CleanTalk False Positives: Root Cause

• Main Cause: Incorrect Form Parameter Collection
• User Email Address Input Error 
• Private White/Block Lists 
• Manual Spam from Advertising (Ad-Spam)
• Using a VPN

CleanTalk can sometimes issue False Positives, blocking legitimate users, or, conversely, False Negatives, missing spam. Almost all these problems are technical and stem from the fact that the cloud does not receive all the necessary data or receives it in a distorted form.

Main Cause: Incorrect Form Parameter Collection 

The most frequent cause of false positives is incorrect collection of form parameters upon submission. CleanTalk uses the data transmitted by the form for analysis, and if this data is incomplete or does not meet expectations, it can lead to an incorrect decision.

This can be caused by:

• Using a non-standard/custom-built form. Such forms often do not use standard WordPress (or other CMS) hooks that CleanTalk relies on to intercept data.
• Interference from third-party plugins or themes. Especially those that dynamically generate HTML/JavaScript, altering the form structure after the page loads.
• The form is part of an external service or built within an iframe. In this case, the plugin may not have access to the form data as it is processed on a different domain.
• Caching/Optimisation issues. Excessive caching or aggressive optimisation can block the transmission of key parameters (e.g., unique nonce tokens), leading to a verification failure.
• Multiple POST requests. The form is designed to generate multiple POST requests upon filling it out, which can result in numerous requests being sent to the anti-spam cloud, increasing the chance of an error. 

In the cases listed above, you must contact CleanTalk Technical Support because:

• It may be necessary to create an individual exclusion whitelist for your form.
• Our developers may need to manually improve the integration for your specific case (which is often done quickly).
   
   

Why Contact Tech Support? 
 

Contacting CleanTalk support is the most effective step, as our engineers:

• Can diagnose data collection issues. They see exactly what form of data the cloud is receiving.
• Have access to server logs and diagnostic tools. This allows for a deep analysis of the blocking reasons.
• Can configure specific parameters for your website, including fine-tuning sensitivity or adding exclusions.
• Have experience resolving these types of configuration problems.
   

User Email Address Input Error 

Another reason is a user input error in the email address field. Common variants include misspelling the domain gmail.com as gmail.con.

The CleanTalk service will show a reason in the logs indicating an error in the email address, but not everyone notices this. By checking the logs, you can see if the email field contains an invalid address.

Private White/Block Lists 

False positives or missed spam can be linked to your own private block/white lists. If you have added a legitimate IP or email to the blocklist, it will be blocked. Conversely, if you have whitelisted a spamming address, the spam will be let through. Regularly review and clean these lists.  
 
 
Please take a look at the CleanTalk Personal Lists guide here.
 

Manual Spam from Advertising (Ad-Spam)

Manual spam, especially from advertising where display on partner sites is enabled, is a separate issue. Spammers place such ads on ordinary sites, including those created for click fraud. To register and pay for the ad click, the spammer must perform a conversion action (e.g., registration).

What to do:
 

• Contact CleanTalk Support. We can assess the situation and strengthen some of the verification parameters. We also need this information for analysis and improvement, to find ways to block such attempts.
• Self-Resolution. You can disable ad display either on partner sites or on mobile devices, as this type of spam is often carried out using mobile device farms or through earning applications.
   
   

Using a VPN

If site visitors use a VPN, it's not a guaranteed reason, but it does increase the likelihood of being blocked. This happens because VPN IP addresses are frequently used by spammers and bots, and consequently, may end up on blocklists.