Spam Protection in Divi Form Builder

Video Guide

Spam protection is crucial in maintaining the integrity of your forms, preventing bots and automated scripts from submitting unwanted or malicious content. The Divi Form Builder offers several robust options to protect your forms from spam. Below is a detailed guide on how to configure and understand each type of spam protection available in the module.

Overview of Spam Protection Options

The Divi Form Builder provides four main spam protection options:

1. Google reCAPTCHA
2. Basic CAPTCHA
3. Honeypot CAPTCHA
4. Hide Submit Button Until Validation

Each of these options serves a unique purpose and can be customized according to your form's specific needs.

1. Google reCAPTCHA

Google reCAPTCHA is one of the most effective tools for distinguishing between human users and bots. It helps to ensure that only legitimate users are submitting your forms, reducing the risk of spam and automated submissions. This feature is available in two versions: reCAPTCHA v2 and reCAPTCHA v3.

Prerequisites

You need reCaptcha keys to use this feature. If you don't have the keys already for your site, you can generate them here.

reCAPTCHA v2

reCAPTCHA v2 typically requires users to interact with a challenge, such as selecting specific images or clicking a checkbox that states "I'm not a robot." This visible interaction provides a straightforward method for confirming that the user is indeed human.

This version of reCAPTCHA is best used when you want an explicit interaction from users to verify their authenticity. It’s particularly useful in scenarios where you want to ensure that users are paying attention to the form they are submitting.

How to Configure reCAPTCHA v2

1. Open the Form module settings where you want to implement reCAPTCHA v2.
2. Scroll down to the Spam Protection section and click on it to open the settings.
3. Toggle the Add Google reCAPTCHA? option to "Yes".
4. Select reCAPTCHA v2 from the reCAPTCHA Type dropdown.
5. Enter your Google reCAPTCHA Site Key in the provided field.

reCAPTCHA v3

reCAPTCHA v3 operates in the background, analyzing the behavior of users to assign a spam score based on their interactions with your form. Unlike v2, it doesn't require any visible interaction from the user, making the process seamless and unobtrusive.

This version is ideal for forms where you want to minimize friction and maintain a smooth user experience while still ensuring a high level of spam protection. It allows you to set a threshold score, where lower scores indicate stricter spam detection.

tip

For a smoother user experience, consider using reCAPTCHA v3 over reCAPTCHA v2. reCAPTCHA v3 works silently in the background, providing effective spam protection without requiring users to complete additional tasks, making it less intrusive and more user-friendly.

How to Configure reCAPTCHA v3

1. Open the Form module settings where you want to implement reCAPTCHA v3.
2. Scroll down to the Spam Protection section and click on it to open the settings.
3. Toggle the Add Google reCAPTCHA? option to "Yes".
4. Select reCAPTCHA v3 from the reCAPTCHA Type dropdown.
5. Enter your Google reCAPTCHA v3 Site Key and Secret Key in the provided fields.
6. Adjust the Google reCAPTCHA v3 Score to set your desired spam detection sensitivity.

2. Basic CAPTCHA

Basic CAPTCHA provides a simple yet effective way to protect your forms from spam by requiring users to solve a basic math problem, typically an addition equation (e.g., 4 + 11). This type of CAPTCHA is effective because bots typically struggle to interpret and solve even simple arithmetic problems.

This method is especially useful for forms where you want to add a layer of human verification without requiring users to interact with an external service like Google reCAPTCHA. The simplicity of the math problem ensures that it does not significantly impact user experience while still providing effective spam protection.

How to Configure Basic CAPTCHA

1. Open the Form module settings where you want to implement Basic CAPTCHA.
2. Scroll down to the Spam Protection section and click on it to open the settings.
3. Toggle the Add Basic CAPTCHA field? option to "Yes".
4. (Optional) Enter custom instructions or prompts in the Basic CAPTCHA Required Text field to guide users on what to do.

3. Honeypot CAPTCHA

Honeypot CAPTCHA is a more discreet spam protection method that adds a hidden field to your form. This field is invisible to human users but will likely be filled out by bots that automatically complete all fields. If this hidden field is filled, the form submission is flagged as spam.

This approach is particularly effective because it does not require any interaction from the user, making it completely unobtrusive. It’s a good option for adding an additional layer of protection without affecting the user experience.

How to Configure Honeypot CAPTCHA

This option is enabled by default. If you have disabled it, you can enable it by following the steps below:

1. Open the Form module settings where you want to implement Honeypot CAPTCHA.
2. Scroll down to the Spam Protection section and click on it to open the settings.
3. Toggle the Add Honeypot CAPTCHA field? option to "Yes".

4. Hide Submit Button Until Validation

The Hide Submit Button Until Validation feature prevents users from submitting the form until specific validation conditions are met. This helps ensure that the form is only submitted when the correct information is provided, adding another layer of protection against spam.

Field Validation

Field Validation hides the submit button until the user correctly fills out a specific field. This might involve entering or choosing a particular value for a field. It’s an effective way to ensure that the form is being completed by a human and that the correct information is provided before submission.

How to Configure Field Validation

1. Open the Form module settings where you want to implement Field Validation.
2. Scroll down to the Spam Protection section and click on it to open the settings.
3. Toggle the Hide Submit Button Until Validation option to "Yes".
4. Set the Validation Type to "Field Validation".
5. Enter the Field ID to Validate Against.
6. Specify the Validation Answer that users must provide for the submit button to appear.

Time Validation

Time Validation delays the appearance of the submit button until a specified amount of time has passed. This helps to ensure that bots, which typically complete forms almost instantly, are prevented from submitting the form too quickly.

How to Configure Time Validation

1. Open the Form module settings where you want to implement Time Validation.
2. Scroll down to the Spam Protection section and click on it to open the settings.
3. Toggle the Hide Submit Button Until Validation option to "Yes".
4. Set the Validation Type to "Time Validation".
5. Adjust the Time to Wait (seconds) slider to set the desired wait time before the submit button appears.

Conclusion

By leveraging these spam protection features, you can ensure that your forms are secure and that only legitimate submissions are accepted. Choose the method or combination of methods that best suits your needs, balancing user experience with the level of security required. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact support.