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How to Automatically Block Spam Form Submissions in Zapier Based on Language

Spam. It’s the annoying junk mail of the digital world. You set up a simple contact form, expecting genuine inquiries or leads, but instead, you get flooded with messages in languages you don’t understand, bot-generated junk, and emails from sketchy domains. Sound familiar?

Many businesses struggle with spam form submissions, especially when they receive entries in unwanted languages or from disposable emails used by bots. 

You can automate spam blocking in Zapier based on language—and even filter out bad emails, IPs, and harmful content—using Translate by Zapier and the OOPSpam Zapier app.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through two powerful ways to automatically stop spam submissions in Zapier and ensure only legitimate messages reach your inbox.

Why Spam Filtering Based on Language Matters

Before we dive into the setup, let’s talk about why language-based spam filtering is crucial:

• You only need leads in one or two languages. If your business operates in English, there’s no reason to get messages in Russian, Chinese, or Spanish unless you target those markets.
• Spam bots often use non-English messages. Many spam submissions include random text in different languages, which can be an easy way to filter them out.
• Better data quality and efficiency. Filtering out unwanted languages means you don’t waste time manually reviewing irrelevant submissions.

For even stronger protection, you can block spam at the source by using OOPSpam’s anti-spam plugin on your website. Our WordPress plugin is a great option for stopping spam before it even enters your workflow. We also offer integrations on other platforms. If you don’t see an integration for your system, you can always use the OOPSpam API to add spam filtering to your custom setup. 

Filtering Spam Form Submissions with Translate by Zapier

Zapier offers a built-in tool called Translate by Zapier that can detect the language of a form submission. By combining it with a Zapier Filter, you can block unwanted languages before they even hit your inbox.

How to Set Up Language-Based Spam Filtering in Zapier

Here’s how to use Translate by Zapier to automatically block form submissions in unwanted languages:

Step 1: Set Up the Trigger

Before we can filter out form spam by language, we first need to set up the trigger so that Zapier knows when to act.

1. Open Zapier and create a new Zap.
2. Select your form application as the trigger (Google Forms, Typeform, Gravity Forms, etc.).
3. Choose the event: “New Form Submission”
4. Connect your form app and test the trigger to ensure Zapier pulls in recent submissions.

Step 2: Use Translate by Zapier to Detect Language

Once the trigger is set up, we’ll use Translate by Zapier to analyze the submitted text and determine its language. This is a crucial step since Zapier will use the detected language as a filter condition.

1. Add an action step and select “Translate by Zapier”.
2. Choose the action: “Detect Language”
3. Map the form submission content (e.g., message field) to be analyzed.
4. Test the step to confirm Zapier detects the correct language.

Step 3: Add a Zapier Filter to Block Unwanted Languages

Now that Zapier can detect the language of a form submission, we need to set up a filter that blocks submissions in any language you don’t want to accept.

1. Add a Filter by Zapier step.

2. Set the filter condition:

   • “Message” does not contain “en” (or any preferred language code).

If a form submission doesn’t match your preferred language, Zapier will stop the workflow right there and prevent it from reaching your inbox or CRM.

Pros and Cons of Translate by Zapier

While Translate by Zapier is a helpful tool for filtering spam submissions based on language, it does have its limitations.

✅ Simple and easy to set up

✅ Works natively within Zapier

✅ Detects and filters by language

❌ Doesn’t stop spam from bad IPs or disposable emails

❌ Can’t block spammy content beyond language detection

If language-based filtering isn’t enough, let’s talk about a stronger, machine learning spam filtering solution—the OOPSpam Zapier app.

Using OOPSpam Zapier App for Language and Spam Filtering

If your goal is spam detection based on language, OOPSpam’s Zapier app is the most advanced, machine learning solution available. Unlike basic language filtering tools, OOPSpam doesn’t just detect the language—it takes things further by analyzing email addresses, content, and even IP addresses to block spam at multiple levels.

Block by Language, IP, Email, and More with OOPSpam

OOPSpam  (that’s us! 👋) uses a combination of machine learning filtering and real-time database checks to identify and block spam. Here’s what sets it apart:

• Machine Learning Spam Detection: Uses machine learning to analyze patterns and classify spam with a high level of accuracy.
• Blocks Disposable & Temporary Emails: Filters out submissions from one-time-use email services that spammers frequently exploit.
• IP Reputation & Blacklist Checks: Flags and blocks submissions from IPs associated with spam or bot activity.
• Content Analysis & Spam Score Sensitivity: Assigns a spam score to each submission based on message quality, keyword presence, and suspicious patterns.
• Customizable Language Filtering: Lets you allow or block specific languages, giving you precise control over what gets through.
• Privacy-Focused & GDPR-Compliant: Unlike some spam detection tools, OOPSpam doesn’t store or track user data, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.

How to Set Up OOPSpam in Zapier for Language Detection

Now, let’s walk through the process of setting up OOPSpam’s Zapier integration to automatically detect and block spam form submissions.

Step 1: Add OOPSpam’s Spam Check Action in Zapier

Before we start filtering, we need to connect OOPSpam to Zapier and ensure all form submissions go through a spam check.

1. Create a new Zap in Zapier and select your form app (e.g., Typeform, Gravity Forms, Google Forms) as the trigger.
2. Click “+ Add an action” and search for OOPSpam Anti-Spam.
3. Choose the action event “Check for Spam”.
4. Sign in to OOPSpam by entering your API key (found in your OOPSpam account).
5. Click Continue to move to the next step.

Step 2: Configure the Spam Filtering Settings

Once OOPSpam is connected, we need to configure the spam detection criteria to ensure maximum effectiveness.

1️. Map the form submission fields to OOPSpam’s analysis fields:

• Email Address: Select the form field containing the email address.
• Content: Select the field containing the message or form submission content.
• Other Relevant Fields: If needed, you can also pass IP addresses or other custom fields to improve filtering accuracy.

Why is this important? Mapping these fields correctly ensures that OOPSpam evaluates the right data before assigning a Spam Score to each submission.

2. Enable “Block Disposable Emails”

This will automatically filter out any submissions from temporary or disposable email services like Guerrilla Mail, 10MinuteMail, and Mailinator, which are commonly used by spammers and bots.

3. Enable “Language Filtering”

OOPSpam lets you filter form submissions based on language preferences, ensuring that only messages in the languages you support make it through. Under “Allow messages only in these languages”, select your preferred language(s).

Any submission not matching the selected language(s) will be flagged and blocked.

4. Allow or Block Messages Based on Country

If your business only serves customers from specific countries, you can restrict submissions by geographic location. 

• Under “Allow messages only from these countries”, select the countries where you want to accept submissions.
• Under “Block messages from these countries”, you can also manually restrict specific countries known for high spam activity. For instance, if you receive frequent spam from China or France, add them to the blocked list.

5. Test the step to ensure OOPSpam correctly identifies spam and assigns a score.

Step 3: Add a Zapier Filter to Stop Spam Submissions

Now that OOPSpam assigns a Spam Score to each submission, we need to set a filter in Zapier to automatically block spam.

1. Click “+ Add an action” and search for Filter by Zapier. 

2. Set the filter condition:

• “Spam Score” is less than 3 (You can adjust this based on how strict you want your filtering to be).

1. If the spam score exceeds the set threshold, the Zap stops processing the submission—meaning spam never reaches your inbox.

2. If the submission passes the spam check, it proceeds to the next step (e.g., sending an email notification or adding to a CRM).

Advanced Ways to Use OOPSpam + Zapier

OOPSpam’s integration with Zapier isn’t just about stopping spam—it helps you manage submissions more effectively. You can send flagged entries to Google Sheets or Airtable for manual review instead of deleting them immediately.

For borderline spam (e.g., spam score 2-3), set up an email alert for manual verification before processing. This adds an extra layer of review for important leads. By filtering out junk, only real customers make it into your CRM or email tools like HubSpot and Mailchimp, helping your team focus on quality leads. 

Final Thoughts

While Translate by Zapier offers a basic way to filter spam based on language, it doesn’t stop bad actors from using disposable emails, blacklisted IPs, or harmful content. This is where OOPSpam’s advanced machine learning filtering provides a stronger, more reliable spam prevention system.

Translate by Zapier vs. OOPSpam: Which Should You Use?

Feature	Translate by Zapier	OOPSpam Zapier App
Detects Language	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Blocks Unwanted Languages	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Stops Spam Emails	❌ No	✅ Yes
Blocks Bad IPs	❌ No	✅ Yes
Machine Learning Spam Filtering	❌ No	✅ Yes
Blocks Disposable Emails	❌ No	✅ Yes

• If you only need basic language filtering, go with Translate by Zapier.
• If you need full spam protection (bad emails, IPs, machine learning detection), OOPSpam is the best option.

Try OOPSpam’s Zapier app today and take back control of your forms. Whether you have questions about setup, need troubleshooting tips, or want to fine-tune your spam filtering settings, OOPSpam’s support team is always available to assist you. 

Let’s keep your inbox spam-free together!