Wordpress Users: How do you combat SPAM?

[bradical1379]

Aside from installing the Akismet Spam plug-in, what are some of your methods of fighting spam in your wordpress comments? I still have an abudnace of spam slip through Akismet, so I am looking for some back-ups to help me save face on my blog.

[vgarcia]

spam comments can't go through if you disable comments

[bradical1379]

spam comments can't go through if you disable comments

Very true. However, I am always open to let an individual speak their mind on the topic at hand. Not SPAM my readers with indecent material.

[Gamermk]

I heard word of using a keyword in comments or something is how Darren @ problogger.net handled it during his big contest give away. You might want to direct this question to him, he probably deals with insane amounts of spam and he's really good about replying to questions.

[iFroggy]

I can't afford Akismet, so I use Auto Moderate Comments, Bad Behavior (with Bad Behavior Log Reader), Simple Trackback Validation and Spam Karma 2.

[bradical1379]

I can't afford Akismet, so I use Auto Moderate Comments, Bad Behavior (with Bad Behavior Log Reader), Simple Trackback Validation and Spam Karma 2.

Akismet is free to use with Wordpress.

[iFroggy]

Hello,

Actually, that wouldn't apply in my case as my blogs aim to generate revenue and I operate them in a network.

http://akismet.com/commercial/

So, I would have to buy an enterprise API key.

http://akismet.com/buy/enterprise/

Right now, we have 2 WordPress blogs, so we're looking at $50 a month. I do plan to convert all of my Nucleus CMS blogs eventually and when I do, I'll have 8 blogs. Once you reach 6, it's $80 a month. Then I'll hit 10 and it'll be $150 a month.

Just not something I can justify right now. Maybe if spam becomes a problem (which it hasn't been for me, yet) and my revenue goes up.

Thanks,

Patrick

[madcap]

Was going to suggest Akismet, but I see you've already tried that.

What about a CAPTCHA system? I don't know if there are plugins out there for this or not, but it shouldn't be too hard to implement.

[edit: Indeed, there are plugins for this - http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugins/Spam_Tools#CAPTCHA ]

[stymiee]

I found a simple captcha to be very effective. If you combine it with askamet you really should have minimal issues going forward.

[Dan Grossman]

Not using common names for the form fields is enough to stop a lot of bots as well.

[danielspencer2]

there is a captcha mod you can get where people have to enter the text they see on the screen to post a comment. yes you will still get a bit of spam,but it would be far less than your getting now.

[ses5909]

Or changing the name of the comment script file as well. Sarah explains how to do it here!

[Dan Grossman]

Maybe my memory's off, but doesn't the comment script file have a check to ensure it's not run directly already?

Unless she used a theme that removed that check or something (I don't think that file's even in the theme?), it was probably renaming her inputs that actually stopped the spam.

[respar]

I use akismet and hold any comment with a link in moderation before I approve it. I rarely get any spam that passes through.

[ses5909]

Maybe my memory's off, but doesn't the comment script file have a check to ensure it's not run directly already?

Unless she used a theme that removed that check or something (I don't think that file's even in the theme?), it was probably renaming her inputs that actually stopped the spam.

I know there is a comments file in each theme usually. I haven't tried this yet though. Her article does say she changed one of the input names. I'll let you know how I fair with just the comment file changed.

[Dan Grossman]

You're right, it's in the theme. This is in WordPress' default theme comments.php:

<?php // Do not delete these lines
        if ('comments.php' == basename($_SERVER['SCRIPT_FILENAME']))
                die ('Please do not load this page directly. Thanks!');

Renaming the comments.php file presumes that people are accessing it directly to submit spam, but this check already prevents that.

[Solidsnake]

Not only in my blog but in my forum, I am having at least 20 registrants daily with .ru emails and I believe they uses robots to register my forum. I tried to hide my forum URL privately but still these registrants slipped through...
Do you think they uses robots to register in blogs or in forums? They are mostly Russians or Romanians I think. Though I selected to moderate all members in my forum and all comments in my blogs, still it's a hard work to delete them daily..

[bdude]

I've had good experiences with Spam Karma 2 if you can't afford Akismet.

[intelligence]

Akismet just work fine for us.

[cpvr]

Can't you just approve the comments before they're added?

[sarahG]

You're right, it's in the theme. This is in WordPress' default theme comments.php:

<?php // Do not delete these lines
        if ('comments.php' == basename($_SERVER['SCRIPT_FILENAME']))
                die ('Please do not load this page directly. Thanks!');

Renaming the comments.php file presumes that people are accessing it directly to submit spam, but this check already prevents that.

The file that is renamed is the wp-comments-post.php file, not the comments.php theme file. This is in the root directory and can be submitted to directly. And on changing the name you can cut down a great deal of spam. Someone who recently did this went from 400 spams a day to just 100, 75% is a good reduction in my book (my own went from 100+ to about 20 a day).

I don't have any input fieldnames changed as it's too much hassle to update on every upgrade.

[Russell_Wagner]

Spam Karma 2 as well as captcha.

[Josh Spaulding]

Thats odd. My blog has been averaging 500 uniques a day, I use Akismet and spam has never slipped through. It does filter some good comments, which I dig out regularly, but I've never seen one spammy comment slip through, other than the occasional manual spam comment, but I just catch them as they come through.

Just be sure to have email notifications turned on and look at each comment.

[Unkn0wnPlayer]

I just use Askimet - and approve new commenters. This catches all of the spam thus far.