A Spam-Resistant Feedback Form

Automatic form submission spam is a issue website owners need to consider. A reliable means of contact and feedback is essential for business websites.

A visual CAPTCHA is used with many forms to prevent automatic submission. They can be annoying to use, especially for those of us who are colorblind. Visual CAPTCHA sends a message of distrust, as the form user has to prove he or she is human.

This spam-resistant form does not use visual CAPTCHA. Instead, it uses two independent checks for robot submissions.

The spam-resistant form is named Willmaster Feedback. It is a free PHP form and form processing software found at https://www.willmaster.com/software/feedback

Willmaster Feedback replaces the old Master Feedback, which had form hi-jacking protection but no auto-submission protection.

Here is a list of Willmaster Feedback features:

1. No restriction on number or type of form fields that may be in your form except no file upload fields. Willmaster Feedback does not know how to handle file uploads. Use Master Form PHP, instead.

2. Form hi-jacking protection. Spammers can not change the destination of the email because destination addresses are hard coded into the PHP script itself.

3. Two independent form spam checks:

   1. A PHP method. (Always present.)

      The form must be submitted within a certain time window you specify.

      For example, if you specify 3 seconds to 5 hours, the form needs to be submitted at least 3 seconds after it was loaded into the web browser and before 5 hours have elapsed.

      This protects from automatic form submission in two ways:

      1. Live Submission. When automatic form submission robots load a form, they generally fill in the form fields and submit them immediately, within a second. If you require the form to be loaded for 2 or more seconds before submission, those auto-submission attempts are blocked.

      2. Later Submission. Some automatic form submission robots send the form details to the home database. They'll then submit them later, perhaps several times a day, after your form details get put into the queue. If you require the form to be submitted within 12 hours after the form is loaded into the browser, most or all of those auto-submissions can be detected and blocked.

   2. A JavaScript method. (Can be turned off in the PHP source code.)

      Because this is a JavaScript method, the form will fail if the browser is JavaScript-disabled. Should your site visitors include those with restricted or no JavaScript, it may be prudent to turn this off and turn it back on only if an unacceptable amount of form spam comes in.

      This JavaScript method uses robot parsing-resistant code to add parameter data to the form's action URL. If the data is missing, it is assumed to be an automatic submission.

      Spammers' form submission robots rarely run JavaScript. They may try to parse it for URLs, but not run the code itself.

4. The email sent after the form is submitted can be sent to several destinations.

5. The order of the form information printed in the email is customizable.

A feedback/contact form is essential for business websites. Let potential customers with questions contact you.

Willmaster Feedback is free. It is Willmaster quality.

If you need multi-page forms, file uploads, or if you need to store form information in a MySQL database, use Master Form PHP, instead.

Will Bontrager