Even with spam protection enabled, bot and fake entries can appear in high-traffic promotions. This article explains how ViralSweep’s fraud filtering works, what to do when suspicious activity is detected, and how to get a clean entrant list after a bot check.
How ViralSweep’s spam protection works
ViralSweep runs multiple layers of protection on every promotion:
Spam filter — detects suspicious entry patterns such as sudden spikes, repeated data, or known bot signatures.
CAPTCHA — challenges users with a verification step before their entry is accepted.
Cookie and IP tracking — prevents duplicate entries from the same device or network.
Background protections — additional checks run automatically regardless of your spam filter settings.
Important: No spam filter catches 100% of bots. Sophisticated bots behave like real users and can bypass standard filters. If you notice suspicious activity, act quickly — report it to support while the promotion is still running so entries can be reviewed before winner selection.
Signs of bot activity
Watch for these patterns in your entrant list:
A sudden, large spike in entries over a short time period
Many entries using similar email formats (e.g. random strings @outlook.com or @gmail.com)
Entries from a narrow range of IP addresses
Entry counts far higher than your typical audience size or traffic
What to do if you suspect bot entries
Contact support as soon as possible — ideally while the promotion is still running. Include your promotion name or ID.
ViralSweep’s team will run a bot check, which typically takes 12–24 hours.
Once complete, bot and spam entries will be removed from your entrant list.
You will be notified when the review is complete.
Exporting only valid entries after a bot check
After a bot check, your full entrant export may still show all original entries — including the ones that were removed. To get only valid entries:
When exporting, use the Valid Entries export option rather than the default All Entries export.
If you’re unsure which export option to use, ask support at the time of the bot check to confirm the correct export method for your promotion.
Note: If you exported before the bot check was complete, your file will include bot entries. Re-export after you receive confirmation that the review is finished.
Reducing bot risk on future promotions
You can’t eliminate bots entirely, but these settings reduce exposure:
Enable CAPTCHA on your promotion form.
Enable the Spam Filter under your promotion’s settings.
For in-person or event-based promotions, use Events mode — this disables cookies and refreshes the form between participants, which is more suitable than standard spam filtering for shared devices.
Monitor your entry count regularly during the promotion, especially in the first 24–48 hours after launch.