cacklebunny
asked on
Form "Submit" buttons disappear with anti-virus software?
We have many customers complaining that they can't complete an online order because the submit button that we describe in our instructions isn't appearing on the web page. When we try this, it works perfectly well. The only clue we have is that some of them reported having anti-virus and/for firewall software installed.
I am not aware of any anti-virus/firewall software that would be set to specifically block online forms or submit buttons, however. Is anyone familiar with this and could recommend a workaround?
Another possibility as to the cause is that our initial online form submits from our non-secure site to a secure site on a different domain (but that can't be changed due to our relationship with the secure site...the initial form has to reside on our site and then it has to submit to the secure site). Could the fact that they are on different domains cause this "hidden submit button" issue?
I am not aware of any anti-virus/firewall software that would be set to specifically block online forms or submit buttons, however. Is anyone familiar with this and could recommend a workaround?
Another possibility as to the cause is that our initial online form submits from our non-secure site to a secure site on a different domain (but that can't be changed due to our relationship with the secure site...the initial form has to reside on our site and then it has to submit to the secure site). Could the fact that they are on different domains cause this "hidden submit button" issue?
That is indeed not likely to be the problem..
Ask your customers which operating system they are using and that sort of questions to narrow down your list of possible issues. The fact that it's not secure should not matter at all...
What you could always do as an alternative, is make sure the form can be submitted by pressing enter...
Regards,
Max.
Ask your customers which operating system they are using and that sort of questions to narrow down your list of possible issues. The fact that it's not secure should not matter at all...
What you could always do as an alternative, is make sure the form can be submitted by pressing enter...
Regards,
Max.
ASKER
Has nothing to do with XP2 or XP for that matter, unfortunately. We seem to get this on on several operating systems, but it's always a small group of users. The only commonality I've found is Norton Internet Security, but when I download their trial version of the software, I have no problems seeing the forms and submit buttons on our landing page. And I know the page works because thousands of people have successfully clicked the button and processed their order. The majority of people have no problems.
So I'm at a loss. It seems to me to be security related. The offer was given to them in an email...but I wonder if certain email applications are blocking online forms when the link doesn't open up in a new browser window. I just wish I could duplicate it.
So I'm at a loss. It seems to me to be security related. The offer was given to them in an email...but I wonder if certain email applications are blocking online forms when the link doesn't open up in a new browser window. I just wish I could duplicate it.
ASKER
By "small group of users" I mean in comparison to the majority who do successfully process the page. :)
Some firewalls DO indeed block out HTML content depending on what's in it...what they block, can differ per firewall...and so per user...
It is kinda trivial that this is from a form in e-mail instead of online cacklebunny...there's totally different things to look for when you send a form using e-mail. Lots of Sys-admins won't allow forms to be filled in and send in their e-mail..
Regards,
Max.
It is kinda trivial that this is from a form in e-mail instead of online cacklebunny...there's totally different things to look for when you send a form using e-mail. Lots of Sys-admins won't allow forms to be filled in and send in their e-mail..
Regards,
Max.
ASKER
Dream:
Just to clarify: The initial HTML email the user receives does not contain a form. It's simply describing the product to our subscribers and then providing a link to the landing page, which is located at our website.
Usually, we have a "target" attribute added to the anchor tag so that this link always opens up in a new window (and thus won't open inside the email window where the email app might block things like online forms)....but in this case it was sent out by a partner, who didn't use the target attribute. Whether that's the actual cause is anyone's guess at this point. :(
Just to clarify: The initial HTML email the user receives does not contain a form. It's simply describing the product to our subscribers and then providing a link to the landing page, which is located at our website.
Usually, we have a "target" attribute added to the anchor tag so that this link always opens up in a new window (and thus won't open inside the email window where the email app might block things like online forms)....but in this case it was sent out by a partner, who didn't use the target attribute. Whether that's the actual cause is anyone's guess at this point. :(
What I would suggest is, to have the exact e-mail send back to you as they receive it...also have them make screenshots of what they see..ask them what platform they use, what service packs are running, which browser and version of browser they are running...
So many things to check..if you can eliminate several possibilities...the solution comes closer...
Regards,
Max.
So many things to check..if you can eliminate several possibilities...the solution comes closer...
Regards,
Max.
ASKER
We have the original email and a copy as they receive it. The screenshots seem to show our landing page, but without the submit button or online form portion. The platforms have varied --many aren't even Windows-based (Macintosh). But we've had people who noted the same problem in Windows 98, 2000, NT 4.0 and XP. It doesn't seem to be platform-specific.
Of the customers who are getting back with us, several are saying they have Norton Anti-Virus installed. I don't know how that plays a role in this, but after installing Norton on my own machine, I couldn't duplicate their problem.
Of the customers who are getting back with us, several are saying they have Norton Anti-Virus installed. I don't know how that plays a role in this, but after installing Norton on my own machine, I couldn't duplicate their problem.
ASKER
I have found the answer to the problem. As expected, it was Norton's software. Specifically, it was Norton Anti-Spam's ad blocker. The blocker program contains "default" text strings it searches for in the HTML body of a page. If any of those text strings are found, the entire block of HTML is stripped out with the assumption that it's related to a banner ad. Such innocous text strings as <a href="#order">Order now</a> or "img src="/images/banners/logo.
So it was not a firewall issue....totally anti-virus/anti-spam/ad-bl
So it was not a firewall issue....totally anti-virus/anti-spam/ad-bl
Ok, makes perfect sense it was not the fault of the firewall / anti-virus.
Never heard of that norton anti-spam blocker. I guess poeple who use it should learn how to use it... Thanks for sharing the info.
<:°)
Never heard of that norton anti-spam blocker. I guess poeple who use it should learn how to use it... Thanks for sharing the info.
<:°)
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You should test it in IE on XP SP2, many things don't work with SP2.