Definition: email obfuscator

A software routine that makes email addresses on Web pages difficult to decipher for spambots. The obfuscator converts the text of the address into HTML codes that are typically not recognized by the spambot. However, the text renders properly on screen and is correctly handled by the email client that sends the message.

Although the code would confuse most bots attempting to capture addresses, a sophisticated spambot could, in fact, decode the HTML and obtain the real address. In the following example, sam@sam.com is concealed by obfuscating most of the characters in the address and leaving the rest alone. See spambot.

   sam@sam.com  is converted to:

   &#115;a&#109;&#64;s&#97;m&#46;c&#111;&#109;


   Conversion Details
   Text   HTML or Text

   s      &#115;
   a      a
   m      &#109;
   @      &#64;
   s      s
   a      &#97;
   m      m
   .      &#46;
   c      c
   o      &#111;
   m      &#109;

   Look up ASCII chart for character codes.

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Definition: email obfuscator