How to Add Spam Protection to the Built-in Contact Form?

The built-in contact form that uses the

shortcode includes a hidden E-mail field as a spam protection measure.

When a user submits the form, the system checks this hidden field: if it’s filled out, the message is blocked; if it’s empty, the message goes through as normal.

This works because bots and crawlers typically fill out all visible fields—including hidden ones they can still “see” in the code (as display: none doesn’t stop them). Real users don’t see or interact with the hidden field, so their messages are sent without issue.

This simple check helps prevent spam without adding any extra steps for users—no need for CAPTCHAs or complicated verifications.