How to Block Disposable Email Addresses in WordPress

Recently, one of our readers asked if it’s possible to block disposable email addresses in WordPress? Disposable email addresses are temporary email accounts used by spammers to create fake WordPress accounts. In this article, we will show you how to effectively block disposable email addresses in WordPress.

What are Disposable Email Addresses and Why Block Them in WordPress

Most websites require an email address to create user accounts. This allows website owners to verify accounts by sending them a link to that email address.

Spammers found a workaround to that requirement in shape of disposable emails. These temporary email accounts are available for a short duration allowing spammers to verify an account.

If you run a WordPress membership site or allow user registration, then people can use those disposable email accounts to create fake user accounts on your website.

You can block spam user registrations using different plugins. However by blocking disposable email addresses, you can significantly reduce spam user registrations on your website.

Having said that, let’s take a look at how to block disposable email addresses in WordPress.

Blocking Disposable Email Addresses in WordPress

First thing you need to do is install and activate the Ban Hammer plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit Tools » Ban Hammer page to configure plugin settings.

Now you need to enter a custom error message to show when someone uses a disposable email address.

Next, you need to enter the domain names you want to block. You can find a list of the most commonly used burner email providers as a txt file on GitHub.

Simply copy the list of domains and paste them under blacklisted emails box on plugin’s settings page. You can also add any other domains that are not included in this list.

Don’t forget to click on the Update Options button to store your settings.

Any users who now try to register using a disposable email address will see the error message you defined earlier.

We hope this article helped you learn how to block disposable email addresses in WordPress. You may also want to see these 12 vital tips and tools to combat comment spam in WordPress

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