What is best practice for hiding mailto from spambots?

Colleen MacDonald

I saw the recent post where one organization is using a javascript to hide their email addresses from spambots. Does this work well? I notice that the email address is still in the source code. Can't spambots pick up email addresses in the code? What is the best way to handle this if you don't want to use a form but need to link directly to the email address?

Thanks,

Colleen

Seamus Leahy

You are correct. If you place an email address as is in the source code, spambots will read it. Some people have obscured the email address in the source code, 'href="mailto:my||spam||mail||at||example||dot||com"', and then with Javascript removed it.

But either way, you will get spam if your email address is public (this includes the address for email list).

Another thought is to use the Convio surveys as a contact form. You can set them up to send an email when they are submitted.

c.stauffer

The survey option is a good, one, but I can send you the code for the javascript.

I'd tried to post the code, but this silly board strips it out, even after I follow the Help documents suggestions.

Drop me an email: c.stauffer @ aicr.org