Protect messaging from chat widget spam
2 min read
The chat widget on the Infinity3 Platform now includes automatic spam protection. Suspicious or high-volume bot submissions are detected in the background, flagged for review and, if you choose, paused for outbound SMS and/or email. Flagged contacts are not deleted, so legitimate leads are preserved.
Why it matters
- Prevents unnecessary messaging costs by stopping outbound SMS and/or email to flagged contacts.
- Helps protect SMS and email sender reputation, reducing bounces and delivery issues for real campaigns.
- Keeps suspicious submissions for review instead of deleting them, so legitimate leads are not lost.
- Works without adding CAPTCHA, extra form fields or extra steps for genuine visitors.
How it works
Spam Protection runs automatically and tags flagged contacts with chat_widget_high_volume_flag. Contacts are created normally rather than removed. You can configure the action per chat widget to one of the following:
- Tag Only
- Pause SMS
- Pause Email
- Pause Both
When messaging is paused, the contact activity log records which channel was affected. Only the selected channel is paused, other channels and any existing Do Not Disturb preferences remain unchanged.
How to use it
- Go to Sites > Chat Widget in the Infinity3 Platform.
- Open the chat widget you want to configure.
- Open Spam Protection in the builder sidebar.
- Turn Spam Protection on.
- Select the action to take when a suspicious submission is detected and save your changes.
To review flagged contacts, filter contacts by the chat_widget_high_volume_flag tag. If you expect a large legitimate traffic spike, for example during a major campaign, launch or press announcement, you can temporarily disable Spam Protection for that widget and re-enable it afterwards.
For security reasons, the specific signals and thresholds used to identify suspicious activity are not published. Existing chat widgets have Spam Protection off by default. Newly created widgets have Spam Protection on by default, with Pause Both selected.
Tristan Whittaker
Founder & Director, Infinity3
Tristan Whittaker is the founder and director of Infinity3, with more than 20 years of experience in web design, digital marketing and technology. He works with businesses across the UK to improve their online presence, generate more opportunities and make better use of digital tools, AI and automation.
Combining strong technical knowledge with a practical understanding of how businesses actually operate, Tristan has helped hundreds of organisations create better websites, improve their visibility and simplify the systems behind them. He’s particularly interested in finding sensible ways to use technology to solve real business problems, without unnecessary complexity or jargon.