EASPM123 (Email Anti-Spam 123) is an Easy-to-use JavaScript API that protects any email address you want to use in your website from spambots. First version (1.0) was released in November 2015.

It works in any browser with JavaScript support, even old ones (including Internet Explorer 5.0), offers different security options (very configurable) and it is just 2.57 KiB minified. If you want, you can easily configure it to be used with many languages at the same time.

Despite of this, this script should consider as a way to improve safety against spambots but not the unique method. A good anti-spam for your email (server or client) is still always recommended.

It can be found on GitHub:https://github.com/jalbam/easpm123

Basic idea

The basic idea is to disguise the email address by modifying it using a text that will be removed by the script when the desired JavaScript events are fired (or, if desired, automatically when the document is loaded).

Most spambots will not fire those JavaScript events or, even if they did it, many of the times will not catch the email address after doing it but the previously-shown email address (so they will end with a non-valid email address which includes the text that should have been removed).

The text to be removed should be human-understandable so that a human being could figure out the real email in the case that JavaScript was disabled or something failed. Under these circumstances, to help any human-being to figure out the real email address, this script uses the so-called “without-no-spam” elements which are elements containing the instructions that the human-being should follow to get the real email address. These “without-no-spam” elements will be removed automatically by the script if JavaScript is available.

As nowadays many spambots can already translate “AT” and “DOT” to“@” and“.” respetively, to improve safety this script provides a way to translate any desired text to theAT (@) symbol. The key here is to use a non-so-famous text that no spambot will understand at all.

There are different ways to use this script detailed below, some safer than others. Please, continue reading.

Usage

You can download the project from GitHub directly to include it in your project or you can also use one of the following commands while you are in your project:

Bower :

bower install easpm123

Yarn :

yarn add easpm123

npm (it will need apackage.json):

npm i easpm123

The behaviour can be configured easily through the main (and unique) object the script uses (for more information, you can read the instructions inREADME.htm). But if you are lazy, although it would be less safe, you just need to include the .js file in your website and change the class name (or add to the current classes a new one) of the elements containing the links to the emails (the class name should be “easpm123” by default).

In order to start using this API, the “.js” file you choose (for example,easpm123_min.js which is already minified) must be included in your document. The most common way to do this is by using a tag:

<!-- NOTE: Edit the "src" property to point to the right location of the .js file: --><scriptsrc="easpm123_min.js"type="text/javascript"language="javascript"></script>

If we decide to use the main (and unique) object, this is how it looks like:

EASPM123(autoLoad,//Next values can be set to null to force using default ones or use//an empty array if you do not want any value at all:linkClasses,withoutNoSpamElementClasses,linkIDs,withoutNoSpamElementIDs,textsToClear,atSymbolAliases,eventNames);

The parameters accepted are the following ones:

Note that, except for the first parameter (autoLoad ), all the rest of the parameters can accept thenull value if we want to use their default value or can also accept an empty array (as for example the[] value) in the case that we do not want any value at all. In the case of the last parameter (eventNames ), using an empty array will force the script to run its magic automatically without having to fire any event (not recommended as the safety would be decreased).

If theautoLoad parameter is set to false (not recommended), the rest of parameters will be ignored and therun method will have to be called manually when desired (always after the document has been loaded!). This method accepts the same parameters as the main object except the first one (it does not need theautoLoad parameter). Read below to see an example showing how to use it.

Have in mind that, as soon as the script is included, it will run itself once with the default options. We can run it again (through either the main object or therun method), if desired, after that.

The main object can only be used before theonload event of thewindow object is fired. If we want to run the script after that, we need to use therun method instead. In fact, therun method can only be used after theonload event of thewindow object is fired.

See the examples below for more information.

Example #1 – Easiest way for the developer (not so safe), with just HTML:

Note that, after the script is included, it immediately modifies theonload event of thewindow object (keeping any previous event, so it will not override anything) to execute itself after some milliseconds (it does not do it immediately to get rid of some spambots which will not have this into account). If, during the time between the inclusion of the script and the milliseconds (100 by default) before its executed itself, theonload event of thewindow object is overrided, this example will simply not work.

This way, any tag whoseid iseaspm123 orclass property contains theeaspm123 class, will be affected. The default text to remove from the email will be “NO_SPAM_WELCOME” and the “{AT_HERE}” text will be replaced by theAT (@) symbol.

The text inside of the elements whoseid iseaspm123_label orclass property contains theeaspm123_label class will be removed automatically when the page loads. These elements are called “without-no-spam” elements and are useful for the users when JavaScript is not available.

The real email address will be shown when the user is over or clicks or taps the email link (the tag described above).

HTML:

<!-- Using ID: --><aid="easpm123"href="mailto:email{*AT_HERE*}NO_SPAM_WELCOMEexample.com">email{*AT_HERE*}<delstyle="text-decoration:line-through;"><s>NO_SPAM_WELCOME</s></del>example.com</a><spanid="easpm123_label">(without NO_SPAM_WELCOME)</span><br/><!-- Using class: --><aclass="easpm123"href="mailto:email{*AT_HERE*}NO_SPAM_WELCOMEexample.com">email{*AT_HERE*}<delstyle="text-decoration:line-through;"><s>NO_SPAM_WELCOME</s></del>example.com</a><spanclass="easpm123_label">(without NO_SPAM_WELCOME)</span>

Example #2 – Easiest way for the user (very unsafe), with a bit of JavaScript and HTML:

This methods needs a little bit of JavaScript (using an empty array as theeventNames parameter) but will not need any event fired by the user. The script and its magic will be performed automatically. The users can be happier this way but some spambots will be too. Safety wise, this method is not recommended.

As we are using the main object, this must be run before theonload event of thewindow object is fired.

#"class_email_link","class_email_link2"],//linkClasses.["class_without_no_spam_label","class_without_no_spam_label2"],//withoutNoSpamElementClasses.["id_email_link","id_email_link2"],//linkIDs.["id_without_no_spam_label","id_without_no_spam_label2"],//withoutNoSpamElementIDs.["WITHOUT_THIS_TEXT","TAKE_THIS_OUT"],//textsToClear["[PUT_AT_HERE]","{HERE_AN_AT_SYMBOL}"],//atSymbolAliases.[]//eventNames.);

<!-- Using ID: --><aid="id_email_link"href="mailto:email[PUT_AT_HERE]WITHOUT_THIS_TEXTexample.com">email[PUT_AT_HERE]<delstyle="text-decoration:line-through;"><s>WITHOUT_THIS_TEXT</s></del>example.com</a><spanid="id_without_no_spam_label">(without NO_SPAM_WELCOME)</span><br/><aid="id_email_link2"href="mailto:email[PUT_AT_HERE]WITHOUT_THIS_TEXTexample.com">email[PUT_AT_HERE]<delstyle="text-decoration:line-through;"><s>WITHOUT_THIS_TEXT</s></del>example.com</a><spanid="id_without_no_spam_label2">(without NO_SPAM_WELCOME)</span><br/><!-- Using class: --><aclass="class_email_link"href="mailto:email{HERE_AN_AT_SYMBOL}TAKE_THIS_OUTexample.com">email{HERE_AN_AT_SYMBOL}<delstyle="text-decoration:line-through;"><s>TAKE_THIS_OUT</s></del>example.com</a><spanclass="class_without_no_spam_label">(without NO_SPAM_WELCOME)</span><br/><aclass="class_email_link2"href="mailto:email{HERE_AN_AT_SYMBOL}TAKE_THIS_OUTexample.com">email{HERE_AN_AT_SYMBOL}<delstyle="text-decoration:line-through;"><s>TAKE_THIS_OUT</s></del>example.com</a><spanclass="class_without_no_spam_label2">(without NO_SPAM_WELCOME)</span>