How To Block Pasting To Stop Contact Form Spam
Tags: webdev, javascript, wodpress, beginners
Published: 2024-04-26 07:29:12

There are two ways a spammer can paste something into a field, the keyboard and the context menu. The keyboard paste is most often accomplished using the well known ctrl-v command and the context menu paste is accomplished by pressing right click on the mouse within the field and then selecting paste from the context menu. We need to prevent both if we want to stop spammers from blowing up our inbound forms.

To specifically target textarea fields that have the class wpcf7-textarea (which is commonly used by Contact Form 7), you can adjust the JavaScript snippet to apply only to these textarea elements. Here is the updated JavaScript that includes preventing copy, paste, cut, and disabling the context menu (right-click) actions specifically on textarea fields with the wpcf7-textarea class:

```
<script type="text/javascript">
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
    var textareas = document.querySelectorAll('.wpcf7-textarea');  // Target only elements with the 'wpcf7-textarea' class

    textareas.forEach(function(textarea) {
        // Disable paste into textarea
        textarea.addEventListener('paste', function(event) {
            event.preventDefault();
            alert('Pasting text is not allowed in this field.');
        });

        // Disable cut from textarea
        textarea.addEventListener('cut', function(event) {
            event.preventDefault();
            alert('Cutting text is not allowed in this field.');
        });

        // Disable right-click on textarea
        textarea.addEventListener('contextmenu', function(event) {
            event.preventDefault();
            alert('Right-click is disabled on this field.');
        });
    });
});
</script>

```


##  How to Add This Script to Your WordPress Site

You can add this JavaScript to your WordPress site in a few different ways:

## Via the Theme’s Footer or Header:

Go to Appearance > Theme Editor in your WordPress dashboard.
Locate and open the footer.php file (or header.php as preferred).
Paste the script above just before the closing </body> tag.
Save the changes.

## Using a Plugin:

Install a plugin like "Insert Headers and Footers" from the WordPress plugin repository.
Activate the plugin and go to Settings > Insert Headers and Footers.
Paste the script into the "Scripts in Footer" box to ensure it loads on every page.
Save the changes.

## Best Practices and Considerations:

User Experience Impact: Limiting functionality like copy, paste, and context menu actions can sometimes frustrate users. Evaluate if these measures are necessary for your specific use case or if less intrusive methods could also suffice.
Accessibility: Be cautious that your site remains accessible to all users, including those who may need to use keyboard shortcuts due to disabilities.

## Security Balance:

While these JavaScript interventions can deter casual spammers, they won’t prevent all types of spam. Also consider server-side validation and possibly integrating services like Google reCAPTCHA for more comprehensive protection.
This approach focuses on handling issues through client-side JavaScript, which is helpful for quick fixes but should be part of a broader strategy for managing form security and user interactions on your website.