How to Stop Spam and Porn Bots from Signing Up at Your PHPBB Forum

Spam and spam bots are common to any forum, but heading them off before they start is always beneficial to both the webmaster, and their visitors. Listed in this article are several proven methods to help combat everyday spam at your PHPBB forum.

The first, easiest, and most important method to apply when creating your PHPBB forum is to not place it in the common location. /forum and /forums. Placing your forum in the most expected location makes indexing your forum a breeze. If you place your forum is another location it will prevent the common everyday spam bots from locating your PHPBB forum. Come up with another name for your folder such as: messageboard, msgboard, or even posthere.

If your PHPBB forum is already in place, and being inundated with spam, then you might want to take the next step. The next step requires you have the ability to unzip zip files, have ftp access for uploading and downloading files, and the ability to read and follow directions. If you can do all the above, then lets proceed.

Go to http://www.sumbit.com/downloads/antispam_question.zip and download the file. Upon opening the zip you will find "antispam_question.mod" open this file in notepad. Follow the easy to read step by step directions. I would recommend changing the question and answer to something other then a color though as porn and spam bots are programmed to reply with colors and days of the week.

You need to edit both locations in which the question is posed by default, "what color is a lemon". After you have changed the required sections and uploaded your files, be sure to perform a test, answer the question wrong to see the error response during registration and then answer it correctly and see if you are accepted to your PHPBB forum. This question has decreased the spam bots to zero at all PHPBB forums I operate at.

Another way to discourage spam at your PHPBB forum is to disallow signatures and website listings. Porn bots always place a website when registering. This method is very similar to the above in the respects you must have a zip program, open the file in notepad, and follow directions. Once again I must stress if you are not able to follow directions don't attempt any of this. You need to focus.

Go to http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=373695 and download the zip file. Upon opening the zip file you will discover 3 files. Unless you have applied this scripting before you can ignore the 2 "upgrade" files. Simply follow the directions listed in the "website signature remove" file. Remember open it in notepad.

After you have implemented that, don't be fooled into thinking you are done yet, as you aren't. You will need to download again your :profile_add_body.tpl" file. In that file search for "website". Just under the L_website is "maxlength="255" change that 255 to 0. This will prevent anyone placing anything in that area even when editing their profile. In your admin panel under "General Admin" and "Configuration" and scroll down to "Allow Signatures" mark that "No" then right under that change the maximum signature length to "0." Click submit.

Your spam problems should now be solved.