Dealing with a deluge of spam comments can be one of the worst aspects of running a website or blog. No one likes meticulously clicking through spam comments and deleting them. Not to mention when you accidentally delete a good comment.
Spam can be a huge problem for bloggers. Many bloggers eventually reach a tipping point in the ever-consuming battle with spammers. When you reach this point in your blogging journey, here’s how to stop spam comments for good:
Akismet WordPress Plugin
The first step in defending your blog is the Akismet Wordpress Plugin. This plugin works in a simple fashion. Once you activate the plugin, Akismet runs each and every comment on your blog through their database of spammers and spam comments. Then they tell your website whether or not it is SPAM and take care of it for you! You do not have to do anything!
AVH First Defense Against Spam Plugin
The AVH First Defense Against Spam is a great plugin to add another layer of defense against spammers on your blog. The plugin works by pulling in data from all over the web. Then the AVH plugin determines which spammers have been accessing 100’s of different proxies. When they determine who these spammers are they block these spammers from even accessing your comments whatsoever, eliminating your risk.
The AVH First Defense Against Spam plugin was originally crated for forums, but has proved incredibly useful on blogs as well.
Growmap Anti-Spambot Plugin
Last but not least, the Growmap Anti-Spambot Plugin is one of the best plugins you can install on your blog to ensure you avoid spam. The plugin works by adding a “confirm you’re not a spammer” box to your site when someone tries to comment. The Growmap plugin is meant to stop mass spammers that use software to continually spam various blogs.
The Growmap Anti-Spambot Plugin allows a number of configuration options. While you will want to experiment and find what works best for your blog, there are a few important settings. Make sure to change the check box label. This will eliminate smart bots from getting by your confirm box. Next, you’ll want to change the check box name weekly to stop access to any bots that may have gotten past your defenses in the past.
The Easy Way
Installing these plugins is the easiest way to rid your blog of spammers. If you find these tricks not working for you, then you may want to look into a few coding options. Modifying your .htaccess is not easy like installing a plugin and should be done by a professional.
Not Sure If You Want to Go This One Alone?
Call us and we will have you set up with AKISMET in minutes! Say goodbye to those pesky SPAM comments that are piling up in your inbox!