As smart as email servers are, you’re always going to get some spam. But there’s one small change you can apply to your website that will at least reduce it. And it’s really easy.
Hide your email address from the bots
The simple bots look for exposed text, like jeff@guideospizza.com. To stop this, simply hide your email behind clickable text.
So instead of displaying jeff@guidospizza.com, display Email Jeff – see how both are clickable, both do the same thing, but the latter doesn’t display the actual email address.
Easy.
Use mailto: to link to an email address
If you’re using a website editor like WordPress, link to an email the same way you’d link to a page, but type mailto: at the start.
So the link I used above was mailto:jeff@guidospizza.com. The mailto: lets your browser know to open an email, instead of a website page.
Other ways to reduce spam
Unfortunately, some spam will always sneak through, but here are a handful of other ways you can reduce it:
- Avoid free email services: Premium email services like Gmail for Business and Office 365 have the best spam filters in place; they’re worth every cent.
- Use a contact form: Instead of publishing your email address on your website, use a contact form.
- Add a filter: Add a reCAPTCHA or a simple spam filter to your website’s contact forms.
- Keep your software up to date: Outdated sites attract spam. Leave software updates to the pros (Phancybox clients are covered).
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Spam might never disappear completely, but with these small changes, you’ll keep most of it out of your inbox and free up your time for the emails that matter. Want more tips like this? Subscribe to our newsletter for more helpful tips and advice.