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How Do I Add A Recaptcha To My WebFlow Forms

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Lucy Nguyen
in ,

Integrating reCAPTCHA into your Webflow forms is an excellent way to prevent spam and protect your website from bots. In this guide, we’ll walk through the process step-by-step, from setting up your reCAPTCHA keys to configuring your Webflow project.

What is reCAPTCHA?

reCAPTCHA is a free service from Google designed to protect websites from spam and abuse. It works by challenging users to prove that they are human—often with a simple “I’m not a robot” checkbox, image recognition tasks, or invisible background validations.

Why Use reCAPTCHA on Webflow Forms?

  • Prevents Spam: Blocks automated bots from submitting your forms.
  • Enhances Security: Protects your site from malicious activity.
  • Improves User Experience: By reducing spam, your genuine users enjoy a cleaner and more secure experience.

Step-by-Step Guide to Adding reCAPTCHA to Your Webflow Forms

1. Get Your reCAPTCHA API Keys

Before you can add reCAPTCHA to your forms, you need to obtain a Site Key and a Secret Key from Google.

  • Visit the reCAPTCHA website: Go to Google reCAPTCHA.
  • Register your website: Click on the “Admin Console” button, log in with your Google account, and register your domain.
  • Choose reCAPTCHA type: Most users will choose reCAPTCHA v2 (“I’m not a robot” Checkbox) or the Invisible reCAPTCHA.
  • Copy your keys: Once registered, you’ll be provided with a Site Key and a Secret Key. The Site Key is used in your HTML, while the Secret Key is used for server-side validation.

2. Embed the reCAPTCHA Script in Your Webflow Project

To make the reCAPTCHA widget available on your site, you need to include Google’s reCAPTCHA JavaScript library.

  • Go to your Webflow project settings.
  • Add custom code: In the “Custom Code” section of your project settings, paste the following snippet into the <head> tag:htmlCopy<script src="https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js" async defer></script>

This script loads the reCAPTCHA API asynchronously to avoid impacting your site’s load time.

3. Add the reCAPTCHA Element to Your Form

Now, you need to add the actual reCAPTCHA widget to your Webflow form.

  • Open your Webflow Designer.
  • Select your form: Click on the form element where you want to add the reCAPTCHA.
  • Add an Embed element: Drag an “Embed” element from the Add Elements panel to the location in your form where you want the reCAPTCHA to appear.
  • Insert the reCAPTCHA code: In the Embed Code editor, paste the following code, replacing YOUR_SITE_KEY with your actual Site Key:htmlCopy<div class="g-recaptcha" data-sitekey="YOUR_SITE_KEY"></div>
  • Save and publish: Save your changes and publish your site. You should now see the reCAPTCHA widget on your form.

4. Validate reCAPTCHA on Form Submission

To fully secure your form, you must validate the reCAPTCHA response on the server side.

  • Server-Side Validation: When a user submits the form, you’ll receive a g-recaptcha-response token along with the other form data. Use your Secret Key to validate this token by making a POST request to:plaintextCopyhttps://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/siteverify
  • Example POST request:bashCopycurl -d "secret=YOUR_SECRET_KEY&response=USER_RESPONSE_TOKEN" https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/siteverify
  • Interpreting the response: Google will return a JSON response indicating whether the validation succeeded. Only process the form if the validation is successful.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Widget Not Showing: Ensure that the reCAPTCHA script is correctly embedded in your project’s <head> section.
  • Validation Failures: Double-check that you are using the correct Secret Key on your server-side validation.
  • Form Layout Issues: Sometimes, adding custom code might affect your form’s layout. Use Webflow’s Designer to adjust the styling as needed.

Final Thoughts

Integrating reCAPTCHA into your Webflow forms is a powerful way to mitigate spam and secure your site. Although it requires a few additional steps, the improved security and cleaner user experience are well worth the effort. With the Site Key and Secret Key in hand, embedding the widget, and ensuring proper server-side validation, you’ll have a robust, spam-resistant form ready to go.

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