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Spam bots and fake leads causing data issues

How spam bots submit fake leads and why Madlitics does not track them

In the realm of digital marketing, accurate lead attribution is crucial for assessing campaign effectiveness and making informed decisions. However, an increasing challenge arises when Madlitics users encounter leads with incomplete "Channel" and "Segment" fields. This often stems from spam bots—automated programs that submit forms without genuine human interaction.

The issue: Incomplete channel and segment data
Madlitics is designed to capture detailed information about each lead, including the marketing channel and specific segments that led them to your site. When these fields are blank or incomplete, it raises concerns about data accuracy and lead legitimacy.


Identifying legitimate leads vs. spam submissions

To determine whether a lead is genuine or a result of spam, consider the following:

  • Lead Content: Legitimate leads typically provide coherent and relevant information, while spam submissions often contain nonsensical or promotional content.
  • Contact Information: Authentic leads usually include valid contact details; spam entries may use fake or suspicious information.
  • Submission Patterns: A sudden surge in form submissions without a corresponding increase in site traffic can indicate bot activity.


Understanding spam bots

Spam bots are automated scripts designed to crawl the internet in search of forms to submit. Upon finding a form, they fill it with pre-generated information, often for malicious purposes such as spreading advertisements or phishing links. Unlike human users, these bots do not operate through standard web browsers, meaning they bypass the typical processes that Madlitics relies on to track and store data via cookies. Consequently, when a spam bot submits a form, Madlitics cannot capture the usual channel and segment information, resulting in blank fields.


Mitigation strategies
Spam form submissions can interfere with accurate attribution — these best practices help ensure clean data, so you can trust your marketing insights.

  • Assess Lead Legitimacy: Review the content and patterns of your form submissions to distinguish between genuine leads and spam.
  • Implement Anti-Spam Measures: Utilize tools such as CAPTCHAs, honeypot fields, or device fingerprinting to deter bots from submitting forms. CAPTCHAs require users to complete a task that is easy for humans but challenging for bots, while honeypot fields are hidden fields that, when filled out, indicate bot activity. Device fingerprinting analyzes various device attributes to identify and block bots.
  • Contact Madlitics Support: If you encounter legitimate leads with incomplete data, reach out to us at support@madlitics.com. Our team is ready to assist in diagnosing and resolving any issues affecting data capture.
Madlitics multi-channel attribution visualization, showing marketing platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Google, and Facebook. The graphic highlights how different sources contribute to high-performing marketing channels.
1. Add UTM parameters to all inbound links
Any marketing effort that drives traffic — whether it’s a paid ad, an email campaign, or an organic post — should have properly structured URLs that clearly define the visitor’s origin. Setting it up is a straightforward process that starts with ensuring all inbound links include UTM parameters.

A LinkedIn campaign, for example, might link to:
https://yoursite.com/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign=q1_promo
Screenshot of a form builder interface with a highlighted 'Hidden Input' field. Accompanied by text explaining how to install and set up Madlitics by adding hidden fields to capture marketing attribution data.
2. Add hidden fields
Once you’ve added UTM tracking to your inbound links, the next step is to install Madlitics on your site and update your Framer Forms to include hidden fields that will store attribution data when a visitor submits a form automatically. Hidden fields to include:
• Channel (e.g., Paid Search, Organic Social, Direct)
• Segment 1 (Platform name: Google, LinkedIn, Twitter)
• Segment 2 (Campaign name)
• Segment 3 (Ad group, offer name, or post type)
• Segment 4 (Creative type or ad variation)
• Landing page/group (Tracking & first-touch attribution)
CRM interface showing a detailed view of captured attribution data, including marketing channels, segments, and landing pages. A business profile of a lead is displayed, highlighting how Madlitics enriches lead data for sales and marketing teams.
3. Utilize attribution data
With the setup complete, every form submission in Framer now carries full attribution data, ensuring accurate insights into where leads originate. Pass this data to your CRM, analytics tools, or marketing automation platforms to track performance, refine campaigns, and optimize marketing efforts with precision.

Understanding the role of spam bots in form submissions is essential for maintaining the integrity of your lead data. By implementing appropriate anti-spam measures, you can ensure that your lead attribution remains accurate and reliable.

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Track inbound leads across all campaigns, whether or not they have UTM parameters. Ensure every lead is categorized correctly, including Organic and Referral traffic. Use this insight to refine messaging, targeting, and budget allocation for better performance.
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Everything you need for reliable lead attribution
Accurate, persistent, and automated tracking — so your campaigns perform at their best.
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Outperforms basic UTM tracking
Madlitics captures, categorizes, and persists attribution data across sessions, giving you a complete, structured view of what’s working in your marketing. Say goodbye to losing attribution when users navigate your site, struggling with formatting inconsistencies, and ingored non-UTM traffic.
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Capture all traffic
Madlitics categorizes all inbound leads — whether they have UTM parameters or not — so every conversion is accounted for, and you won't miss out on Organic Search, Organic Social, and Referral traffic.
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Attribution across pages and sessions
A LinkedIn ad click should be attributed correctly—even if the visitor signs up on a different page later. If someone clicks an ad, browses multiple pages, then submits a form later, Madlitics persists attribution data across sessions, ensuring your reports reflect true performance.
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Cleaner, more reliable data
Duplicate UTMs and inconsistent formatting break reports and mislead teams. Madlitics cleans and organizes attribution data before sending it to your CRM, giving you accurate insights.
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See which content converts
Attribution isn’t just about where visitors came from—it’s about what convinced them to convert. By capturing landing page data alongside UTM parameters, Madlitics shows you which blog posts, case studies, or pricing pages drive the most revenue, helping you scale content that works.
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Transform form submissions into actionable insights
Madlitics connects marketing touchpoints to lead generation, ensuring every form submission is fully attributed — optimize ad spend by identifying high-ROI channels, refine messaging based on what content drives engagement, make data-driven decisions with clean, structured reports, and more.