Comments on: Blocking trackback spam using .htaccess http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/ Tom Raftery, social media consultant, speaker, blogger and podcaster Sat, 30 Aug 2008 05:28:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: John http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-110499 John Sat, 08 Sep 2007 06:49:03 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-110499 Robin, htaccess will not enable you to block other sites from being indexed in the search engines. That's not what htaccess is used for or capable of. Robin, htaccess will not enable you to block other sites from being indexed in the search engines. That’s not what htaccess is used for or capable of.

]]> By: Smells Phishy « A Daily Rant http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-22670 Smells Phishy « A Daily Rant Sun, 27 Aug 2006 17:09:50 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-22670 [...] Here are a couple articles to see about this: http://www.tomrafteryit.net/trackback-spam-explained/ And http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/ [...] [...] Here are a couple articles to see about this: http://www.tomrafteryit.net/trackback-spam-explained/ And http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/ [...]

]]> By: A Daily Rant » Something Smells Phishy http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-18987 A Daily Rant » Something Smells Phishy Sun, 09 Jul 2006 13:01:36 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-18987 [...] Here are a couple articles to see about this: http://www.tomrafteryit.net/trackback-spam-explained/ And http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/ [...] [...] Here are a couple articles to see about this: http://www.tomrafteryit.net/trackback-spam-explained/ And http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/ [...]

]]> By: Robin Arora http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-8366 Robin Arora Thu, 27 Apr 2006 07:20:31 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-8366 I have found that my website is on several message boards. A few of them are csscreator.com, webdeveloper.com, htmlhelpcentral.com, and pmachine.com. How can I use htaccess to block these four sites from being indexed through google, msn, yahoo, altavista, excite, msn, and other search engines? I have found that my website is on several message boards.

A few of them are csscreator.com, webdeveloper.com, htmlhelpcentral.com, and pmachine.com.

How can I use htaccess to block these four sites from being indexed through google, msn, yahoo, altavista, excite, msn, and other search engines?

]]> By: I Made Yanuarta DPY » Blog Archive » Belajar .htaccess http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-3732 I Made Yanuarta DPY » Blog Archive » Belajar .htaccess Mon, 16 Jan 2006 08:56:26 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-3732 [...] Tom Raftery’s I.T. Views: .htaccess Category Tom’s site is also quite helpful with strategies, tips, and links to combat spammers and bat bots. [...] [...] Tom Raftery’s I.T. Views: .htaccess Category Tom’s site is also quite helpful with strategies, tips, and links to combat spammers and bat bots. [...]

]]> By: Koshkitko http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-3392 Koshkitko Thu, 29 Dec 2005 02:14:23 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-3392 Very good site! I like it! Thanks! Very good site! I like it! Thanks!

]]> By: Sergej Brin http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-3151 Sergej Brin Sun, 18 Dec 2005 14:15:48 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-3151 Very good site! I like it! I just wanted to pass on a note to let you know what a great job you have done with this site..Thanks! Very good site! I like it! I just wanted to pass on a note to let you know what a great job you have done with this site..Thanks!

]]> By: CottonIJoe http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-2953 CottonIJoe Thu, 08 Dec 2005 18:24:50 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-2953 Thanks for this article! There is another (related) way of blocking Referrers containing single words which are "Bad": <code>SetEnvIfNoCase Referer ".*(this|is|where|all|the|dirrty|words|go).*" BadReferrer Deny from BadReferrer</code> I found this in the htaccess file of <a href="http://wikka.jsnx.com/HomePage">WikkaWiki</a>... Thanks for this article! There is another (related) way of blocking Referrers containing single words which are “Bad”:

SetEnvIfNoCase Referer ".*(this|is|where|all|the|dirrty|words|go).*" BadReferrer

Deny from BadReferrer

I found this in the htaccess file of WikkaWiki…

]]> By: Tom Raftery http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-934 Tom Raftery Thu, 09 Jun 2005 13:52:25 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-934 To be honest Lucia, without seeing the .htaccess file it is impossible to say. If you want to try emailing me a copy of it I can take a look and see if I can see anything... To be honest Lucia, without seeing the .htaccess file it is impossible to say.

If you want to try emailing me a copy of it I can take a look and see if I can see anything…

]]> By: lucia http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-933 lucia Thu, 09 Jun 2005 12:53:52 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-933 I placed the code suggested by Spamhuntress in my .htaccess file in my top level directory, trackback spam gets through. I placed it in my /blog/ directory, it gets through. Elsehere, I read a suggestion that I put a star here:, I tried that. It gets through! I looked at my raw logs, and they spammer are posting, and they the log does included "mozilla" in the user agent. What am I doing wrong? (I noticed spamhuntress mentions "crustfree URLs". What's a "crust free URL"? And could it be my URLS have crusts and so I need to do something different? I placed the code suggested by Spamhuntress in my .htaccess file in my top level directory, trackback spam gets through. I placed it in my /blog/ directory, it gets through.
Elsehere, I read a suggestion that I put a star here:, I tried that. It gets through!

I looked at my raw logs, and they spammer are posting, and they the log does included “mozilla” in the user agent.

What am I doing wrong? (I noticed spamhuntress mentions “crustfree URLs”. What’s a “crust free URL”? And could it be my URLS have crusts and so I need to do something different?

]]> By: Spamhuntress http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-734 Spamhuntress Sun, 10 Apr 2005 10:43:30 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-734 Try this one: http://spamhuntress.com/2005/04/08/wp-trackback-block/ Try this one:
http://spamhuntress.com/2005/04/08/wp-trackback-block/

]]> By: Tom http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-722 Tom Fri, 08 Apr 2005 00:05:53 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-722 Ann, I'm not sure that script will work in WordPress 1.5. I have just gone through my raw log files in detail and any posts to the xmlrpc.php file are from "The Incutio XML-RPC PHP Library -- WordPress/1.5" Tom Ann, I’m not sure that script will work in WordPress 1.5. I have just gone through my raw log files in detail and any posts to the xmlrpc.php file are from “The Incutio XML-RPC PHP Library — WordPress/1.5″

Tom

]]> By: Diane Vigil http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-721 Diane Vigil Thu, 07 Apr 2005 21:42:22 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-721 Ah, the Spamhuntress herself. Thanks for the link. What I want is probably tricky: to let through legitimate trackbacks, but not the others. I'm probably dreaming. Ah, the Spamhuntress herself. Thanks for the link.

What I want is probably tricky: to let through legitimate trackbacks, but not the others. I’m probably dreaming.

]]> By: Spamhuntress http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-720 Spamhuntress Thu, 07 Apr 2005 21:36:54 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-720 You'll find a block here: http://spamhuntress.com/2005/04/07/limiting-access-to-single-files/ You’ll find a block here:
http://spamhuntress.com/2005/04/07/limiting-access-to-single-files/

]]> By: Diane Vigil http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-719 Diane Vigil Thu, 07 Apr 2005 17:46:37 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-719 Tom, how would one use it on the trackback script only? (And yes, I'm pretty sure he meant httpd.conf.) Tom, how would one use it on the trackback script only? (And yes, I’m pretty sure he meant httpd.conf.)

]]> By: Spamhuntress http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-718 Spamhuntress Thu, 07 Apr 2005 17:31:24 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-718 I would suggest using this only on POST requests, because there ARE quite a few people with this configuration. Another possibility is to only protect one file: the trackback script. That's possible if you use it in .htaccess. Not sure if that would work in http.conf. But generally, what works in .htaccess can be used in http.conf. Or is it httpd.conf? I would suggest using this only on POST requests, because there ARE quite a few people with this configuration. Another possibility is to only protect one file: the trackback script. That’s possible if you use it in .htaccess. Not sure if that would work in http.conf.

But generally, what works in .htaccess can be used in http.conf. Or is it httpd.conf?

]]> By: skippy http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-717 skippy Thu, 07 Apr 2005 17:01:37 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/blocking-trackback-spam-using-htaccess/#comment-717 Can these rules be applied in a server's http.conf to protect all blogs on all virtual hosts? Can these rules be applied in a server’s http.conf to protect all blogs on all virtual hosts?

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