=== Block Comment Spam Bots ===
Tags: comments, spam, bots
Requires at least: 4.0
Tested up to: 4.8
Stable tag: 1.1
Requires PHP: 5.4
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html  
Donate link: https://www.cellarweb.com

Blocks spam bots from directly accessing the Comments processing code. Simple but effective.

== Description ==

Comments are processed with the wp-post-comments.php file. Automated spammers ('spam bots') can provide ('post') data directly to that page, bypassing any comment processing, by using CURL/WGET commands.

The result is comment spam - and not always caught by common comment spam checkers. Akismet, for instance, looks for similar patterns of comment text, and is good at that, but comment spam can still make it past that type of comment checking.

This plugin adds a simple and changing hidden field value to the comment form. The processing of the comment form is changed to check for that hidden field. If not found, then the normal comment form entry was bypassed by the spam bot, so the comment is discarded. Otherwise, the comment is processed normally.

This is not a full solution; manually entered comment spam will not be blocked. But automated POSTs of comment data directly to the wp-post-comments.php file will be blocked.

== Installation ==

This section describes how to install the plugin and get it working.


1. Upload the plugin files to the `/wp-content/plugins/plugin-name` directory, or install the plugin through the WordPress plugins screen directly.
1. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' screen in WordPress
1. Use the Settings->Plugin Name screen to configure the plugin
1. (Make your instructions match the desired user flow for activating and installing your plugin. Include any steps that might be needed for explanatory purposes)

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Does this modify the comment form? =

The comment form will look as it always did.

= What about customized comment forms? =

No changes to the visual or operational comment form is made. It just adds a hidden field with a unique value, then checks for that field on submit. 


== Screenshots ==

1. No screenshots; no settings screen needed.


== Changelog ==

**Version 1.1 (18 Dec 2019)**
- Initial Release (prior versions used in development only)

== Upgrade Notice ==

**Version 1.1 (18 Dec 2019)**
- Initial Release (prior versions used in development only)
