What are some best practices for handling spam bots targeting PHP-based comment sections?

Spam bots targeting PHP-based comment sections can be handled by implementing CAPTCHA verification to ensure that only humans can submit comments. This helps prevent automated bots from flooding the comment section with spam. Additionally, using techniques such as honeypot fields and IP blacklisting can also help in reducing spam bot activity.

// Implementing CAPTCHA verification in PHP comment section
if($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") {
    // Verify CAPTCHA code here
    if($_POST["captcha"] != $_SESSION["captcha_code"]) {
        // CAPTCHA code does not match, display error message
        echo "CAPTCHA verification failed. Please try again.";
    } else {
        // CAPTCHA verification successful, process comment submission
        // Add code to save comment to database
    }
}