do you get rid of bots spamming your comments section and sending you spam emails via the contacts form on your website? Here are two easy ways;

Integrate reCAPTCHA

reCAPTCHA uses some simple script to stop spam bots from abusing the comments section of your blogposts. Also, its capable of stopping spam e-mails via the contact form on your blog or site.

Its one of the easiest and common ways to protect your forms from spam abuse. Most CAPTCHA solutions provide an audible version ensuring that even the blind people can complete the action.

Google ReCAPTCHA is a free tool that you can quickly add to your forms. If you are new to WordPress, you can engage a Freelance WordPress expert to help you out.

Integrate HONEYPOT Fields

Honeypot is a field within a form that users don’t see due to Java or CSS script. While legit users can’t see, spambots do. Spambots will search for comment elements like labels and input value. If Honeypot section is filled, the e-mail is marked as spam.

To add honeypot to your blog, again, I suggest you engage a WordPress expert. Alternatively, you can search on YouTube for videos that shows you how to do it.

Its important to note that there are many Freelance WordPress experts out there, who are ready to help you out on this at a price of doughnut and coffee! I mean you can afford to pay one without waiting to save money!

Finally, as a caution, it would help to change your e-mail login passwords and double check where you have your domains mailboxes connected. This is besides performing virus scan on your device to eliminate the possibility of your email account being used to send SPAM.

That’s all from me here.

Do you get spam comments and mass e-mails on your blog? Let me know in the comments section below.

If you need help to produce professional screencast videos, you can request a free quote here. For any other enquiries, send me an e-mail to connect@cheptiony.com.

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