Enable CAPTCHA/spam protection

Enable CAPTCHA or equivalent spam protection so public responses are filtered, turn on the option to limit one response per device/session if available, and add a short anti-spam challenge on the first page. Test with three dummy submissions to confirm obvious bot patterns are blocked while real users aren't hindered.

Before I post the survey to the public bulletin, anticipate spam and make approvals fast. Add CAPTCHA to stop automated submissions, require a plausible email pattern or domain where sensible, and set a daily response quota so I can review any surge. Also flag which open-text questions attract gibberish so I can remove them if spam returns.

I published a public survey yesterday and this morning there are 400 responses filled with nonsense text and fake emails. The people involved are me, the communications lead Elena, and the public respondents. I don't know whether turning on spam protection will retroactively remove the junk or just block new arrivals. What's the likely immediate remedy to stop the deluge and the safest way to preserve any legitimate responses from being lost?

Every time I share a public link to staff-of-others or community surveys, bots pour in within hours and I spend days cleaning. This pattern costs time and risks skewing results. Which regular habit should I adopt to prevent spam before distribution, and what two lightweight protections stop most automated attacks without blocking real respondents?