Captchas stop bots, but also annoy real visitors, especially on phones. Some give up before sending.
A hidden field (honeypot)
Bots fill every field. A field hidden from people catches them without anyone noticing.
A time check
People need a few seconds to write. A form sent in less than three seconds is a bot.
A limit per visitor
A few messages in ten minutes is plenty for a human; more is a flood.
Validate clearly
A wrong email or an empty message shows an error under the field, and nothing typed is lost.
Keep a copy
Emails can get lost. A copy of each message in the dashboard means you never miss one.
Contactly combines all of this, without captcha. Try the demo and see a contact page that converts.
Frequently asked questions
Is a honeypot enough on its own?
With a time check and a rate limit, it stops almost all form spam.
Is it GDPR friendly?
It uses no third-party service; add a consent checkbox if you need one.
Why do my form emails not arrive?
Use an SMTP plugin with your email provider; messages are still kept in the dashboard.