Integration guide · SpamKill Transformer

Protect your AWeber form from bots

In short: To stop spam on an AWeber sign up form, copy the form's Raw HTML Version (not the Javascript Snippet), run it through the SpamKill Setup Wizard and paste the protected code on your page. SpamKill checks every signup without a CAPTCHA and real subscribers still join your AWeber list, with or without AWeber's confirmation email. It takes about 10 minutes.

Bots are signing fake addresses up to your AWeber list. Protect your AWeber sign up form with SpamKill and real subscribers keep joining your list, confirmation email and all. One limitation to know first: use the form's Raw HTML Version; AWeber's Javascript Snippet can't be protected this way.

  • About 10 min
  • 6 steps
  • Copy and paste one snippet

Last verified on AWeber Free (drag-and-drop sign up form, Raw HTML Version) with the SpamKill Setup Wizard

What changes, and what doesn't

Stays the same
  • Subscribers still join your AWeber list
  • Your confirmation email and thank-you pages
  • Your form's fields and look
What's added
  • Every signup is checked before it reaches AWeber
  • You paste the form as HTML instead of AWeber's script
  • Undo it anytime by putting your old form code back
Done this before? Quick setup: one line per step. First time? Start here. Step by step, with a screenshot for every click.

Before you start

Have these ready so nothing stops you halfway.

  • A SpamKill accountNo account yet? Start a free trial.
  • An AWeber sign up formUnder Pages & Forms › Sign Up Forms, or create one in step 1.
  • A way to edit your page's HTMLYou'll paste HTML code, so use an HTML or code block in your site editor.

Quick setup

For returning users. Each line links to its full step.

  1. In AWeber, open Pages & Forms › Sign Up Forms, click Create a Sign Up Form › For My Website, design it, name it and save it. Step 1
  2. Choose I Will Install My Form, then Raw HTML Version, and copy all the code in the box. Step 2
  3. In the SpamKill Console, open Setup Wizard, click No to the WordPress question and paste the code. Step 3
  4. Click Generate Protected Code, check the email field is email, then click Yes, protect my form. Step 4
  5. Copy the protected code, paste it where the AWeber form was, publish the page, then click Next. Step 5
  6. Submit [email protected] and expect an error, then submit a real address and check Subscribers. Step 6
Step 1 of 6 · In AWeber

Create your sign up form

Where: AWeberPages & FormsSign Up Forms

In AWeber, click Pages & Forms › Sign Up Forms in the sidebar. Click Create a Sign Up Form (1) and choose For My Website. Design your form, then click Go To Step 2. Enter a Form Name, click Go To Step 3 and then Save Your Form. Already have a form? Open it and go to its Publish step instead.

Sign Up Forms in AWeber with the Create a Sign Up Form button and a form named SpamKill test
1Create a Sign Up Form

You should see: How Will You Publish This Form To Your Website?

Finished step 1?
0 of 6 steps done
Next: Copy the Raw HTML Version ↓
Step 2 of 6 · In AWeber

Copy the Raw HTML Version

Where: AWeberSign Up FormsPublish

Click I Will Install My Form. Choose Raw HTML Version (1), not Javascript Snippet. Click in the code box, select all of the code and copy it (2).

AWeber's publish options with Raw HTML Version selected and the form code box below
1Raw HTML Version2Copy all of this code

You should see: Code on your clipboard that starts with <!-- AWeber Web Form Generator.

Already using the Javascript Snippet on your site?

That one line of script loads the form from AWeber, so the Setup Wizard can't protect it. Use the Raw HTML Version of the same form instead.

Finished step 2?
0 of 6 steps done
Next: Paste it into the Setup Wizard ↓
Step 3 of 6 · In SpamKill

Paste it into the Setup Wizard

Where: SpamKill ConsoleSetup Wizard

In the SpamKill Console, click Setup Wizard in the sidebar. If your site isn't on WordPress, click No under Is your website developed in WordPress?. Paste the AWeber code into the box (1).

The Setup Wizard with AWeber's raw HTML form code pasted in the box
1Paste the code

You should see: Tips under the box, then Please select the email field input showing email.

Is this form already live on your site?

Create a new sign up form in AWeber and paste its code instead. You can delete the old form once the new one is set up.

Finished step 3?
0 of 6 steps done
Next: Generate the protected code ↓
Step 4 of 6 · In SpamKill

Generate the protected code

Where: SpamKill ConsoleSetup Wizard

Click Generate Protected Code. SpamKill asks you to check the email field: it should be email (1). Click Yes, protect my form (2).

The Check the email field dialog with email selected and a Yes, protect my form button
1email2Yes, protect my form

You should see: Replace the existing code with this code on your website, above your protected code.

Finished step 4?
0 of 6 steps done
Next: Swap the code on your page ↓
Step 5 of 6 · On your website

Swap the code on your page

Where: Your website editor

Copy the protected code. Open the page with your AWeber form in your website editor. Delete the AWeber form code and paste the SpamKill code in its place. Save and publish the page. Then click Next in the wizard.

A Newsletter page showing the protected AWeber form with Name and Email fields and a Submit button

You should see: Your page shows the same sign up form as before.

Does your site style the form by field name?

SpamKill renames the fields, and the wizard lists the old and new names. Update any CSS or scripts that point at the old names.

Finished step 5?
0 of 6 steps done
Next: Test it twice ↓
Step 6 of 6 · On your live form

Test it twice

Open your page in a private window. Submit the form with [email protected] (1). Then submit it again with an address whose inbox you can open. AWeber shows its thank-you page (2): Activate Your Subscription! if your list sends a confirmation email, or You're subscribed! if it doesn't. The address appears under Subscribers (3), as Pending until the confirmation link is clicked.

SpamKill's That email address doesn't look right page with a Go back to the form button
1Blocked by SpamKill
AWeber's You're subscribed! thank-you page
2AWeber's thank-you page
The test subscriber in AWeber Subscribers with source Web Form and status Subscribed
3Subscribed
On your page

The first try shows That email address doesn't look right.

In AWeber

The second try appears under Subscribers with source Web Form.

In SpamKill

Back in the wizard, click Both Tests Passed.

You should see: AWeber's Activate Your Subscription! or You're subscribed! page after the second try.

Finished step 6?
0 of 6 steps done

Your AWeber form is protected

  • Bots are stopped before they reach AWeber.
  • Real leads arrive exactly as before, with no extra steps for them.
  • Every block is logged in your SpamKill dashboard.
Open your dashboard

Something not working?

Find what you're seeing.

AWeber asks me to tick "I'm not a robot"

That's AWeber's own check, which can appear after several signups from the same place in a few minutes, with or without SpamKill. Tick it to finish the test, or wait a while before testing again.

My test subscriber says Pending

Your list sends a confirmation email (AWeber's default). The subscriber becomes Subscribed once the link in that email is clicked.

A real visitor was told their email doesn't look right

SpamKill checks for missing @ symbols, extra spaces and common typos. The visitor can click Go back to the form, fix the address and send again.

Changed your mind? Undo in under a minute

  1. Open the page in your website editor.
  2. Delete the SpamKill code and paste your original AWeber form code back.
  3. Save and publish the page. Your form is back to how it was.
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