{"id":39850,"date":"2023-04-04T07:00:50","date_gmt":"2023-04-04T14:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dhblog.dream.press\/blog\/?p=39850"},"modified":"2025-05-21T18:24:18","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T01:24:18","slug":"complete-guide-to-recaptcha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/complete-guide-to-recaptcha\/","title":{"rendered":"Say Goodbye to Spam! A Complete Guide to reCAPTCHA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In 2013, Target now infamously compromised the data of<i> tens of millions<\/i> of shoppers in an event that slashed sales, brought lawsuits, and even caused the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2014\/5\/5\/5682810\/target-ceo-resigns-in-the-wake-of-data-breach\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CEO to resign<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What happened?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tsohost.com\/blog\/6-reasons-why-your-website-needs-a-captcha-form\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hackers gained access to Target<\/a> through a third-party vendor that lacked a CAPTCHA or any kind of authentication to ensure there was a human \u2014&nbsp;not a malicious bot \u2014&nbsp;entering their system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From there, it didn\u2019t take long for the bot to infiltrate this third-party vendor\u2019s organization and work its way into the major retailer\u2019s payment network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s the lesson here?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If bad actors want a way into your website, a CAPTCHA can be a powerful first line of defense, and even convince them to move on to an easier <i>target<\/i> (pun *highly* intended).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Intrigued by this CAPTCHA concept?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then read on to learn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The difference between CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA (and what all those letters mean!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The core types of CAPTCHAs in use today<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How CAPTCHAs can help website owners avoid spam and abuse<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A few downsides to consider with CAPTCHAs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Two ways to add a Google reCAPTCHA to your WordPress site<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"article-newsletter article-newsletter--gradient\">\n\n\n<h2>Get Content Delivered Straight to Your Inbox<\/h2><p>Subscribe now to receive all the latest updates, delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p><form class=\"nwsl-form\" id=\"newsletter_block_\" novalidate><div class=\"messages\"><\/div><div class=\"form-group\"><label for=\"input_newsletter_block_\"><input type=\"email\"name=\"email\"id=\"input_newsletter_block_\"placeholder=\"Enter your email address\"novalidatedisabled=\"disabled\"\/><\/label><button type=\"submit\"class=\"btn btn--brand\"disabled=\"disabled\"><span>Sign Me Up!<\/span><svg width=\"21\" height=\"14\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 14\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M13.8523 0.42524L12.9323 1.34521C12.7095 1.56801 12.7132 1.9304 12.9404 2.14865L16.7241 5.7823H0.5625C0.251859 5.7823 0 6.03416 0 6.3448V7.6573C0 7.96794 0.251859 8.2198 0.5625 8.2198H16.7241L12.9405 11.8535C12.7132 12.0717 12.7095 12.4341 12.9323 12.6569L13.8523 13.5769C14.072 13.7965 14.4281 13.7965 14.6478 13.5769L20.8259 7.39879C21.0456 7.17913 21.0456 6.82298 20.8259 6.60327L14.6477 0.42524C14.4281 0.205584 14.0719 0.205584 13.8523 0.42524Z\" fill=\"white\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n<\/button><\/div><\/form><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-what-is-recaptcha\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is reCAPTCHA?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Get ready folks, because this one\u2019s got layers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start with a basic definition: \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reCAPTCHA is a service from Google<\/a> that helps protect websites from spam and abuse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>reCAPTCHA from Google is a popular, branded version of CAPTCHA. The original idea of <a href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2012-06-captcha-story-squiggly-letters.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CAPTCHA was envisioned at Carnegie Mellon University<\/a> around 2000. reCAPTCHA was also created by developers at the same university, then <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ReCAPTCHA#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">purchased by Google<\/a> around 2009.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now for the next layer: What do all the letters in \u201cCAPTCHA\u201d actually <i>mean<\/i>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The phrase CAPTCHA is short(ish) for \u201ccompletely automated public Turing Test to tell computers and humans apart.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that explanation brings us to a final, logical layer to peel back: What\u2019s a Turing Test?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re like us, your primary exposure to the Turing Test comes from the 2014 movie <i>The Imitation Game,<\/i> featuring mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alan Turing developed the Turing Test (which he originally dubbed the imitation game \u2014 humble) to answer the question, \u201cCan machines think?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, Turing Tests are primarily used to tell humans and bots apart by testing a bot\u2019s capacity to display the same intelligent behavior a human would. Bots, in this case, refer to automated software programs, often powered by artificial intelligence (AI).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"glossary-term\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"glossary-term__above-title\"\n\t\thref=\"\"\n\t\ttarget=\"_blank\"\n\t\trel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n\t>\n\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 640 512\"><path d=\"M320 32c-8.1 0-16.1 1.4-23.7 4.1L15.8 137.4C6.3 140.9 0 149.9 0 160s6.3 19.1 15.8 22.6l57.9 20.9C57.3 229.3 48 259.8 48 291.9v28.1c0 28.4-10.8 57.7-22.3 80.8c-6.5 13-13.9 25.8-22.5 37.6C0 442.7-.9 448.3 .9 453.4s6 8.9 11.2 10.2l64 16c4.2 1.1 8.7 .3 12.4-2s6.3-6.1 7.1-10.4c8.6-42.8 4.3-81.2-2.1-108.7C90.3 344.3 86 329.8 80 316.5V291.9c0-30.2 10.2-58.7 27.9-81.5c12.9-15.5 29.6-28 49.2-35.7l157-61.7c8.2-3.2 17.5 .8 20.7 9s-.8 17.5-9 20.7l-157 61.7c-12.4 4.9-23.3 12.4-32.2 21.6l159.6 57.6c7.6 2.7 15.6 4.1 23.7 4.1s16.1-1.4 23.7-4.1L624.2 182.6c9.5-3.4 15.8-12.5 15.8-22.6s-6.3-19.1-15.8-22.6L343.7 36.1C336.1 33.4 328.1 32 320 32zM128 408c0 35.3 86 72 192 72s192-36.7 192-72L496.7 262.6 354.5 314c-11.1 4-22.8 6-34.5 6s-23.5-2-34.5-6L143.3 262.6 128 408z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 384 512\"><path d=\"M342.6 233.4c12.5 12.5 12.5 32.8 0 45.3l-192 192c-12.5 12.5-32.8 12.5-45.3 0s-12.5-32.8 0-45.3L274.7 256 105.4 86.6c-12.5-12.5-12.5-32.8 0-45.3s32.8-12.5 45.3 0l192 192z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t<\/a>\n    <h3>Bot<\/h3>\n    <p>A bot is a program designed to automate specific tasks. For example, search engines use bots to crawl the web following links to map and index new pages. Bots are also common in malware.<\/p>\n            <a\n            href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/glossary\/seo\/bot\/\"\n                        class=\"btn btn--white-outline btn--sm btn--round\"\n                                    target=\"_blank\"\n            rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n            >\n                            Read More                    <\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>CAPTCHAs help prevent spam and abuse on websites by blocking bots with challenges that are relatively easy for us humans to figure out and accomplish, but often expose bots for the programs they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you know enough to <i>definitely<\/i> write a novel on the background of the CAPTCHA, let\u2019s talk about all the different ways we see this concept appear in everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-different-types-of-captchas\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Different Types of CAPTCHAs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>CAPTCHAs have developed in various directions over the years in an attempt to make the distinction between humans and bots. Today, there are several common types of CAPTCHAs which require different forms of reasoning and input.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-text-based-captchas\">Text-Based CAPTCHAs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Text-based CAPTCHAs show characters in odd arrangements, using unusual fonts, and on colorful backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These CAPTCHAs require reasoning and translation to sort out what each letter and number is meant to be \u2014 an intelligent task that many pre-programmed bots can\u2019t do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"750\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Text-Based-CAPTCHAs.jpg\" alt=\"Example of text-based CAPTCHAs\" class=\"wp-image-39864 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Text-Based-CAPTCHAs.jpg.webp 1600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Text-Based-CAPTCHAs-300x141.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Text-Based-CAPTCHAs-1024x480.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Text-Based-CAPTCHAs-768x360.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Text-Based-CAPTCHAs-1536x720.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Text-Based-CAPTCHAs-600x281.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Text-Based-CAPTCHAs-1200x563.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Text-Based-CAPTCHAs-730x342.jpg.webp 730w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Text-Based-CAPTCHAs-1460x684.jpg.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Text-Based-CAPTCHAs-784x368.jpg.webp 784w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Text-Based-CAPTCHAs-1568x735.jpg.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Text-Based-CAPTCHAs-877x411.jpg.webp 877w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/750;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-image-based-captchas\">Image-Based CAPTCHAs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With an image-based CAPTCHA, the website user must identify which displayed photos match the provided prompt. By using similar-looking photos that require a level of logic to distinguish, this option can also outsmart bots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google\u2019s reCAPTCHA tests use this method quite often \u2014 which makes sense considering its vast source of photos from Google Street View.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"860\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Image-Based-CAPTCHAs.jpg\" alt=\"Example of image-based CAPTCHAs\" class=\"wp-image-39866 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Image-Based-CAPTCHAs.jpg.webp 1600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Image-Based-CAPTCHAs-300x161.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Image-Based-CAPTCHAs-1024x550.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Image-Based-CAPTCHAs-768x413.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Image-Based-CAPTCHAs-1536x826.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Image-Based-CAPTCHAs-600x323.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Image-Based-CAPTCHAs-1200x645.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Image-Based-CAPTCHAs-730x392.jpg.webp 730w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Image-Based-CAPTCHAs-1460x785.jpg.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Image-Based-CAPTCHAs-784x421.jpg.webp 784w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Image-Based-CAPTCHAs-1568x843.jpg.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Image-Based-CAPTCHAs-877x471.jpg.webp 877w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/860;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-audio-based-captchas\">Audio-Based CAPTCHAs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With audio-based CAPTCHAs, sound is the medium. This method is often paired with others, like text and visual CAPTCHAs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Audio CAPTCHAs are not only more accessible to people with vision impairment &#8211; they are also a powerful bot-blocker as they rely on how tricky it can be to distinguish actual words from background noise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"700\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Audio-Based-CAPTCHAs.jpg\" alt=\"Example of audio-based CAPTCHAs\" class=\"wp-image-39867 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Audio-Based-CAPTCHAs.jpg.webp 1600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Audio-Based-CAPTCHAs-300x131.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Audio-Based-CAPTCHAs-1024x448.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Audio-Based-CAPTCHAs-768x336.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Audio-Based-CAPTCHAs-1536x672.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Audio-Based-CAPTCHAs-600x263.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Audio-Based-CAPTCHAs-1200x525.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Audio-Based-CAPTCHAs-730x319.jpg.webp 730w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Audio-Based-CAPTCHAs-1460x639.jpg.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Audio-Based-CAPTCHAs-784x343.jpg.webp 784w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Audio-Based-CAPTCHAs-1568x686.jpg.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Audio-Based-CAPTCHAs-877x384.jpg.webp 877w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/700;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-checkbox-based-captchas\">Checkbox-Based CAPTCHAs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While these CAPTCHAs may seem simple on the surface, they\u2019re actually assessing how website users interact with the checkbox itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bots fill out forms and complete checkboxes instantly, whereas humans navigate through this process more slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This method may be combined with other CAPTCHAs if you want even more assurance that a user isn\u2019t secretly a software program <i>cleverly disguised<\/i> as a human wearing sweatpants and drinking Starbucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"750\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Checkbox-Based-CAPTCHAs.jpg\" alt=\"Example of checkbox-based CAPTCHAs\" class=\"wp-image-39868 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Checkbox-Based-CAPTCHAs.jpg.webp 1600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Checkbox-Based-CAPTCHAs-300x141.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Checkbox-Based-CAPTCHAs-1024x480.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Checkbox-Based-CAPTCHAs-768x360.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Checkbox-Based-CAPTCHAs-1536x720.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Checkbox-Based-CAPTCHAs-600x281.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Checkbox-Based-CAPTCHAs-1200x563.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Checkbox-Based-CAPTCHAs-730x342.jpg.webp 730w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Checkbox-Based-CAPTCHAs-1460x684.jpg.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Checkbox-Based-CAPTCHAs-784x368.jpg.webp 784w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Checkbox-Based-CAPTCHAs-1568x735.jpg.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Checkbox-Based-CAPTCHAs-877x411.jpg.webp 877w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/750;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-behavior-based-captchas\">Behavior-Based CAPTCHAs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The thing is, software has gotten so smart that a lot of the above CAPTCHAs can be bypassed these days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why the newest version of reCAPTCHA \u2014 Google\u2019s reCAPTCHA v3 \u2014 changed the game with a CAPTCHA method that runs in the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>reCAPTCHA v3 is a mostly invisible reCAPTCHA, which uses a JavaScript API and machine learning-powered, adaptive risk analysis engine to score users based on their behavior as they interact with your web pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Behind the scenes, reCAPTCHA v3 gives each user a score that attempts to determine whether they\u2019re human or bot. Of course, in some cases, this monitoring may not be enough to stop the <i>really<\/i> intelligent bots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, in an age when the pendulum is swinging back toward privacy on the internet, this method can be controversial as it monitors your on-site activity, with the only warning often being the small reCAPTCHA badge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"700\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Behavior-Based-CAPTCHAs.jpg\" alt=\"Example of behavior-based CAPTCHAs\" class=\"wp-image-39869 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Behavior-Based-CAPTCHAs.jpg.webp 1600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Behavior-Based-CAPTCHAs-300x131.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Behavior-Based-CAPTCHAs-1024x448.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Behavior-Based-CAPTCHAs-768x336.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Behavior-Based-CAPTCHAs-1536x672.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Behavior-Based-CAPTCHAs-600x263.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Behavior-Based-CAPTCHAs-1200x525.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Behavior-Based-CAPTCHAs-730x319.jpg.webp 730w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Behavior-Based-CAPTCHAs-1460x639.jpg.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Behavior-Based-CAPTCHAs-784x343.jpg.webp 784w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Behavior-Based-CAPTCHAs-1568x686.jpg.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Behavior-Based-CAPTCHAs-877x384.jpg.webp 877w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/700;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What we\u2019ve talked about here are just the most common CAPTCHAs. Other types of programs do things like ask the website user to drag objects to a specific point on the screen, play a \u201cmicrogame,\u201d and so on. Check out more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iihglobal.com\/blog\/mostly-used-captcha-examples\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CAPTCHA examples<\/a> here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-use-cases-where-to-apply-captchas-to-prevent-spam\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use Cases: Where to Apply CAPTCHAs to Prevent Spam<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>AI-powered automated software has a lot of extraordinary applications, such as helping businesses complete mundane, repetitive tasks to save workers time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, hostile actors have certainly found ways to use this technology to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/dissecting-web-site-attacks-what-you-should-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">attack websites<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"glossary-term\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"glossary-term__above-title\"\n\t\thref=\"\"\n\t\ttarget=\"_blank\"\n\t\trel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n\t>\n\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 640 512\"><path d=\"M320 32c-8.1 0-16.1 1.4-23.7 4.1L15.8 137.4C6.3 140.9 0 149.9 0 160s6.3 19.1 15.8 22.6l57.9 20.9C57.3 229.3 48 259.8 48 291.9v28.1c0 28.4-10.8 57.7-22.3 80.8c-6.5 13-13.9 25.8-22.5 37.6C0 442.7-.9 448.3 .9 453.4s6 8.9 11.2 10.2l64 16c4.2 1.1 8.7 .3 12.4-2s6.3-6.1 7.1-10.4c8.6-42.8 4.3-81.2-2.1-108.7C90.3 344.3 86 329.8 80 316.5V291.9c0-30.2 10.2-58.7 27.9-81.5c12.9-15.5 29.6-28 49.2-35.7l157-61.7c8.2-3.2 17.5 .8 20.7 9s-.8 17.5-9 20.7l-157 61.7c-12.4 4.9-23.3 12.4-32.2 21.6l159.6 57.6c7.6 2.7 15.6 4.1 23.7 4.1s16.1-1.4 23.7-4.1L624.2 182.6c9.5-3.4 15.8-12.5 15.8-22.6s-6.3-19.1-15.8-22.6L343.7 36.1C336.1 33.4 328.1 32 320 32zM128 408c0 35.3 86 72 192 72s192-36.7 192-72L496.7 262.6 354.5 314c-11.1 4-22.8 6-34.5 6s-23.5-2-34.5-6L143.3 262.6 128 408z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 384 512\"><path d=\"M342.6 233.4c12.5 12.5 12.5 32.8 0 45.3l-192 192c-12.5 12.5-32.8 12.5-45.3 0s-12.5-32.8 0-45.3L274.7 256 105.4 86.6c-12.5-12.5-12.5-32.8 0-45.3s32.8-12.5 45.3 0l192 192z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t<\/a>\n    <h3>DDoS Attack<\/h3>\n    <p>DDoS means Distributed Denial of Service. It\u2019s an attack that tries to make a system or network unavailable by flooding it with traffic from multiple sources.<\/p>\n            <a\n            href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/glossary\/hosting\/ddos-attack\/\"\n                        class=\"btn btn--white-outline btn--sm btn--round\"\n                                    target=\"_blank\"\n            rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n            >\n                            Read More                    <\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some of the best use cases, where applying CAPTCHAs can protect your site from spam and abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-polls-and-questionnaires\">Polls and Questionnaires<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Businesses use polls and questionnaires for all kinds of reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Externally, they can help you gather feedback and new ideas for products, services, marketing, branding, content, and everything else user-facing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Internally, polls and questionnaires can help ensure employee happiness and collect insights on new policies and offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You wouldn\u2019t want to skew those results with an overwhelming number of automated, false responses, now would you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, bots certainly might.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-user-logins\">User Logins<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Bots are often deployed to help hackers access websites through existing accounts that users have already set up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Typically, they do this via brute force attacks that use software to automatically guess hundreds of passwords in seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why would they want to access these accounts? Sometimes it\u2019s so they can steal information from accounts and use it to hack into other online properties. Hacking often happens in sequential events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other times, it\u2019s so they can use the account to post promotional material or other information they know they\u2019ll get quickly blocked for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-comment-sections\">Comment Sections<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ve probably seen plenty of spam popping up in comment sections across websites and social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bots are used to leave comments en masse to spread advertising, a particular point of view (such as a political one around election time), or links to nefarious sources where hackers are waiting to steal visitor information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-forms\">Forms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like comment sections, forms that aren\u2019t protected using CAPTCHAs can be overrun with false submissions from bots programmed to try to sell you something, spread a specific narrative, or even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/dont-get-caught-in-the-phishing-net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">phish<\/a> for sensitive data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-checkouts\">Checkouts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are several reasons hackers would want to sic their bots on a website\u2019s checkout page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first is obvious: buying out tickets or other inventory at a rate humans can\u2019t keep up with. And then, probably, reselling them elsewhere for higher prices. (We\u2019re not bitter about missing out on Taylor Swift tickets <i>at all<\/i>\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Secondarily, bots can use unprotected checkout flows to do something called card testing. This is when they run automated scripts in your checkout system to test whether stolen credit card numbers are usable or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By requiring CAPTCHAs to be solved before the above actions are completed \u2014&nbsp;your website should be able to identify and shut down most automated abuse carried out by bots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"glossary-term\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"glossary-term__above-title\"\n\t\thref=\"\"\n\t\ttarget=\"_blank\"\n\t\trel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n\t>\n\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 640 512\"><path d=\"M320 32c-8.1 0-16.1 1.4-23.7 4.1L15.8 137.4C6.3 140.9 0 149.9 0 160s6.3 19.1 15.8 22.6l57.9 20.9C57.3 229.3 48 259.8 48 291.9v28.1c0 28.4-10.8 57.7-22.3 80.8c-6.5 13-13.9 25.8-22.5 37.6C0 442.7-.9 448.3 .9 453.4s6 8.9 11.2 10.2l64 16c4.2 1.1 8.7 .3 12.4-2s6.3-6.1 7.1-10.4c8.6-42.8 4.3-81.2-2.1-108.7C90.3 344.3 86 329.8 80 316.5V291.9c0-30.2 10.2-58.7 27.9-81.5c12.9-15.5 29.6-28 49.2-35.7l157-61.7c8.2-3.2 17.5 .8 20.7 9s-.8 17.5-9 20.7l-157 61.7c-12.4 4.9-23.3 12.4-32.2 21.6l159.6 57.6c7.6 2.7 15.6 4.1 23.7 4.1s16.1-1.4 23.7-4.1L624.2 182.6c9.5-3.4 15.8-12.5 15.8-22.6s-6.3-19.1-15.8-22.6L343.7 36.1C336.1 33.4 328.1 32 320 32zM128 408c0 35.3 86 72 192 72s192-36.7 192-72L496.7 262.6 354.5 314c-11.1 4-22.8 6-34.5 6s-23.5-2-34.5-6L143.3 262.6 128 408z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 384 512\"><path d=\"M342.6 233.4c12.5 12.5 12.5 32.8 0 45.3l-192 192c-12.5 12.5-32.8 12.5-45.3 0s-12.5-32.8 0-45.3L274.7 256 105.4 86.6c-12.5-12.5-12.5-32.8 0-45.3s32.8-12.5 45.3 0l192 192z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t<\/a>\n    <h3>Brute Force Attack<\/h3>\n    <p>A brute-force attack is a cyber assault where the attacker uses trial-and-error to break into an online account. It is typically carried out by malicious bots that attempt to guess passwords, general login credentials, or digital keys.<\/p>\n            <a\n            href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/glossary\/hosting\/brute-force-attack\/\"\n                        class=\"btn btn--white-outline btn--sm btn--round\"\n                                    target=\"_blank\"\n            rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n            >\n                            Read More                    <\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-potential-downsides-of-using-captchas\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Potential Downsides of Using CAPTCHAs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While CAPTCHAs clearly have their benefits, there are some downsides to consider when you&#8217;re setting up this system on your website:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><b>CAPTCHAs<\/b> <b>can make your website less accessible<\/b> for people with hearing and\/or vision impairment, or those who don&#8217;t know the language your CAPTCHA features.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b>CAPTCHAs may interrupt the user experience<\/b>, and if they\u2019re too difficult, they may prevent engagement even from human users.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b>CAPTCHAs are not completely foolproof<\/b>, so website owners shouldn\u2019t be lulled into a false sense of security \u2014 we still need to remain watchful for signs of spam and attacks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, there are some elements of Google\u2019s reCAPTCHA in <i>particular<\/i> that website owners should know about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><b>reCAPTCHA v3 can feel invasive to users<\/b> because it monitors site-wide behavior in order to work, which may cause privacy-minded individuals to avoid using your site.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b>Google\u2019s business model is using or selling data for advertising<\/b>, which can put off website owners (and users) who don\u2019t want their behavior or data monetized.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b>reCAPTCHA capitalizes on user labor<\/b> by harvesting data from user interactions to train Google\u2019s visual identification systems, with which some people may be uncomfortable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b>Google is sometimes blocked <\/b>in countries such as China, so installing Google technology can severely limit a website\u2019s global reach.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-how-to-add-recaptcha-to-wordpress-via-plugin-6-steps\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Add reCAPTCHA to WordPress via Plugin (6 Steps)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Preface: CAPTCHAs of all varieties can be added to websites of all kinds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/what-is-wordpress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WordPress<\/a> is one of the most popular website platforms and reCAPTCHA from Google is powerful, free (up to a million assessments), and very popular \u2014&nbsp;integrating these two is what we\u2019re going to focus on today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, let\u2019s get to protecting your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-1-register-your-site\">Step 1: Register Your Site<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>First things first, register your WordPress site in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/admin\/create\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google\u2019s reCAPTCHA admin panel<\/a>. To complete this step, you must sign into or create a Google account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During registration, you\u2019ll fill out information like what you want to call your website, <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/recaptcha\/docs\/versions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">which type of reCAPTCHA<\/a> verification you want to use, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"960\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Register-Google-reCAPTCHA.jpg\" alt=\"Screenshot of registration on Google reCAPTCHA\" class=\"wp-image-39870 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Register-Google-reCAPTCHA.jpg.webp 1600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Register-Google-reCAPTCHA-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Register-Google-reCAPTCHA-1024x614.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Register-Google-reCAPTCHA-768x461.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Register-Google-reCAPTCHA-1536x922.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Register-Google-reCAPTCHA-600x360.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Register-Google-reCAPTCHA-1200x720.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Register-Google-reCAPTCHA-730x438.jpg.webp 730w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Register-Google-reCAPTCHA-1460x876.jpg.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Register-Google-reCAPTCHA-784x470.jpg.webp 784w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Register-Google-reCAPTCHA-1568x941.jpg.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Register-Google-reCAPTCHA-877x526.jpg.webp 877w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/960;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-2-grab-your-keys\">Step 2: Grab Your Keys<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With registration submitted, Google will provide both a site key, and a secret key. These are how you\u2019ll get your Google reCAPTCHA to talk to your WordPress website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Copy them, because we\u2019re going to put them to use soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-3-install-wordpress-plugin\">Step 3: Install WordPress Plugin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, log into WordPress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t already have a reCAPTCHA plugin installed, head to <i>Dashboard<\/i> &gt; <i>Plugins<\/i> &gt; <i>Add New<\/i> and search for \u201creCAPTCHA.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/google-captcha\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reCaptcha by BestWebSoft<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/advanced-nocaptcha-recaptcha\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CAPTCHA 4WP<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/contact-form-7\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Contact Form 7<\/a> are all popular options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once installed, most of these plugins will walk you through connecting your website to your Google reCAPTCHA. We\u2019ll carry on the rest of this tutorial using Contact Form 7 as an example of how approachable it can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-4-turn-on-recaptcha\">Step 4: Turn on reCAPTCHA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With Contact Form 7 installed, head to <i>Contact<\/i> &gt; <i>Integration<\/i> in WordPress. Locate the reCAPTCHA integration box and begin the setup process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You will be asked to paste in the site and secret keys you just got from Google. Once those are added and changes saved, reCAPTCHA will be up and running on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"960\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Turn-on-reCAPTCHA.jpg\" alt=\"Screenshot of turn on reCAPTCHA on WordPress\" class=\"wp-image-39871 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Turn-on-reCAPTCHA.jpg.webp 1600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Turn-on-reCAPTCHA-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Turn-on-reCAPTCHA-1024x614.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Turn-on-reCAPTCHA-768x461.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Turn-on-reCAPTCHA-1536x922.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Turn-on-reCAPTCHA-600x360.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Turn-on-reCAPTCHA-1200x720.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Turn-on-reCAPTCHA-730x438.jpg.webp 730w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Turn-on-reCAPTCHA-1460x876.jpg.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Turn-on-reCAPTCHA-784x470.jpg.webp 784w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Turn-on-reCAPTCHA-1568x941.jpg.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Turn-on-reCAPTCHA-877x526.jpg.webp 877w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/960;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For a walkthrough of setting up Contact Form 7, check out our Knowledge Base article on <a href=\"https:\/\/help.dreamhost.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/214831378\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Troubleshooting WordPress contact forms<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-5-add-recaptcha-to-a-form\">Step 5: Add reCAPTCHA to a Form<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that your reCAPTCHA functionality is turned on, you\u2019ll need to add it to any forms you want to protect from bot submissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do so, go to <i>Contact<\/i> &gt; <i>Dashboard<\/i> in WordPress and add a new form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, you\u2019re going to lightly edit the code of the form template to inject a reCAPTCHA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Add <code>\u201c[recaptcha]\u201d<\/code> right before the <code>\u201c[submit \u201cSubmit\u201d]\u201d<\/code> line. Once you save, you should see a shortcode appear under the form title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"750\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-a-Form.jpg\" alt=\"Screenshot of how to add reCAPTCHA to a form\" class=\"wp-image-39872 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-a-Form.jpg.webp 1600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-a-Form-300x141.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-a-Form-1024x480.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-a-Form-768x360.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-a-Form-1536x720.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-a-Form-600x281.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-a-Form-1200x563.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-a-Form-730x342.jpg.webp 730w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-a-Form-1460x684.jpg.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-a-Form-784x368.jpg.webp 784w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-a-Form-1568x735.jpg.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-a-Form-877x411.jpg.webp 877w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/750;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-6-publish-your-recaptcha-form-to-your-website\">Step 6: Publish Your reCAPTCHA Form to Your Website<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Copy that shortcode you just created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, go forth and paste that code into posts, pages, or text widgets to install a new form complete with a reCAPTCHA!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-how-to-add-recaptcha-to-wordpress-manually-4-steps\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Add reCAPTCHA to WordPress Manually (4 Steps)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As an alternative to the plugin route, you can add a reCAPTCHA manually to any form on your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This will take a bit of code tinkering. If you\u2019re squeamish with things like head tags and JavaScript snippets, then you may feel most comfortable sticking with an out-of-the-box option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you\u2019re ready to roll up your sleeves, getting things set up is pretty easy on a scale from super easy (launching a new website with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DreamHost<\/a>) to super difficult (solving the three-body problem).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s get into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-1-register-your-site-and-grab-your-keys\">Step 1: Register Your Site and Grab Your Keys<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like with the plugin route, you\u2019ll need to start by signing up for reCAPTCHA from the Google website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can do that in two quick steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Register your WordPress site in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/admin\/create\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google\u2019s reCAPTCHA admin panel<\/a> and select the reCAPTCHA type.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Copy both your site key and secret key for future use.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, let\u2019s get back to the website at hand. There are three core pieces that make reCAPTCHA work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The JavaScript library (reCAPTCHA API)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The HTML form element<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The response verification code<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll kick things off with the reCAPTCHA JavaScript library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-2-add-the-recaptcha-javascript-library\">Step 2: Add the reCAPTCHA JavaScript Library<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To get started, we need to add the JavaScript library to your website. This is a small snippet of code that needs to be added to every page that will use reCAPTCHA:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><code>\u201c&lt;script src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/api.js\" async defer&gt;&lt;\/script&gt;\u201d<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The easiest way to make sure this is accessible on all of the necessary pages is to add it to your universal header before the closing <code>\u201c&lt;\/head&gt;\u201d<\/code> tag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can do this one of two ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Manually, by accessing the header.php directly within the WordPress admin, or the file manager inside your hosting dashboard<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>By using a plugin to add the code to your header<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-adding-the-code-manually\">Adding the Code Manually<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If you choose the first route, you\u2019ll need to use either the theme file editor inside WordPress or your file manager to access the header.php directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Important Note:<\/b> Editing your theme files directly could break your website, and your changes could be overwritten whenever you update your theme. If you\u2019re not experienced with editing the theme files directly, skip ahead to \u201cUsing a Plugin to Add the Code\u201d for a less risky solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your file manager will look different depending on your host, but if you\u2019re using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/hosting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DreamHost<\/a>, navigate to <i>WordPress<\/i> &gt; <i>Managed WordPress<\/i> in the sidebar. Find the domain to which you want to add a reCAPTCHA and select <i>Manage<\/i>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"700\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/WordPress-Managed-WordPress.jpg\" alt=\"If you want to add code manually you\u2019ll need to use either the theme file editor inside WordPress or your file manager to access the header.php directly. If you\u2019re using DreamHost, navigate to WordPress &gt; Managed WordPress in the sidebar. Find the domain to which you want to add a reCAPTCHA and select Manage.\" class=\"wp-image-39873 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WordPress-Managed-WordPress.jpg.webp 1600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/WordPress-Managed-WordPress-300x131.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/WordPress-Managed-WordPress-1024x448.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/WordPress-Managed-WordPress-768x336.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/WordPress-Managed-WordPress-1536x672.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WordPress-Managed-WordPress-600x263.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WordPress-Managed-WordPress-1200x525.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WordPress-Managed-WordPress-730x319.jpg.webp 730w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WordPress-Managed-WordPress-1460x639.jpg.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WordPress-Managed-WordPress-784x343.jpg.webp 784w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WordPress-Managed-WordPress-1568x686.jpg.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WordPress-Managed-WordPress-877x384.jpg.webp 877w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/700;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, click on the <i>Manage Files<\/i> button in the <i>Details<\/i> section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Open the folder that has your domain name on it. From there, you\u2019ll navigate to <i>wp-content<\/i> &gt; <i>themes<\/i> and find the folder for your current WordPress theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Find the file called <i>header.php<\/i>, open it up, and find the closing &lt;code&gt;\u201c&amp;lt;\/head&amp;gt;\u201d&lt;\/code&gt; tag within the code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Copy and paste the reCAPTCHA JavaScript snippet right before that line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"960\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/reCAPTCHA-JavaScript.jpg\" alt=\"Copy and paste the reCAPTCHA JavaScript snippet on header.php file\" class=\"wp-image-39874 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/reCAPTCHA-JavaScript.jpg.webp 1600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/reCAPTCHA-JavaScript-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/reCAPTCHA-JavaScript-1024x614.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/reCAPTCHA-JavaScript-768x461.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/reCAPTCHA-JavaScript-1536x922.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/reCAPTCHA-JavaScript-600x360.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/reCAPTCHA-JavaScript-1200x720.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/reCAPTCHA-JavaScript-730x438.jpg.webp 730w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/reCAPTCHA-JavaScript-1460x876.jpg.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/reCAPTCHA-JavaScript-784x470.jpg.webp 784w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/reCAPTCHA-JavaScript-1568x941.jpg.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/reCAPTCHA-JavaScript-877x526.jpg.webp 877w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/960;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-using-a-plugin-to-add-the-code\">Using a Plugin to Add the Code<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If the above seems like too much, don\u2019t worry. We\u2019ve got you covered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, you can install a WordPress plugin that will automatically add code directly to your header with no hacking required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using a plugin like <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/insert-headers-and-footers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WPCode<\/a>, you can easily add relevant code snippets to key parts of your WordPress theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From your WordPress admin panel, go to <i>Plugins<\/i> &gt; <i>Add New<\/i> and search for WPCode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Click <i>Install,<\/i> then <i>Activate<\/i>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once WPCode is activated, you should see a new section in your left-side menu called <i>Code Snippets<\/i>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Go to <i>Code Snippets<\/i> &gt; <i>Header &amp; Footer<\/i>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1000\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/WP-Code-Using-a-Plugin-to-Add-the-Code.jpg\" alt=\"Using a plugin like WPCode, you can easily add relevant code snippets to key parts of your WordPress theme\" class=\"wp-image-39875 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WP-Code-Using-a-Plugin-to-Add-the-Code.jpg.webp 1600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/WP-Code-Using-a-Plugin-to-Add-the-Code-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/WP-Code-Using-a-Plugin-to-Add-the-Code-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/WP-Code-Using-a-Plugin-to-Add-the-Code-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/WP-Code-Using-a-Plugin-to-Add-the-Code-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WP-Code-Using-a-Plugin-to-Add-the-Code-600x375.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WP-Code-Using-a-Plugin-to-Add-the-Code-1200x750.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WP-Code-Using-a-Plugin-to-Add-the-Code-730x456.jpg.webp 730w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WP-Code-Using-a-Plugin-to-Add-the-Code-1460x913.jpg.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WP-Code-Using-a-Plugin-to-Add-the-Code-784x490.jpg.webp 784w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WP-Code-Using-a-Plugin-to-Add-the-Code-1568x980.jpg.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/WP-Code-Using-a-Plugin-to-Add-the-Code-877x548.jpg.webp 877w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/1000;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Inside the <i>Header &amp; Footer<\/i> page, paste the JavaScript code into the <i>Header<\/i> section and save your changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Boom \u2014 code added!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-3-add-recaptcha-to-your-form\">Step 3: Add reCAPTCHA to Your Form<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, we\u2019re going to adjust the code on the actual form where you want to see your reCAPTCHA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, you can use a file manager, the WordPress editor, or even FTP.&nbsp; It should live inside the <i>wp-content <\/i>folder, which houses all your plugins, themes, and media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the form code, paste the following code before the submit line to add the reCAPTCHA:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><code>\u201c&lt;div class=\"g-recaptcha\" data-sitekey=\"your_site_key\"&gt;&lt;\/div&gt;\u201d<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of how it might look:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"800\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-Your-Form.jpg\" alt=\"Example of how to add reCAPTCHA to your form\" class=\"wp-image-39876 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-Your-Form.jpg.webp 1600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-Your-Form-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-Your-Form-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-Your-Form-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-Your-Form-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-Your-Form-600x300.jpg.webp 600w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-Your-Form-1200x600.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-Your-Form-730x365.jpg.webp 730w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-Your-Form-1460x730.jpg.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-Your-Form-784x392.jpg.webp 784w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-Your-Form-1568x784.jpg.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2023\/03\/Add-reCAPTCHA-to-Your-Form-877x439.jpg.webp 877w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/800;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Replace <code>\u201cyour_site_key\u201d<\/code> with the site key you received from Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-step-4-handle-the-response\">Step 4: Handle the Response<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the trickiest part of the process is adding code to handle the response from reCAPTCHA. This basically tells your site whether to process the form or block it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To configure this, you\u2019ll need to add another snippet of code to the form (the callback function):<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-syntaxhighlighter-code \"><pre class=\"brush: plain; title: ; notranslate\" title=\"\">\n$secretKey = &quot;your_secret_key&quot;;\n$response = $_POST&#x5B;&#039;g-recaptcha-response&#039;];\n$remoteIp = $_SERVER&#x5B;&#039;REMOTE_ADDR&#039;];\n\n$url = &quot;https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/api\/siteverify?secret=&quot;.$secretKey.&quot;&amp;amp;response=&quot;.$response.&quot;&amp;amp;remoteip=&quot;.$remoteIp;\n$response = file_get_contents($url);\n$responseKeys = json_decode($response,true);\n\nif(intval($responseKeys&#x5B;&quot;success&quot;]) !== 1) {\n    \/\/ Handle reCAPTCHA validation failure\n} else {\n    \/\/ Process form submission\n}\u201d\n\n<\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n<p>In this code, you\u2019d need to replace <code>\u201cyour_secret_key\u201d<\/code> with the secret key provided by Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is just one example of an implementation that would allow you to customize how the submission is handled. There are many other methods for handling the server-side validation and callback functions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more info on how to handle this part of the process, refer to the <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/recaptcha\/docs\/v3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">official documentation from Google<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-goodbye-spam-hello-security\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Goodbye Spam, Hello Security<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While we must reiterate that reCAPTCHA and CAPTCHAs are not the be-all and end-all when it comes to website security, they\u2019re a crucial step in helping you fend off automated bots and hackers with ill intent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more tips on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/secure-your-wordpress-website\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">securing your WordPress website<\/a> and beyond, stay tuned to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DreamHost<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">blog<\/a>. We\u2019re always posting resources to help you keep your website safe, fast, and online so you can impress site visitors and search engines alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n\tclass=\"article-cta-shared article-cta-small\"\n>\n    <div class=\"tr-img-wrap-outer jsLoading\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-img-lazy \" src=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/blog2018\/assets\/img\/lazy-loading-transparent.webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/blog2018\/assets\/img\/article-small-ad-cta-placeholder.webp 1x, https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/blog2018\/assets\/img\/article-small-ad-cta-placeholder-x2.webp 2x\"  alt=\"Ad background image\" \/><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  <div class=\"content-btm\">\n    <h2\n      class=\"h2--md\"\n    >\n      You Dream It, We Code It\n    <\/h2>\n    <p\n      class=\"p--md\"\n    >\n      Tap into 20+ years of coding expertise when you opt for our Web Development service. Just let us know what you want for your site \u2014 we take it from there.\n    <\/p>\n\n            <a\n            href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/pro-services\/development\/\"\n                        class=\"btn btn--white-outline btn--sm btn--round\"\n                                    target=\"_blank\"\n            rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n            >\n                            Learn More                    <\/a>\n\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2013, Target now infamously compromised the data of tens of millions of shoppers in an event that slashed sales, brought lawsuits, and even caused the CEO to resign. What happened? Hackers gained access to Target through a third-party vendor that lacked a CAPTCHA or any kind of authentication to ensure there was a human [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1059,"featured_media":40023,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Google reCAPTCHA and other CAPTCHAs are powerful website security tools. Here\u2019s everything you need to know about their history, benefits, and how to get started.","toc_headlines":"[[\"h-what-is-recaptcha\",\"What is reCAPTCHA?\"],[\"h-different-types-of-captchas\",\"Different Types of CAPTCHAs\"],[\"h-use-cases-where-to-apply-captchas-to-prevent-spam\",\"Use Cases: Where to Apply CAPTCHAs to Prevent Spam\"],[\"h-potential-downsides-of-using-captchas\",\"Potential Downsides of Using CAPTCHAs\"],[\"h-how-to-add-recaptcha-to-wordpress-via-plugin-6-steps\",\"How to Add reCAPTCHA to WordPress via Plugin (6 Steps)\"],[\"h-how-to-add-recaptcha-to-wordpress-manually-4-steps\",\"How to Add reCAPTCHA to WordPress Manually (4 Steps)\"],[\"h-goodbye-spam-hello-security\",\"Goodbye Spam, Hello Security\"]]","hide_toc":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[550,696],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tutorials","category-wordpress"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.3 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Complete Guide to reCAPTCHA - DreamHost<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Google reCAPTCHA and other CAPTCHAs are powerful website security tools. Here\u2019s everything you need to know about their history, benefits, and how to get started.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/complete-guide-to-recaptcha\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Use reCAPTCHA as Your First Line of Website Defense\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Everything you need to know about reCAPTCHA in &lt; 10 mins.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/complete-guide-to-recaptcha\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"DreamHost Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DreamHost\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-04-04T14:00:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-22T01:24:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/A-Complete-Guide-to-reCAPTCHA-social-image.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"628\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Alex Brown\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"How to Use reCAPTCHA as Your First Line of Website Defense\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Everything you need to know about reCAPTCHA in &lt; 10 mins.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@dreamhost\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@dreamhost\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Alex Brown\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"16 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Complete Guide to reCAPTCHA - DreamHost","description":"Google reCAPTCHA and other CAPTCHAs are powerful website security tools. 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