Hiding email address from spiders (Full Version)

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stevew -> Hiding email address from spiders (4/15/2004 11:50:06)

I thought I got this hint from an Outfront newsletter, but I couldn't find it in forum searches or my (small) archive of newsletters. So I thought I would re-post this info (if it actually a re-post).

Thanks to all of you who keep in sharing!!!

How To Hide Your Email Address From Spiders
(excerpt from http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol4/design_no21.htm)

1. Use Special HTML Characters

This is the easiest way to thwart the email spiders, but it's also the easiest method for the spiders to detect and compensate for: simply use the "@" character in place of the @ sign in your email addresses.

Put it in your code inside a link or just as a text email address:

quote:

Link: <a href="mailto:news@netmechanic.com">Email Us!</a>

Text email: Email us at: news@netmechanic.com

Since the HTML code doesn't look like a proper email address, the email spider doesn't harvest it. But the browser understands the code and displays it on the page properly. Visitors will be able to send you mail from the linked address if they have their mail client configured to do so. Otherwise, they can cut and paste from your Web page into their mail client to email you.

2. Hide Email Addresses With JavaScript

The special HTML character alone may not do the trick though. Before long, email spiders may be configured to look for it and replace it with the @ symbol. Then you're back with a full inbox of unwanted mail.

So consider using JavaScript to parse the email address components. Be sure to change the variable names to reflect your site and email address! Also, remember to keep the document.write statement on one line in your HTML code to avoid getting a JavaScript error message on your Web page.

Place the script in the BODY section of your document.


quote:

<p>Send your comments and questions to our

<script language=javascript>

<!--

var contact = "Newsletter Editor"

var email = "news"

var emailHost = "netmechanic.com"

document.write("<a href=" + "mail" + "to:" + email + "@" + emailHost+ ">" + contact + "</a>" + ".")

//-->

</script>

</p>



linladen -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/8/2004 4:02:34)

Hello stevew,
I think it is possible to program a spider such that it identifies 'AT' or 'at' and puts '@' at the correct place in the email address of a person. In a similar fashion, i do think that it is possible to put '.' for 'DOT' or 'dot' and
'com' for 'COM' and get the email-address easily.

My suggestions for hiding from web-spiders --->
I think, we have to go in for using Images and over which the Email-Address should be asked and it should be encrypted for the spider's eyes and
should display the actual email address once we move the cursor over that.

We have still sharpen our tricks against spiders.

Regards,
karthik bala guru[8D]



ContentSeed -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/11/2004 21:56:34)

I've had great success at keeping spam out with this:
http://automaticlabs.com/products/enkoderform/

I've found the best way to use the addresses this way (and maintain sanity) is to use them via the frontpage "include page". If you've got a number of different email addresses you can just have them on a number of different pages. then put them into your "regular" pages via the frontpage include content component. If you ever need to change all of the ***@ addresses you can take care of them all by changing just that one file.



jaybee -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/27/2004 13:33:49)

Chris! Hi! So you made it onto Outfront then. Welcome aboard. [:D]

Errrr, no I haven't looked at it yet. [:o]



dpf -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/27/2004 14:07:58)

quote:

(and maintain sanity

Ive yet to learn that technique



jaybee -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/28/2004 5:43:38)

We've noticed. [;)]



tinaalice -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/28/2004 9:15:24)

http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol4/design_no21.htm

The above is the correct link btw, a ) has been caught in the formatting.

Actually using the code for @ will still bring up your email address for spiders.

On the above link it does not actually have the code IN the page so using THEIR code I put it up on a page on a site of mine.
http://frontpage-ebooks.com/email-test.htm now if you use the link in this article I wrote about this matter.

http://accessfp.net/protect-your-email-address.htm

you will be able to see for yourself. In the article I outline how using the above does not work and how using javascript does not make your email accessible to everyone. However there is a way to ensure both. (At this time - bots evolve)

(yes I know the email links on accessfp are not protected I've simply not got around to doing it since I wrote the article)

Let me know if this helps

Tina



Donkey -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/28/2004 10:02:48)

quote:

Actually using the code for @ will still bring up your email address for spiders

What if you used ascii code for all of your email address and also the reversing by css technique described by Gorilla Here?
Would that work?



Giomanach -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/28/2004 10:15:33)

Allow me to step in:

SPAM Harvester bots will scan the page looking for anything in the HTML coding that contains @domain.com - They don't just look for the @ sign.

Using ASCII for this is a good alternate, as is the "reverse text". This won't always work as there are a variety of harvester bots that sit on the SMTP server and in the server itself - often picked up as Viri and removed by the host.

Using Images is not an option, as some of the newer harvesters have superb OCR technologies built in

Using JS is great - provided the user has JS enabled

The best way is to totally ASCII encode the email address...not just the @ sign

</$0.02>

[8|]



tinaalice -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/28/2004 12:35:53)

Precisely. usiing ASCII btw does nothing at all, that can be seen easily too by the bots, try some testing.

Js (at the moment) is the best thing to use however if you want to be accessible use the method I outline in the article.

FrontPage Forms btw show your email address your best using formmail with your host if you can... though you can still use the fp forms wizard or templates to make the form. There is a new fp addon for forms I'm looking at that will probably get the job done in a wysiwyg enviroment as well, I'll add details to the article when I've tested it etc.

Just because bots can't see js now does not mean they won't be able to in the near future though.

btw I like your byline Dan, too true.

Tina



Giomanach -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/28/2004 14:25:41)

Fair enough Tina - but I still believe that ASCII is the best way at the moment for those without advanced knowledge of ASP/PHP/FP - it has never failed me yet for "Form not working" links.

I see your in Stockport....why am I the only one stuck up north? lol



tinaalice -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/28/2004 17:58:43)

Actually that's about four miles away .... we live bordering three counties, I would NOT want to live in Stockport, we live in a mixture of country/town check out http://marple-uk.com (not my site)

I meant the ASCII simply does not work to protect you against the bot seeing your email address, and the simple method to use instead of that and even javascript for a staright link is easy enough, though you do have to place it in the html, though you can do that if necessary with the advanced html box and copy the code and just change to your email addy. Did you read the article on the link? Test out your email links that have ASCII coding with the link I give in the article.

I can't promise easy to use forms like fp forms though, but i've high hopes of this new addon. I've just to to find the time to test it:)

Tina





d a v e -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/29/2004 0:16:22)

i use this
http://www.pinnacledisplays.com/unicode-converter.htm



Donkey -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/29/2004 2:55:28)

quote:

Precisely. usiing ASCII btw does nothing at all, that can be seen easily too by the bots
What about the reverse text css method?



jaybee -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/29/2004 3:52:48)

Why don't you try it out and then run it through the validator Tina mentioned above.

I'm not using reverse css but I've run some of my pages through it and it finds no email addresses whatsoever. [:D]



caz -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/29/2004 5:57:52)

quote:

I see your in Stockport....why am I the only one stuck up north? lol


You are not - both Tina, Nigel and I live in the North West. It's one thing not to know where foreign countries are, but not your own geography.
BTW when I lived in your neck of the woods my home town was described as Chester "-in-theSouth" to differentiate it from Chester-le-Street in Co Durham. Must be something in the water that affects Wearsiders and Teesiders.[;)]

Not really diverting this thread because I too have intentions of using the reverse email+css [Gorilla method] on my next project. Like everything else though, no doubt the clever clogs running email harvesters will catch up with that before long.



Giomanach -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/29/2004 6:26:59)

quote:

Must be something in the water that affects Wearsiders and Teesiders.

Nah....it's the ICI Plant that does it.....[;)]

Best way to defeat SPAM bots is to kill them - of which no-one has decided to make the millions from...hmmm....World Domination Plans begin!



caz -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/29/2004 8:21:20)

quote:

it's the ICI Plant that does it


So that's why you glow in the dark and have meglomaniacal [I think that I made that up...]intentions?

[:D][:D][sm=yikes.gif]



Giomanach -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/29/2004 8:23:39)

YOu could say that...it's all them fumes...they get me going...ya kno?[:D][;)]

But on the other hand...I am about 20 miles away from it...[8|][:-]

I wonder if they get SPAM in the ICI plant....[sm=idea.gif][sm=devil.gif]



tinaalice -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/29/2004 11:35:47)

Ok I missed something there what's the reverse css trick?

Just spent the day (second day) shopping for clothes for my 12 yr daughter - I'm shattered. Roll on Monday and school!

Tina



Donkey -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/29/2004 13:35:52)

reversing by css technique as described by Gorilla Here



jaybee -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/29/2004 13:39:57)

Basically, you type the address in backwards and get cascading style sheets to turn it round the right way.

The thread he posted is HERE



jaybee -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/29/2004 13:41:04)

SNAP!



Donkey -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/29/2004 13:52:15)

quote:

SNAP!
Double or quits?



tinaalice -> RE: Hiding email address from spiders (10/29/2004 18:03:21)

oKKKKY ... I tested the gorilla trick and it sure does work ... weird typing my email addy backwards;) It gives the same result as the method I outlined which means you have to cut and paste the email in order to use it.

On the article I wrote I outlined another little trick, in that you can use the title tag to let your readers know what they have to do, this prevents emails of the sort "You do know your email link is not clickable don't you" and for those that can't take a few extra seconds to cut and paste, did you really need to hear from them?

Best of all both methods are accessible which is preferable to my mind.

Great discussion on this.

Thanks for letting me know about the Gorilla trick.

Tina



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