How To Block WordPress Contact Form Spam using Honeypot for Contact Form 7

Learn how to block contact form spam in self-hosted WordPress. This guide focuses on using Honeypot for Contact Form 7 to block spam for WordPress websites using Contact Form 7, the popular WordPress plugin. All these methods are free alternatives to spam services such as the paid-version of Akismet.

We’ve tested every solution on WordPress website hosted on Ecenica Managed WordPress.

Problem

  • After publishing your contact form you start receiving spam email through your contact form.

Symptoms

  • Spam emails are being received from your WordPress website.

Cause

  • A person, or script is submitting spam content through your contact form. The form is relaying the message your email address.

Resolution

  • Install Honeypot for Contact Form 7. Honeypot integrates with Contact Form 7 to help prevent spam submissions. It helps prevent spam submissions by catching bots that fill out hidden fields.

To install the Honeypot for Contact Form 7 plugin, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
  3. In the search box, type “Contact Form 7 Honeypot.”
  4. Click the “Install Now” button.
  5. Once the plugin is installed, click the “Activate” button.

To add the Honeypot field to your Contact Form 7, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Contact > Contact Forms.
  3. Click on the form you want to edit (or create a new one).
  4. In the form editor, you’ll see various fields. We’ll add the Honeypot field:
    • Click on the “Honeypot” button.
    • You can now select custom settings. We recommend changing the name of your honeypot to something like “website”. This is an example honeypot tag we use on contact forms
[honeypot website-123 id:website class:website wrapper-id:website validautocomplete:true move-inline-css:true nomessage:true timecheck_enabled:true "website"]
  • Click on the “Insert tag” button.
  • This will insert a Honeypot field into your form looking
    1. Save your form.

That’s it! You’ve successfully added the Honeypot functionality to your Contact Form 7, helping prevent spam submissions. If you encounter any issues or need further assistance, visit Honeypot for Contact Form 7 plugin page.