We wrote an article in 2016 discussing several reasons why your contact form doesn’t need Google reCaptcha. I’m here today to explain why that is wrong and why you absolutely NEED Google reCAPTCHA on your form right now.
Do you need Google reCAPTCHA to stop form spam?
The answer … maybe 😬, but probably not.
While our drag-and-drop form builder comes with various spam protection methods, technology has advanced in such a way since 2016 that these tools, when used alone, will no longer prevent spam attacks. That is why both features are used together.
Honeypot.
Out-of-the-box Ninja Forms comes with built-in spam protection called a honeypot.
It’s a native feature that comes included in our free Ninja Forms core plugin. No installation or configuration is required. Install and activate Ninja Forms, and the invisible honeypot is automatically added to all of your forms. Like a real honeypot used to catch flies, this honeypot catches spam submissions.
Anit-Spam field and the Akismet Anti-Spam Action
Another native feature of our free Ninja Forms core plugin is our Anit-Spam field. Use it to challenge users to correctly answer a question before they can submit the form.
Likewise, our Akismet action emerges when the Akismet plugin from Automattic is activated, allowing you to monitor a selected field on your form for spam. This comes in handy when you are fighting email spam.
Google reCAPTCHA v3
In 2016 adding google reCAPTCHA to your form was kind of a pain. It wasn’t accessible or convenient. It could even decrease conversion rates by its mere existence. Visitors who would fill out your form would often abandon their efforts due to the annoying reCAPTCHA.
Well, it’s not 2016 anymore. It’s 2023, and luckily Google has come up with an incredible solution that solves the problems of accessibility, convenience, and conversion. It’s called Google reCAPTCHA v3, and everything its v2 counterpart wishes could be invisible 😂.
- Accessible. This cloak of invisibility frees up many accessibility issues that visually impaired users face when visiting websites, aka seeing that damned reCAPTCHA.
- Convenient. First, invisibility is a major win for convenience. Invisibility allows you to add more form fields or embellishments now that you don’t have to deal with the ugly presence of Google reCAPTCHA v2. Second, like many Google products, Google reCAPTCHA has become the de facto standard, making it easy to set up and add to your WordPress form because there aren’t other tools like it.
- Conversion. Since it doesn’t interrupt users, it won’t affect conversion.
Consensus … You Need Google reCAPTCHA
Day by day, WordPress is becoming increasingly popular, which opens itself up to new and existing exploits. As I’ve already mentioned, using form builders that come with built-in honeypots and anti-spam fields is a must. But including Google reCAPTCHA on your WordPress form is non-negotiable.
Yes, adding Google ReCAPTCHA to your form can seem a little intimidating. But that’s why I’m here; to make the complicated easy. In How to Easily Add reCaptcha v3 to your WordPress Form, I walk you through the setup process step-by-step.
If you are already familiar with the setup process, I invite you to read up on ways to secure your login forms with Google reCaptcha and protect your WordPress forms from brute-force logins and carding attacks.
What are your experiences with reCAPTCHA? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear what you think.
