Why are email security filters auto-clicking links in opt-in emails with Javascript and how can I prevent it?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Email marketer from SendPulse explains that it is important to limit how often an IP address clicks links to help protect against bots. If using Javascript try to only run it upon certain interaction such as hover.
Email marketer from Mailchimp Support explains that double opt-in helps prevent bots and invalid email addresses from subscribing to your list. This can reduce the likelihood of security filters auto-clicking confirmation links.
Email marketer from Email on Acid recommends implementing link validation by confirming a user has clicked a link from a specific IP address to ensure validity.
Email marketer from Litmus suggests using unique tracking parameters for each email campaign. This can help differentiate legitimate clicks from automated link clicks by security filters, as the filters may not properly handle or pass these parameters.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that security scanners might run Javascript to find content hidden from them, such as obfuscated phishing forms.
Email marketer from Reddit user u/EmailPro shares that security filters may execute JavaScript in opt-in emails to scan for malicious content, leading to auto-clicks. They suggest using a static HTML form for confirmation instead of JavaScript to prevent this.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that security filters often follow links to check for malicious content, which can affect open metrics and one-click unsubscribes, and suggests using a traditional submit element instead of Javascript to resolve the problem.
Email marketer from Neil Patel Digital explains that bot traffic, including security filters, can trigger link clicks. To mitigate this, consider implementing CAPTCHAs, monitoring traffic for suspicious patterns, and using double opt-in to confirm legitimate subscribers.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign shares a method of preventing Javascript from auto-submitting forms through setting a rule so that a visitor has to spend a few seconds on the page or scroll down a certain amount.
Email marketer from StackOverflow user TechGuru suggests implementing a honeypot field (a hidden form field) to trap bots. Bots often fill out all fields, including hidden ones, while legitimate users won't see and fill the honeypot, helping differentiate bot clicks from genuine user actions.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that instead of having JavaScript push the button, it should do a POST to a different endpoint to know whether the user pushed a button or if it was triggered by JavaScript, providing more data.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that using a multi-layered approach to bot mitigation, including CAPTCHAs, behavioral analysis, and rate limiting, can help prevent automated link clicks from security filters.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that properly implementing authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC can help to improve sender reputation and reduce the likelihood of security filters auto-clicking links.
Expert from Email Geeks mentions the web idiom that "the user pushes the button to make the POST happen" as the gold standard for intentional user behavior, while JavaScript-triggered actions aren't, but acknowledges the need for security scanners to run JavaScript due to javascript based obfuscation of the final content.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from IETF explains that Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) authentication can help improve email deliverability and reduce the chances of emails being flagged as spam. Properly configured authentication can prevent security filters from aggressively scanning and auto-clicking links.
Documentation from W3C explains the structure and functionality of HTML forms. Using a simple HTML form without JavaScript-based auto-submission can help prevent security filters from automatically submitting the form when they visit the page.
Documentation from OWASP explains that bot detection can be achieved through various methods, including analyzing user agent strings, monitoring request patterns, and using CAPTCHAs. These techniques can help identify and block automated link clicks from security filters.
Documentation from Google Search Central explains that Googlebot follows links during crawling, and security filters may behave similarly. They advise using the robots.txt file to prevent crawling of certain pages or using nofollow tags on links to control Googlebot's behavior.
Documentation from Mozilla explains that the `<noscript>` tag provides alternative content when JavaScript is disabled. Using this tag, you can display a standard HTML form for users without JavaScript support, preventing security filters from auto-submitting forms through JavaScript execution.