Hiding e-mail address

best way to hide an e-mail address

[Garrr]

I am wondering what is considered the best way to hide an e-mail address on a web page from spam spiders. I am aware of how to use the document write feature of JavaScript to accomplish this as well as using character codes but I don't know which is considered best. Or if there is an easy third way to hide addresses. Any comments?

[tedster]

My experience with javascript has been excellent. I've heard reports from others that using character codes is not so effective.

[jchampliaud]

I hide my e-mail address buy using an on-line form for people that want to contact me.

[coopster]

Welcome to WebmasterWorld, Garrr.

A method I have found to be very effective is to assign a class to any email address links that I want to use. Then in the anchor <a> element assign a link to your contact form but if the user has JavaScript enabled you can use your own "rebuild the email address using javascipt secret formula" option to alter the "href" attribute ;)

It doesn't have to be anything too terribly fancy, just enough to make it difficult for harvesters to grab.

[larryhatch]

A few sites will convert the email addy from text into an image and present that.
Downside is that legitimate visitors will have to type it in manually, no use clicking on it.
Converting image to a mailto: link will defeat its purpose, it can still be harvested. -Larry

[httpwebwitch]

<script language="javascript">
function hiveware_enkoder(){var i,j,x,y,x=
"x=\"z?$^$^^^^^^^$?z*z427^^^^^^^^^$^^?z?^^?rz8Y3758)z?^$ge)6-58^^^^^^^^^^88" +
"^^^^^^'^^^^^^848^^^^g^^d5w47ef78fh8z9^^^^^$^^uh068568.728*ft847u944e764=6+" +
"lvg49!48e9796;9+?9e;0k94c9xgg9^^^^^^^^9{g5=4^^^^^$^^+4+729*6t9c7j9z6*8n8C4" +
"u40538=6uhd5wez4?:z5q4h4=5vg{4=3+:tev8)4?d=8i3*8t8z7>5k4?5k;*9vd+8)22^^^^^" +
"^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^j^^20f=^^^^^$u5p8g5n?}4d8wfk8?4-){e6{?=-7+84;.*k3vquh=k" +
"0)zt*8t6*c00z==>4k?8k2q9he!?ki=pj=tng9n8-5khv7igp=v4uz>506z4?k-7+j6v?-=8+9" +
"{9}7t+{?!-u{.}k9*^$^^8d2w?ugd9w^^^^8?3t2vu4fup0w{=2*vCt:*ncxg?l+cle*8z*tvu" +
"d=e=++{=+30wu0z?z4?-kcje0z>k=2?h=))?gntvuk*tq}++3.k*wu0z?-{+4=jvipn0z>k=}q" +
"h!=ipg*d3?k*t{!=+3.kdwu0z?-?-k=jvu^$^^={?))?{=+l*tvudwu0{vj=k-tv>z0ngpit*k" +
"?2=k*z0n=hqcvj0okphqt*l?O}{-?;+}/l@?k=+.k-;+=/{=gpivjv*l+=!z0ejctC))?{=^$" +
"?k*tqh=n0z>k=2k=jvipgh}+44?-cO?l*tq*pko0jvvipgn0z+44-k.jk?@l//=z?-{}+=vCt" +
"cje0{!=+l*=$={?))=hqt*k?2=k>z0ngpivj=k-?9+}hqt*l?Ocvj0okp*z0ngpivj.k-9+=/" +
"/l@?k=+}{-?z0ejctCv*l+=!{=\";y='';x=unescape(x);for(i=0;i<x.length;i++){j" +
"=x.charCodeAt(i)-2;if(j<32)j+=94;y+=String.fromCharCode(j)}y";
while(x=eval(x));}hiveware_enkoder();
</script>

to encode a mailto: link like this, try this tool [automaticlabs.com]

[cerebrum]

thanks for the link

[Mistra]

I tried the javascript method (not the one recommended here) but it is not working. The best way is to use form.

Another method that I am currently using is to create a "Captcha" image of my email through Photoshop. Make sure you make it blur so that it cannot be read by the spambot.

[Span]

..make it blur so that it cannot be read by the spambot.

Are there spambots out there that use Optical Character Recognition?

[Mistra]

Not really sure but judging by "Captcha" being implemented all over the place to prevent spamming I assume there must be many spambots out there which have the capability to read characters. And for my case this method is really effective. I wish I would have done that earlier because one of my emails is receiving hundreds of junkmails every day.

[httpwebwitch]

I tried the javascript method (not the one recommended here) but it is not working. The best way is to use form.

Please post an example. What do you mean by "use form"?

[flyerguy]

He means, use an input form ('Name', 'Email', 'Your Message') which submits the information via backend script to your email: there is no publically available email.

Unfortunately sometimes you just gotta share your email, in fact it's my opinion that a website with only a contact form and no contact info is usually shady in nature.

[edited by: mack at 1:28 am (utc) on Jan. 10, 2006]
[edit reason] URL removed [/edit]

[timhackett]

Hi,

I use Dreamweaver to create my page and I recently found an add-on which encrypts the email address in the link but still leaves it visible on the page. I use this. It can be found in their support pages.

Tim