Cleantalk anti-spam for wordpress

CleanTalk anti-spam for WordPress review

We all hate spam.  It invades our mailboxes and also our WordPress sites if not protected.  Spammers can also inject harmful code in the form of comments which can give them access to or allow them to take control of your WordPress website.

Anti- spam plugins

WordPress comes with Akismet installed, a very powerful and long established plugin that works very well to block spam.  It is free for personal use and for business or commercial use costs around $6 per month for a single site.  I have used Akismet for several personal blogs in the past and found it effective, however I discovered an alternative with a nice pricing structure and have been using Antispam by CleanTalk on several client’s’ business sites with great results.  Priced at just $9.99 per year for one site it provides incredible value protection. Pricing for multiple sites is also very affordable.

I hear you saying, how can it be good a that price?
My answer to that is after trialling the plugin on three commercial sites for over a year I found one spam comment got through, but was held in the queue for approval!

Review

One of the nice features of the CleanTalk plugin is that you no longer need a Captcha added to forms or comment boxes. These makes for a more user-friendly experience, and let’s face it, we all get annoyed entering those blurry digits or numbers or solving image puzzles!

The plugin has the following features:

1. Stops spam comments.
2. Stops spam registrations.
3. Stops spam contact emails.
4. Stops spam orders.
5. Stops spam bookings.
6. Stops spam subscriptions.
7. Stops spam in widgets.
8. Check existing comments for spam.

Installation

Installing the plugin is simple using the normal WP plugin installation method.  Once installed and activated, you visit the Cleantalk registration page and after registration is complete you receive an access key by email.

Enter the key by accessing the Admin menu – Settings – Cleantalk. Once entered the anti-spam function is set up and operating. You should then do a test to make sure all is functioning.   This can be done by enter a dummy spam comment on a form or blog post with the test email stop_email@example.com.

You should see a notice – *** Forbidden. Sender blacklisted. ***

You now have a 7 day window to evaluate the plugin before making any payment!

Monitoring Spam and Results

Cleantalk anti-spam for wordpress plugin has a nice interface which is accessible either by going directly to the website and logging in to your account, or conveniently via an icon on the WP Admin…

Once connected to your Cleantalk Panel your stats, logs and settings are available.

Analytics

Analytics shows a period of time which is selectable and the statistics for your sites performance are shown graphically….

Logging

Cleantalk also provide a log of the spam traffic and approved posts which can be viewed.  You can view the details of any blocked or approved message, mark as spam in a case where one slipped through the net, add to a Blacklist or delete the entry…

Firewall Log

 Recently introduced is the firewall log which allows you to see all the IP that have been blocked as known spammers.  If you have never been aware of the amount of spam directed at your site this will certainly surprise you!

Email reporting is also once weekly informing you of the weeks statistics.

Final Thoughts

Is Cleantalk anti-spam for wordpress the one for you.  We foind this plugin is easy to set up, effective and very affordable.  If you haven’t yet given it a try I suggest you take it for a spin for 7 days and see if it comes up to your expectations.

Take a Closer Look at the Features and Pricing

Go to Cleantalk Website