Getting rid of spam content on your WordPress CMS can sometimes be exhausting. The amount of bots, spammers and ads that can pop up on your blog is seemingly infinite. Even if you monitor your website around the clock, chances are that a few comments and pings will slip by.
Luckily, independent and corporate developers have recognized this issue and have developed countermeasures for WordPress administrators. Anti-spam plugins are dime-a-dozen on the internet, so let’s take a look at the seven best pieces of software that can save you tons of time and energy.
- Akismet
Developed by the developers of WordPress, Akismet is one of the standouts when it comes to anti-spam plugins. What separates Akismet from other similar plugins is the cloud-based structure it employs. Sometimes people will want to actively participate on your website and be registered as spam bots by unknowing plugins.
This is not the case with Akismet since the tool uses a big data repository of spam content, ads and unwanted content as a basis. It compares every bit of interaction from the user’s side on your website and weighs it against its own database. This makes Akismet very accurate as an anti-spam WordPress measure, so you should definitely check it out.
- WangGuard
While active development has stopped on WangGuard, the tool continues to be refined by the WordPress community. It works on a similar principle as Akismet, only with a decentralized big data structure. This means that WangGuard receives over 5,000 new entries for its spam database each day, allowing for quick reaction times.
Installing WangGuard is all you have to do in order for the tool to work its magic. However, if you want custom settings, additional support and premium benefits, you will have to invest in a monthly subscription. WangGuard is a professional anti-spam tool that operates on a cloud database and can ensure the legitimacy and security of your WordPress website.
- AntiSpam by CleanTalk
Combining the best of both worlds, AntiSpam by CleanTalk allows you full control of who can post content on your site. AntiSpam also works on the basis of a cloud server with all the latest spam information available to you. However, what separates AntiSpam is the ability to easily filter users and their content based on IP addresses, email, browser data and other information.
AntiSpam allows for a plethora of custom settings and administrator privileges to ensure the cleanness of your site’s content. Any user-generated piece of content that wants to be uploaded to your site will automatically be vetted by AntiSpam. If the content abides by your rules, it will be posted without a hitch. However, if AntiSpam denies it approval, it won’t even have the chance to be seen by anyone apart from you as the site admin.
- WordPress Zero Spam
For those without knowledge or time to set up their custom anti-spam plugins, Zero Spam provides a good solution. The plugin is designed with ease of use and speed in mind, meaning that it takes very little effort to set it up. This is a good choice of content creators, bloggers and site administrators that want to focus on writing and creating new content instead of tweaking their plugins.
Zero Spam comes with a pre-built setting that is programmed to filter out spam content to allow original writing to stand out. It can also affect false registrations and site access attempts so the WordPress CMS benefits from having it onboard.
- Antispam Bee
Another lightweight anti-spam plugin comes in the form of Antispam Bee, an independently developed tool for spam filtering. What separates Antispam Bee however is the ability to automatically conduct spam purging on your WordPress server. This allows for much quicker load times, more space for original content as well as better ranking with Google’s SERP.
Antispam Bee is a good choice for WordPress beginners and those that don’t need advanced features in their administration activities. The tool is completely free to use and doesn’t feature unwanted ads, which makes it perfect for less tech-savvy WordPress CMS users and bloggers out there.
- WP-SpamShield
This plugin features a two-step authentication feature for regulating spam content. WP-SpamShield was designed in a two-fold manner in order to accommodate both for bots and human spammers. This makes it invaluable to websites with high traffic and a lot of content available such as e-commerce storefronts and news websites.
WP-SpamShield features some form of countermeasure for just about any type of spam content found on WordPress CMS, including contact form fillings, pings, comments and others. All of this is available without any slowdown on the users’ side of things because WP-SpamShield doesn’t have Captcha or other forms of verification. It can distinguish spam content and regular pings from legitimate users without you even noticing it’s there, which makes it a standout on the anti-spam plugin scene.
- Growmap Anti Spambot
Lastly, if spambots are a common occurrence on your CMS, you might want to consider Growmap as your go-to plugin. The tool was built from the ground up with automated spam delivery algorithms in mind. It allows for a number of customization options depending on the severity of the attacks your website is receiving.
While the main attraction of Growmap remains its spambot competency, it can also regulate human spammers. You can easily add checkboxes and Captcha on your comments, contact forms, email subscription fields and other forms. This is a lightweight tool that can appease most of the worries you might have about spam algorithms roaming around the web, so make sure to check it out.
Tools for longevity (Conclusion)
Whichever tools and plugins you choose for your WordPress CMS, make sure not to overdo it. Any additional plugins you add will inevitably start to slow down your website. This can prove troublesome for your overall SEO optimization and client-side access times.
Choose a limited number of small and convenient plugins that can easily be integrated into your already existing workflow. Once you find the perfect anti-spam tool for your needs, your site will receive the much needed breath of fresh air it deserves.
