One of the problems that WordPress users usually face is user registration spam. It is perhaps a major problem that registration enabled WordPress blogs are facing. I don’t know if you have noticed, but many WordPress or BuddyPress blogs that are default enabled registration; have numerous spam users signing up every day.
BuddyPress Transfer Your WordPress into a Social Network Platform
If you are a contributor, you may also get numerous posts for review and most of them will be spam posts. This is very annoying and you may be tempted to shut down your WordPress site. This post will show you how to get rid of spam using a simple yet effective WordPress plugin called WangGuard that offers DDOS mitigation in WordPress.
I have tried other plugins to block spam and automated registration on my blog which led to signing up errors. And even after changing some settings the problem still persisted. That is why I decided to try out this awesome plugin and the results were amazing. Unlike other spam registration blocker plugins, WangGuard plugin uses a totally different approach for DDOS detection to tackle this problem. It has a centralized database where it matches the user registration and if a user belongs to any of the spam criteria mentioned, then registration will fail.
WangGuard database of spam user is extensive and works according to use real-time reporting. If by any chance a spam user registers successfully, you can report that user and with just one click the post will be deleted. The user will also be reported to the database and it will be hard for that spam user to register next time. One fact I need to state is that most spam registration happens automatically using automated software. But WangGuard users are protected from such software. Additionally, this plugin has extensive settings that allow you to block all disposable Emails ids, any top-level domains and so on. It also offers scheduling reporting.
How to configure the WangGuard Plugin
What makes this particular plugin unique is that it requires an API Key which is free for personal use and charges a minimum monthly payment for Blogs with high spam registration. Upon downloading and installing the plugin, you will have to go to WangGuard site and sign up for an account to access your WangGuard API Key. Just add the API key in the settings and it will start working.
It is important to run a complete scan to find old spam user registration, once you have installed and activated Wang Guard plugin. This removes all registered spam users on WordPress and helps to keep your database clean. Once you’ve done all the settings, go to WangGuard > Wizard and start checking your site for previous registration and remove all WordPress user registration spam.
It has two available steps. The first one will report all marked spam users to their server and the second will scan all current registered users. I, however, suggest that you remove all the users manually to ensure no legit user becomes a casualty and is deleted by mistake.
The “Bulk report Sploggers”, allows you to add or remove a user from the WangGuard database. This plugin also has the stats page that allows you to see how many queries it sent to their server and how many spam registration has been blocked. It is free for personal sites, but if you are making more than $100/month, it will charge $5 per month. This fee also applies to sites getting over 500 spam registration in a single day. I think they have a plan of introducing a proper pricing structure in the future. I will settle for this plugin in the meantime as it offers great features compared to other alternatives. After using WangGuard I find it easier to manage registration spam unlike back when I used to delete over 40 spam posts manually on an on a daily basis.
Checkout quick video review on WangGuard
Source: Jose Conti Calveras
Conclusion
Registration and post spam can really weigh you down where you have to keep on deleting them all the time. With WangGuard, you don’t have to go through all this trouble as everything is sorted out for you. All you have to do is sit back and concentrate on creating great content for your WordPress blog. The price is also affordable if you are getting 500+ registration spam daily. Try it out for a great blogging experience.
Here are a few more topics that you shouldn’t miss:
Gravity Forms|WordPress Forms Plugin
EasyWebinar: Best Webinar Platform
Top 4 Free Hosting Providers for Beginners to Learn WordPress
Like this post? Don’t forget to share