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How to Block IPs from VPN and Cloud Providers in Zapier?

Spam submissions are a common problem for website owners, form managers, and business professionals dealing with online inquiries. Many spammers hide their identity using VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and cloud provider servers, making it harder to detect and prevent their automated spam attacks.

If you’re tired of dealing with junk submissions, OOPSpam’s Zapier integration now has two new settings that can help:

• Block VPNs – This prevents form submissions from IPs linked to VPN services.
• Block Cloud Providers – This blocks IPs associated with cloud hosting services, commonly used by spammers to send automated spam.

In this guide, we’ll walk through why blocking these IPs can help, how to set up these features in Zapier, and what to keep in mind when enabling them.

Why Spammers Use VPNs and Cloud Providers?

Before diving into how to block them, let’s quickly go over why VPNs and cloud providers are commonly used by spammers:

1. VPNs Help Hide Identity

Many people use VPNs to protect their privacy, but spammers use them to conceal their real IP addresses. This makes it difficult to track where the spam is coming from. They also use VPNs to bypass location-based restrictions.

2. Cloud Servers Automate Spam Attacks

Spammers don’t manually send junk messages. Instead, they use automated scripts and bots hosted on cloud providers like AWS, DigitalOcean, and Google Cloud. These cloud-based bots can flood online forms with spam in seconds.

3. VPNs and Cloud Providers Make Blacklisting Harder

Since VPN and cloud provider IPs are constantly changing, traditional blacklists don’t always work. Spammers take advantage of this to rotate IP addresses and keep bypassing security filters.

This is where OOPSpam’s new blocking features in Zapier come in handy.

How OOPSpam’s Zapier Integration Helps

With the latest OOPSpam Zapier integration, you can automatically block spam from VPNs and cloud providers. Here’s how these two settings work:

Block VPNs

Enabling this setting blocks form submissions from users who are using a VPN. While VPNs are commonly used for privacy and security, spammers also rely on them to hide their real IP addresses and automate spam attacks.

• This is useful if you notice a pattern of spam coming from VPN providers, proxies, or the Tor network.
• Be cautious, as some legitimate users—such as remote workers or privacy-conscious visitors—also use VPNs.

If you’re unsure about an IP, you can check whether it belongs to a VPN provider using this IP reputation check tool.

Block Cloud Providers

This setting prevents submissions from IPs associated with 1,500+ cloud providers, including major data centers and hosting companies frequently used for spam campaigns. 99.9% of spam from cloud providers comes from automated programs rather than real users.

• Real users typically don’t submit forms from cloud servers, this setting is safe to enable in most cases.
• If an IP falls within a cloud provider’s range, it is almost always associated with automated scripts or bots, not human users.

OOPSpam’s IP database is regularly updated, but since IPs sometimes change hands, occasional false positives may occur. By enabling these settings, you can significantly cut down on spam, keeping your forms secure and free from automated attacks.

Step-by-Step: How to Block VPN and Cloud Provider IPs in Zapier?

Now, let’s go through the step-by-step process of setting up OOPSpam’s VPN and Cloud Provider blocking features in Zapier. This will help prevent spam submissions before they even reach your inbox.

Step 1: Access the OOPSpam Zapier Integration

First, log into your Zapier account and navigate to the Zap where you want to integrate OOPSpam’s spam filtering.

If you haven’t connected OOPSpam yet:

1. Go to “My Apps” in Zapier’s dashboard.
2. Search for OOPSpam and click “Connect a new account.”
3. Enter your OOPSpam API key (found in your OOPSpam account dashboard).
4. Click Continue to finalize the connection.

Once connected, you’ll be able to use OOPSpam’s spam filtering in your workflows.

Step 2: Configure VPN and Cloud Provider Blocking in Zapier

Now that OOPSpam is integrated into Zapier, let’s configure the new settings to block spam from VPNs and cloud providers.

1. Open your Zap and select the “OOPSpam – Check for Spam” action.
2. Scroll down to locate the new settings:

3. • Block  IP addresses from Cloud Providers (Toggle to “True” to block spam from cloud-hosted servers.)

   • Block IP addresses from VPN Providers (Toggle to “True” if you want to block VPN submissions.)

4. Click “Continue” to apply these changes.

Step 3: Map Your Form Submission Data to OOPSpam

To ensure accurate spam detection, you need to properly map your form fields to OOPSpam’s system.

1. Under the “Check for Spam” action, select the form fields you want to scan for spam:

2. • Email Address – Select the field that contains the email address submitted in your form.

   • Content – Choose the field containing the message or text input.

   • Sender IP – Map fields like IP addresses to improve filtering accuracy.

3. Double-check that the correct data is being passed to OOPSpam for analysis.

Step 4: Test the Blocking Settings

Before enabling the automation, it’s important to test how the VPN and Cloud Provider blocking settings work in real-time.

1. Submit a test entry through your form.
2. Check if the submission is flagged as spam.
3. If a legitimate submission is blocked, verify the IP using an IP reputation check tool.
4. If needed, adjust your settings based on the results.
5. Click “Publish Zap” once everything is working correctly.

💡 Tip: If you receive complaints from real users who got blocked, consider disabling VPN blocking while keeping cloud provider blocking enabled.

Pros and Cons of Blocking VPN and Cloud Provider IPs

Before enabling these settings, it’s important to understand the benefits and potential drawbacks.

Pros

• Reduces spam significantly – Most bot-driven spam comes from VPNs or cloud servers.
• Saves time – Less manual filtering of junk submissions.
• No need for traditional blacklists – Dynamically blocks spam sources without manual updates.
• Improves form data quality – Only real users submit data, leading to more accurate leads and customer interactions.

Cons

• Might block legitimate VPN users – Some real visitors use VPNs for security and privacy.
• False positives – While rare, some cloud IPs may belong to legitimate services.
• Requires occasional monitoring – Checking user complaints can help fine-tune the settings.

Best Practices for Using This Feature

To get the most out of these settings, here are some best practices to follow:

• Monitor submission trends – If you notice frequent spam from VPNs, enable VPN blocking.
• Be selective with VPN blocking – If you run a global site, VPN blocking might affect real users.
• Keep cloud provider blocking ON – Since most real users don’t submit forms from cloud servers, this setting is generally safe to enable.
• Use an IP checker tool – Before making drastic changes, verify suspicious IPs using IP Reputation Check.

Final thoughts

If you’re dealing with frequent spam submissions, OOPSpam’s new VPN and cloud provider blocking feature in Zapier can make a big difference. By following the steps outlined above, you can cut down on spam while keeping your forms accessible to real users. Just be sure to test and monitor your settings to avoid blocking legitimate visitors.

With these steps, your forms stay secure, spam-free, and efficient. Don’t let spammers disrupt your business—set up OOPSpam in Zapier today and take control of your submissions.