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For‐Users
This guide explains how the CF7 Spam Checker plugin affects form submissions for end users and website visitors.
The CF7 Spam Checker operates transparently in the background, analyzing each form submission in real-time before it reaches the website administrator. For legitimate users, the experience remains identical to standard Contact Form 7 behavior.
When filling out a contact form with valid information:
- Complete all required fields as indicated
- Click the Submit or Send button
- Receive a success confirmation message (typically: "Your message has been sent successfully")
- The form clears or displays a thank-you message
No additional steps or verification required — the plugin validates submissions seamlessly without user interaction.
If the plugin detects suspicious activity, you may encounter:
- Error Message: "Your submission was blocked by security filters"
- Generic Validation Error: "There was an error trying to send your message. Please try again later."
- Field-Specific Error: Red highlighting on problematic fields (e.g., "Name contains invalid characters")
Scenario: Your IP address has been flagged or manually banned by the site administrator.
Why This Happens:
- Previous malicious activity from your IP range
- Shared IP address (VPN, proxy, public Wi-Fi) previously abused by others
- Accidental inclusion in a subnet ban
Solution:
- Disconnect from VPN/proxy and retry
- Contact the website administrator via alternative channels (phone, social media)
- Provide your IP address for whitelist consideration
Scenario: The site requires specific character sets (e.g., Cyrillic for Russian sites, Latin for English sites).
Why This Happens:
- Entering name in wrong script (Latin name on Russian form, Cyrillic name on English form)
- Mixed-script input (e.g., "John Иванов")
- Using special characters or emojis in name fields
Solution:
- Re-enter name using the appropriate alphabet
- Avoid mixing character sets
- Remove special symbols (★, ♥, emojis) from name fields
Scenario: You submitted the form multiple times in quick succession.
Why This Happens:
- Rapid-fire submissions (clicking Submit repeatedly)
- Refreshing the page immediately after submission
- Testing form functionality excessively
Solution:
- Wait 5-10 minutes before retrying
- Submit the form only once and wait for confirmation
- Clear browser cache if encountering persistent issues
Scenario: Message content triggers SQL injection, XSS, or spam pattern detection.
Why This Happens:
- Using SQL-like syntax:
SELECT,DROP TABLE,UNION - Including HTML/JavaScript tags:
<script>,<iframe>,onclick= - Excessive links or suspicious URLs
- Trigger words associated with spam (adult content, pharmaceuticals)
Solution:
- Avoid technical jargon that resembles code
- Remove HTML formatting from message
- Limit URLs to 1-2 relevant links
- Rephrase message to avoid spam-like language
Scenario: Attached file is rejected during submission.
Why This Happens:
- File extension not permitted (e.g.,
.exe,.bat,.sh) - File size exceeds limit (typically 5-10 MB)
- MIME type mismatch (file renamed with wrong extension)
- Embedded scripts detected in uploaded document
Solution:
- Use standard formats:
.pdf,.jpg,.png,.docx - Compress large files or use cloud hosting links
- Ensure file extension matches actual file type
- Scan file locally for malware before uploading
- Name Field: Use only letters, spaces, hyphens (no numbers or special characters)
-
Email: Standard format (
user@domain.com), no spaces or unusual characters - Message: Plain text without HTML tags or excessive formatting
- VPN/Proxy: Temporarily disable and retry
- Public Wi-Fi: Switch to mobile data or home network
- Browser: Try incognito/private mode to rule out cookie/cache issues
- Allow 10-15 minutes between attempts
- Do not refresh or resubmit during this period
If problems persist, provide the following information:
- Date and Time: When you attempted submission (include timezone)
- Your IP Address: Visit whatismyip.com to retrieve
- Error Message: Screenshot or exact text of the error
- Form Content: What you were trying to submit (without sensitive data)
Example Contact Message:
"Hello, I'm unable to submit the contact form on your website. I attempted submission on January 23, 2026 at 11:00 AM Moscow Time. My IP address is 203.0.113.42. The error message states: 'Your submission was blocked by security filters.' I was submitting a standard inquiry about your services. Could you please assist?"
The plugin may record:
- Your IP address
- Timestamp of submission
- User-Agent string (browser/device information)
- Form field names (NOT field contents for successful submissions)
- Reason for blocking (if applicable)
- Successful submission content (unless explicitly enabled by administrator)
- Personal identifiable information beyond IP address
- Browser history or tracking cookies
- Logs are typically retained for 30-90 days
- Expired ban records are automatically purged
- Whitelisted IPs may be stored indefinitely
Q: Why was my submission blocked even though I provided valid information? A: False positives can occur due to overly strict filters. Contact the site administrator to review your case and potentially whitelist your IP.
Q: Will I be permanently banned after one blocked attempt? A: No. Bans are typically temporary (1 hour to 1 month) unless repeated malicious behavior is detected or an administrator manually applies a permanent ban.
Q: Can I request removal from the ban list? A: Yes. Contact the site administrator with your IP address and explanation. Legitimate users are typically unbanned promptly.
Q: Does the plugin work with CAPTCHA or reCAPTCHA? A: Yes. The plugin operates independently and complements other anti-spam measures like CAPTCHA.
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