=== Stop Spammers Classic ===

Contributors: webguyio, kpgraham
Donate link: https://damspam.com/donate
Tags: spam, security, anti-spam, spam protection, no spam
Tested up to: 6.9
Requires at least: 3.0
Requires PHP: 5.0
Stable tag: 2026.3
License: GPL
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html

A simplified, restored, and preserved version of the original Stop Spammers plugin.

== Description ==

[💬 Ask Question](https://github.com/webguyio/dam-spam/issues) | [📧 Email Me](mailto:webguywork@gmail.com)

A simplified, restored, and preserved version of the original Stop Spammers plugin.

🥪 [Buy Me a Sandwich](https://github.com/sponsors/webguyio)

Development for Stop Spammers has slowed down; I recommend switching to [Dam Spam](https://damspam.com/).

🧐 [Why, What Happened?](https://github.com/webguyio/dam-spam/issues/8)

However, rest-assured that if you can't migrate to Dam Spam, I'll still continue making sure that Stop Spammers is safe, stable, and supported.

🛟 [Get Support](https://github.com/webguyio/dam-spam/issues)

== Installation ==

Go to *Plugins > Add New* from your WP admin menu, search for *Stop Spammers*, install, and activate.

OR

1. Download the plugin and unzip it.
2. Upload the plugin folder to your wp-content/**plugins** folder.
3. Activate the plugin from the plugins page in the admin.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= I'm locked out of my admin! =

You'll need to access your site files (most likely via FTP), navigate to */wp-content/plugins*, and rename the */stop-spammer-registrations-plugin* folder by adding a "1" to the beginning. Once you're back in your admin, remove the "1" from the folder name and make sure to add yourself to the Allow List.

= Can I use Stop Spammers with Cloudflare? =

Yes. But, you may need to [restore visitor IPs](https://developers.cloudflare.com/support/troubleshooting/restoring-visitor-ips/restoring-original-visitor-ips/).

= Can I use Stop Spammers with Wordfence (and other spam and security plugins)? =

Yes. The two can compliment each other. However, if you have only a small amount of hosting resources (mainly memory) or aren't even allowing registration on your website, using both might be overkill.

= Can I use Stop Spammers with WooCommerce (and other ecommerce plugins)? =

Yes. But, in some configurations, you may need to go to *Stop Spammers > Protection Options > Toggle on the option for "Only Use the Plugin for Standard WordPress Forms" > Save* if you're running into any issues.

= Can I use Stop Spammers with Akismet? =

Yes. Stop Spammers can even check Akismet for an extra layer of protection.

= Can I use Stop Spammers with Jetpack? =

Yes and no. You can use all Jetpack features except for Jetpack Protect, as it conflicts with Stop Spammers.

= Why is 2FA failing? =

Under *Protection Options*, toggle off the "Check Credentials on All Login Attempts" option and try again.

= Is Stop Spammers GDPR-compliant? =

Yes. [Under most circumstances](https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/28603/how-to-satisfy-gdprs-consent-requirement-for-ip-logging). Stop Spammers itself does not attempt to collect any PII, and collects only the minimum data needed for anti-spam control. However, enabling third-party protections introduces new data collection on external servers that could break GDPR. See the next FAQ.

= What third-party services are used and what data is sent to them? =

There are several optional services you may use that involve sending data to third parties including: [Google reCAPTCHA](https://policies.google.com/privacy), [hCaptcha](https://www.hcaptcha.com/privacy), [2Captcha](https://2captcha.com/privacy-policy), [Spamhaus](https://www.spamhaus.org/privacy-notice/), [Stop Forum Spam](https://www.stopforumspam.com/privacy), [Project Honeypot](https://www.projecthoneypot.org/privacy_policy.php), and [BotScout](https://botscout.com/w3c/privacy.htm). You may wish to read each services' privacy policy to see if you're comfortable using them, but generally speaking, whenever someone for example tries to use a contact form on your website, their IP address, name, and email may be sent to these services to check against spam blocklists.

== Changelog ==

= 2026.3 =
* Fixed issue with the Spam Words list not maintaining phrases

= 2026.2 =
* Improved handling of emails in allow and block lists
* CSRF fixes

= 2026.1 =
* Recommendation to migrate to Dam Spam

= 2026 =
* CSRF fixes

= 2025.5 =
* CSRF fixes
* Fixed crash bug caused by incorrectly added IP ranges

= 2025.4 =
* Cleanup

= 2025.3 =
* Donations needed

= 2025.2 =
* Bug fixes

= 2025.1 =
* Fixes (aggressive escaping breaking stuff)

= 2025 =
* Recovered version, which has been cleaned up

= 2024.7 =
* Previous version, which I still consider safe to use

Credits: Created and maintained by Keith P. Graham (@kpgraham) from 2010-2017. Adopted and maintained by Web Guy (@webguyio) from 2017-2026.