Contact Form Builder, Lead Capture & Inbox CRM – ContactIn vs OpenPorte Spam Protection

ContactIn helps teams move from “message received” to “message handled” with less manual work and better visibility. Every submission lands in one inbox, contacts are updated automatically, and intent is classified with keyword rules tailored to your industry profile. If you need a contact form plugin that stores submissions in your WordPress database, ContactIn combines form builder, lead capture, inbox workflow, and delivery reliability in one system. Instead of splitting traffic across multiple forms, you can run one smart form for sales, support, and general inquiries, then triage quickly inside a single workflow. If your goal is to capture more leads, respond faster, and keep operations organized as volume grows, ContactIn is built for that. You get one workflow for capture, triage, response, and reporting: Form builder with shortcode, Gutenberg block, and Elementor widget Unified inbox with fail-safe capture flow — search, filters, status pipeline, and notes Intent classification: keyword-based patterns across 19 industry-specific profiles Real-time analytics: submissions, trends, response performance, and delivery visibility Email deliverability toolkit: SMTP, SPF/DKIM/DMARC checks, HTML templates, TLS/SSL, queue with retries Multi-layer spam protection: reCAPTCHA v3, honeypot, rate limiting Queue reliability engine: deduplication (30-day window), dead-letter queue support, and automatic stuck-item recovery Consent capture support for compliance-oriented form workflows Automatic contact capture and profile updates (phone normalization, deduplication, CSV/JSON export) Safe lifecycle handling for activation, deactivation, and uninstall operations Why Teams Choose ContactIn Faster first-response handling with clear inbox status, filters, and notes Cleaner lead pipeline with auto-captured contacts and deduplication support Better operational confidence with queue visibility, retries, and diagnostics Lower manual overhead by combining capture, routing, and reporting in one plugin Flexible deployment for agencies and multi-team workflows across many industries The Problem We Solve When businesses receive contact form submissions, they often hit the same growth blockers: Messages scattered across email, spreadsheets, and internal chat No consistent way to prioritize sales vs support vs spam Slow response times and missed high-intent leads Manual data entry and inconsistent follow-up Limited visibility into which forms and campaigns perform best ContactIn addresses these blockers by centralizing submissions, improving triage speed, maintaining contact records, and giving your team clearer analytics and delivery visibility. How It Works Capture leads from your form (shortcode, block, or Elementor widget). Classify intent automatically using industry-specific keyword profiles. Route and manage submissions in a unified inbox with filters, status, and notes. Measure performance with analytics and delivery logs. Monitor queue health and maintain your submission pipeline. Who It’s For ContactIn is designed for teams that need faster response and clearer message routing: SaaS and software teams E-commerce and retail stores Service and consulting firms Healthcare and medical clinics Education and training providers Hospitality and travel businesses Banking and financial services Insurance teams Legal services and law firms Real estate teams Construction and home services Automotive and dealerships Logistics and courier services Telecom and ISP providers Supermarkets and grocery Travel agencies and tours Embassy and high commission services Quality agencies and certification bodies Agencies and multi-client operations Features Form Builder & Frontend Integration * Shortcode: [contactin_form] * Native Gutenberg block * Elementor widget * Configurable fields and validation * Responsive form UI * Per-profile settings (labels, messages, optional fields, consent) Unified Inbox & Contact Management * Centralized submission inbox with fail-safe capture (no lost messages) * Search and filtering * Bulk actions * Status pipeline (unread, read, archived, spam) * Threading and internal notes * Automatic contact creation and updates (including phone changes) * Phone number normalization and validation * Duplicate submission detection and cleanup tools * CSV/JSON exports * Contact timeline context to support faster follow-up and cleaner handoff Intent Classification (Keyword-Based) * Categories: Sales, Support, Feedback, Complaints, Questions * Keyword-based classification with custom rule support * Business-type profiles to improve relevance by industry * 19 industry profiles: Generic, SaaS, E-commerce, Service, Healthcare, Education, Hospitality, Banking, Insurance, Embassy, Quality Agency, Travel Agency, Supermarket, Legal, Logistics, Telecom, Automotive, Construction, Real Estate Analytics & Reporting * Submission volume tracking * Conversion and response metrics * Geographic and device-level insights * Performance monitoring * Delivery and queue observability * Dashboard widgets for daily operational visibility Deliverability & Reliability * SMTP support (Gmail, SendGrid, Mailgun, AWS SES, Outlook, custom) * Anti-spam headers and sender-domain checks * SPF/DKIM/DMARC mismatch warnings * Professional HTML email templates and TLS/SSL encryption * Delivery queue with retries and delivery logs * Async queue with retries, deduplication, dead-letter handling * Queue maintenance tools and diagnostics * Queue health monitoring for stalled processors/locks * Circuit-breaker and retry behavior designed to prevent silent message loss Queue Reliability & Deduplication * Idempotent queue engine: deduplication window extended to 30 days for maintenance operations * Automatic recovery for stuck “processing” items (older than 10 minutes reset to pending) * Dead-letter queue (DLQ) with per-item and bulk retry, idempotent retry button (safe to click multiple times) * Before/after statistics and last retry timestamp displayed in Maintenance panel Operations, Logs & Maintenance * Email, cron, and queue log tables for troubleshooting * Background cleanup of stale logs, orphaned entries, and old records to keep the system tidy * Safe activation/deactivation lifecycle handling * Safe uninstall path with cleanup controls Security & Compliance * Google reCAPTCHA v3 * Honeypot and rate limiting * Duplicate submission safeguards * Consent checkbox/capture support for compliance-oriented forms What’s Included This version includes a complete contact management solution: Multiple form profiles (unlimited — label, fields, messages, consent, reCAPTCHA override) Unified inbox + search/filter + bulk actions Keyword-based intent classification with 19 industry profiles Industry-specific business-type profiles Analytics dashboard (core metrics) Core spam protection (reCAPTCHA + honeypot + baseline throttling) SMTP + deliverability checks + queue reliability Consent capture support for compliance-oriented forms Automatic data capture from every submission to continuously grow your contact list Contact auto-capture and profile updates with phone normalization ContactIn Pro ContactIn Pro is available for teams that need extended automation and deeper reporting. Both Free and Pro versions capture every submission and help grow your contact list automatically. For current Pro capabilities and support, visit: https://contactinbox.app/ Source Code and Build Assets Public source snapshots and release packages for this plugin are available at: https://github.com/bizjaved/contactin-release https://github.com/bizjaved/contactin-release/releases This plugin includes human-readable source for distributed minified assets. Distributed assets: dist/js/ dist/css/ Readable source directories available in the public repository: assets/src/js/ (source for dist/js/*.min.js) assets/src/css/ (source for dist/css/*.min.css) Custom JavaScript minified -> source mapping: dist/js/admin-email-log.min.js -> assets/src/js/admin-email-log.js dist/js/admin-global.min.js -> assets/src/js/admin-global.js dist/js/admin-inbox.min.js -> assets/src/js/admin-inbox.js dist/js/admin-settings.min.js -> assets/src/js/admin-settings.js dist/js/attachment-cleanup.min.js -> assets/src/js/attachment-cleanup.js dist/js/confetti.min.js -> assets/src/js/confetti.js dist/js/dashboard-analytics.min.js -> assets/src/js/dashboard-analytics.js dist/js/dashboard-chart-renderer.min.js -> assets/src/js/dashboard-chart-renderer.js dist/js/dashboard-date-utils.min.js -> assets/src/js/dashboard-date-utils.js dist/js/dashboard-render-helpers.min.js -> assets/src/js/dashboard-render-helpers.js dist/js/dashboard-sparkline.min.js -> assets/src/js/dashboard-sparkline.js dist/js/dashboard-tabs.min.js -> assets/src/js/dashboard-tabs.js dist/js/dashboard-widgets-live.min.js -> assets/src/js/dashboard-widgets-live.js dist/js/elementor-editor.min.js -> assets/src/js/elementor-editor.js dist/js/frontend.min.js -> assets/src/js/frontend.js dist/js/gutenberg-block.min.js -> assets/src/js/gutenberg-block.js dist/js/maintenance.min.js -> assets/src/js/maintenance.js dist/js/sf-attachment-settings.min.js -> assets/src/js/sf-attachment-settings.js Custom CSS minified -> source mapping: dist/css/admin-global.min.css -> assets/src/css/admin-global.css dist/css/admin-inbox.min.css -> assets/src/css/admin-inbox.css dist/css/admin-inbox-old.min.css -> assets/src/css/admin-inbox-old.css dist/css/admin-settings.min.css -> assets/src/css/admin-settings.css dist/css/attachment-cleanup.min.css -> assets/src/css/attachment-cleanup.css dist/css/contact-detail.min.css -> assets/src/css/contact-detail.css dist/css/contact-detail-tabs.min.css -> assets/src/css/contact-detail-tabs.css dist/css/contact-edit-modal.min.css -> assets/src/css/contact-edit-modal.css dist/css/crm-log.min.css -> assets/src/css/crm-log.css dist/css/dashboard-analytics.min.css -> assets/src/css/dashboard-analytics.css dist/css/dashboard-widgets.min.css -> assets/src/css/dashboard-widgets.css dist/css/elementor-editor.min.css -> assets/src/css/elementor-editor.css dist/css/frontend.min.css -> assets/src/css/frontend.css dist/css/gutenberg-editor.min.css -> assets/src/css/gutenberg-editor.css dist/css/inbox-consolidated.min.css -> assets/src/css/inbox-consolidated.css dist/css/logs.min.css -> assets/src/css/logs.css dist/css/maintenance.min.css -> assets/src/css/maintenance.css dist/css/sf-attachment-settings.min.css -> assets/src/css/sf-attachment-settings.css dist/css/tests.min.css -> assets/src/css/tests.css Third-party bundled libraries and public sources: Chart.js v4.5.1 (bundled as dist/js/vendor/chart.min.js) Source: https://github.com/chartjs/Chart.js License: MIT Select2 v4.1.0-rc.0 (bundled as dist/js/vendor/select2.min.js and dist/css/vendor/select2.min.css) Source: https://github.com/select2/select2 License: MIT Additional distributed JS/CSS that are already human-readable (not minified/compressed): dist/js/admin-settings-attachment-restapi.js dist/js/admin-settings-autosave.js dist/js/contactin-profile-core.js dist/js/contact-deletion.js dist/js/contact-detail-tabs.js dist/js/contact-edit-modal.js dist/js/gdpr-frontend.js dist/js/gdpr.js dist/css/form-error-modal.css dist/css/gdpr-frontend.css dist/css/get-started.css dist/css/intent-classification.css How to rebuild generated/minified assets (from plugin root): Install build tools (if needed): npm install –no-save terser clean-css-cli Rebuild JavaScript minified assets from source: for f in assets/src/js/*.js; do \ npx terser “$f” -c -m -o “dist/js/$(basename “${f%.js}”).min.js”; \ done Rebuild CSS minified assets from source: for f in assets/src/css/*.css; do \ npx cleancss -o “dist/css/$(basename “${f%.css}”).min.css” “$f”; \ done Rebuild one specific file examples: JS: npx terser assets/src/js/dashboard-widgets-live.js -c -m -o dist/js/dashboard-widgets-live.min.js CSS: npx cleancss -o dist/css/dashboard-analytics.min.css assets/src/css/dashboard-analytics.css Build prerequisites: Node.js + npm (for terser / clean-css-cli) Composer for PHP autoload/dependency management (see composer.json) Public source code locations (required for review/forking): Main repository (public): https://github.com/bizjaved/contactin-release Tagged releases: https://github.com/bizjaved/contactin-release/releases JavaScript source tree: https://github.com/bizjaved/contactin-release/tree/main/assets/src/js CSS source tree: https://github.com/bizjaved/contactin-release/tree/main/assets/src/css Review note for WordPress.org: every compressed asset in dist/js/.min.js and dist/css/.min.css is generated from files in assets/src/js and assets/src/css, and those source files are publicly accessible in the repository links above. All plugin PHP source is included in this package under includes/ and templates/. Quick Start Install and activate ContactIn. Add [contactin_form] to a page/post (or use block/widget). Configure email delivery in Settings > Email (SMTP recommended). Configure spam protection in Settings > Security. Start capturing and organizing contact submissions. External Services This plugin may connect to the following external services depending on your configuration. No data is sent to any service without your explicit setup. 1. SMTP provider (user-configured, optional) This plugin can send notification emails via an external SMTP server that you configure. Supported providers include Gmail, SendGrid, Mailgun, AWS SES, Outlook, and any custom SMTP server. Data sent is limited to the email content (sender, recipient, subject, body). This only activates if you enable and configure SMTP in Settings → Email. Consult your chosen provider’s own privacy and terms documentation. 2. Google reCAPTCHA (optional) Used for: Spam protection on the contact form front-end. Data sent: Browser/device fingerprint data transmitted to Google servers. Conditions: Only active when reCAPTCHA is enabled in Settings. Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy Terms: https://www.google.com/recaptcha/about/ 3. Salesforce CRM (optional) Used for: Sending contact, case/task, and related attachment sync requests when Salesforce CRM integration is configured. Data sent: Contact form fields you map into Salesforce, message metadata needed for sync status, and optional attachment content when file sync is enabled. Conditions: Only active when a site administrator configures Salesforce CRM integration and enables CRM sync features. Privacy Policy: https://www.salesforce.com/company/privacy/ Terms: https://www.salesforce.com/company/legal/agreements/ Privacy & Data Collection Data collected: * Form submission fields entered by users * IP/user agent data for anti-spam and security operations * Submission timestamps and routing metadata Data storage: * Stored in your WordPress database * Sent externally only to services you configure (e.g., reCAPTCHA, SMTP, Salesforce CRM) Optional external services: * Google reCAPTCHA * Your SMTP provider * Salesforce CRM reCAPTCHA policy links: * Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy * Terms of Service: https://policies.google.com/terms Documentation Website: https://contactinbox.app/ Docs: https://contactinbox.app/ Support: https://contactinbox.app/ Credits Developed by Javed Ahsan.

OpenPorte is a free and open-source plugin that protects WordPress forms from spam using a lightweight Proof-of-Work challenge instead of CAPTCHAs. The goal is to make spam expensive for bots while keeping the experience almost invisible for legitimate visitors and respecting their privacy. For site owners, OpenPorte offers an easy to configure and deploy modern spam protection under their control. For the site users, it offers an accessible, transparent and privacy-friendly alternative to CAPTCHAs. OpenPorte is built around the open-source ALTCHA widget. Some highlights: CAPTCHA-free spam protection Fully open source (GPL) Self-hosted – no mandatory external service Designed to be accessible and privacy-friendly Compatible with existing ALTCHA integrations Easy migration for users of ALTCHA Spam Protection v1 (≤ 1.26.3) For the list of contributors, refer to our GitHub project: Contributors. AI-assisted development AI-assisted project. Architecture, security decisions, and final review are mine; AI tools (Claude, Mistral, and others) help with drafting code, tests, translations, and documentation — without them, one person couldn’t keep this fork alive. Background The original ALTCHA Spam Protection WordPress plugin (v1) was open source (GPLv2). Its authors have since released a version 2/3 which is no longer open source. They no longer maintain the open source project and recommend that users migrate to v2/v3. See the official project at https://altcha.org for their offering. OpenPorte started as a fork and continues the v1 line as free software (GPLv2 or later) for users who want to stay on a fully open-source, self-hosted solution. It is a faithful fork: existing v1 installations can switch to OpenPorte and keep their settings (see Upgrading). Compatibility OpenPorte is backward-compatible with ALTCHA Spam Protection v1 plugin: Your existing settings are migrated automatically on activation. The [altcha] shortcode keeps working (alongside the new [openporte]). The altcha_* filters and actions keep firing as deprecated aliases. Custom API Mode has been verified against GateCHA, an open source server implementing the creation and verification of ALTCHA challenges. See the Deprecations section for the full list of compatibility aliases and what they map to. Upgrading From the original ALTCHA v1 plugin Deactivate the old ALTCHA plugin, then install and activate OpenPorte. Your existing configuration is detected and copied into the OpenPorte settings on first activation; the original ALTCHA settings are left untouched, so you can roll back to ALTCHA v1 without losing anything. Do not run both plugins at the same time. From ALTCHA v2/v3 If your site was already moved to ALTCHA v2/v3 (for example by the automatic 3.0.0 update), your original v1 settings are normally still in the database: the v2/v3 upgrade neither migrates nor removes them. Deactivate ALTCHA, then install and activate OpenPorte — it finds and imports the v1 settings, even when the v1 plugin itself has long been deleted. Settings made in v2/v3 are not read. Deprecations The following ALTCHA-era identifiers are kept as aliases for backward compatibility and are scheduled for removal in a future release: The [altcha] shortcode — use [openporte]. The altcha/v1 REST namespace — use openporte/v1. The altcha_* filters and actions — now firing through WordPress’ deprecated hook mechanism; use the openporte_* equivalents. The AltchaPlugin class and the ALTCHA_VERSION / ALTCHA_WIDGET_VERSION constants — use OpenPortePlugin and the OPENPORTE_* constants. Integrations targeting paid-only third-party plugins; affected users should migrate to the official ALTCHA v2/v3 plugin. The “Custom HTML” integration (auto-configuration of hand-written tags) — place the [openporte] shortcode instead. You can re-enable it for now under Settings → OpenPorte → Integrations. Privacy No cookies, no tracking OpenPorte prioritizes user privacy by avoiding the use of cookies and fingerprinting techniques. No external service This plugin remains fully contained within your WordPress installation, eliminating any reliance on external services. Modes of Operation OpenPorte verifies submissions in one of two modes, selected in the settings (API Mode): Self-hosted (default) — a proof-of-work challenge is issued and verified by your own WordPress site through the REST API. Fully self-contained, with no external service and no additional setup beyond enabling the integrations you need. Custom — point the Challenge URL at your own ALTCHA-compatible backend (for example a self-hosted ALTCHA Sentinel, or GateCHA). Submissions are verified with your site’s shared secret. The paid altcha.org regional SaaS classifier offered by earlier versions has been removed; both remaining modes are free and self-hostable. REST API This plugin requires the WordPress REST API. If you are using any “Disable REST API” plugins, ensure that the endpoint /altcha/v1/challenge (marked for deprecation) and /openporte/v1/challenge are allowed. Supported Integrations CoBlocks Contact Form 7 Elementor Pro Forms (deprecated — paid plugin, see Deprecations) Formidable Forms Forminator GravityForms HTML Forms wpDiscuz WPForms WordPress Login, Register, Password reset WordPress Comments WooCommerce Many other plugins and your own content (via the [openporte] shortcode, or the deprecated [altcha] alias) Source Code All source code for the plugin, and the ALTCHA widget is available on GitHub. In the repository, you’ll also find versions of non-minified JavaScript and CSS assets: Plugin: https://github.com/openporte/openporte ALTCHA Widget: https://github.com/altcha-org/altcha