Crystal Ball checks covered

VISIBLE_EMAIL_FOUND

What the flag means

Crystal Ball flags visible email addresses when it finds plain email text or mailto links on the page. This is not automatically bad SEO. It is a practical warning.

The problem is spam exposure. Scrapers can collect visible addresses, especially sitewide footer emails. At the same time, hiding every direct contact route can frustrate real visitors. The right answer depends on your business.

Common causes

Common causes include footer emails, staff bios, contact pages, mailto buttons, support addresses, and old template text. Sometimes the email is intentional; sometimes it was left behind after a contact form was added.

How to fix it

  • Custom HTML/static: Keep a visible email if it is important for trust, or replace it with a form if spam becomes a problem. You can also use a contact page link instead of a sitewide mailto.
  • WordPress: Use a contact form plugin or protect visible email addresses carefully. Do not hide all contact options if visitors need a direct path.
  • Shopify: Use the built-in contact form, customer service pages, or a protected support email. Plain email in the footer may attract spam.
  • Wix: Use Wix Forms or a contact section. If you keep a visible email, make sure it is intentional and monitored.
  • Webflow: Use Webflow forms or a support page. If you publish an email address, expect some spam and consider a role-based address like support@.

Need help?

If the fix gets murky, visit Support and send the details. Bug reports and Crystal Ball questions are free support. Implementation and development work may be paid support, but we will tell you clearly before anything becomes paid. No surprise invoices from the tower.