reCAPTCHA Spam Protection

FormRobin includes built-in reCAPTCHA v3 spam protection to help prevent bot submissions on your forms. This feature works automatically with no setup required.

What Is reCAPTCHA?

reCAPTCHA is Google's spam protection service. FormRobin uses reCAPTCHA v3, which:

  • Works invisibly in the background (no checkboxes or challenges for users)
  • Analyzes user behavior to detect bots
  • Assigns a score from 0.0 (likely bot) to 1.0 (likely human)
  • Automatically blocks submissions with scores below 0.3

Plan Availability: reCAPTCHA protection is available on all FormRobin plans (Free and Individual).

How It Works

FormRobin's reCAPTCHA protection is pre-configured and ready to use:

  1. User visits your form - reCAPTCHA v3 loads invisibly in the background
  2. User interacts with form - reCAPTCHA analyzes behavior (mouse movements, typing patterns, etc.)
  3. User submits form - reCAPTCHA generates a verification token with a score
  4. FormRobin validates - Submissions with scores below 0.3 are blocked

No configuration needed! FormRobin handles all the reCAPTCHA setup behind the scenes.

Always-On Protection

reCAPTCHA protection is automatically enabled on all forms. This means:

  • Every form you create is protected from spam bots
  • No manual setup or configuration required
  • Protection starts immediately when you publish a form
  • All plans (Free and Individual) include reCAPTCHA at no extra cost

This "always-on" approach ensures consistent spam protection across all your forms without any extra steps.

User Experience

With reCAPTCHA v3, your form visitors enjoy a seamless experience:

  • No checkboxes - Users don't see "I'm not a robot" challenges
  • No interruptions - Verification happens invisibly
  • No user action required - Works automatically in the background
  • Fast - Minimal impact on form loading speed

Note: A small reCAPTCHA badge and privacy notice appear at the bottom of protected forms, as required by Google's terms of service.

Understanding the Score Threshold

FormRobin uses a score threshold of 0.3 to balance security with usability:

  • 1.0 - Very likely a legitimate user
  • 0.5 - 0.9 - Likely a legitimate user
  • 0.3 - 0.4 - Suspicious but allowed through
  • 0.0 - 0.2 - Very likely a bot (blocked)

This threshold blocks obvious automated bots while allowing the vast majority of real users to submit forms without issues.

What Happens When a Submission Is Blocked

If reCAPTCHA determines a submission is likely from a bot:

  • The submission is rejected
  • The user sees an error message: "reCAPTCHA verification failed. Please try again."
  • No data is saved to your responses
  • The user can try submitting again

Note: Legitimate users are rarely blocked. If a real user is blocked, refreshing the page and resubmitting usually resolves the issue.

Troubleshooting

Issue: Legitimate users report being blocked by reCAPTCHA.

Solution: This is rare with reCAPTCHA v3. Ask users to:

  • Refresh the page and try again
  • Clear browser cache and cookies
  • Disable browser extensions that might interfere
  • Try a different browser

If issues persist for many users, contact FormRobin support for assistance.

Issue: reCAPTCHA badge not appearing on form.

Solution: The badge may be hidden by custom CSS or browser extensions. Check that:

  • No browser extensions are blocking Google scripts
  • The form is published (preview mode may not show the badge)
  • Your custom embed CSS isn't hiding the badge

Issue: Still receiving spam submissions.

Solution: reCAPTCHA reduces spam significantly but may not block 100% of sophisticated bots. Consider:

  • Adding required fields to make automated submissions harder
  • Using conditional logic to add verification questions
  • Reviewing submissions with suspiciously fast completion times

FAQ

Q: Do I need to set up my own reCAPTCHA keys?

A: No. FormRobin handles all reCAPTCHA configuration automatically. There's nothing to set up - it just works.

Q: Will reCAPTCHA slow down my forms?

A: No. reCAPTCHA v3 loads asynchronously and has minimal impact on form loading speed. Most users won't notice any difference.

Q: Can I disable reCAPTCHA for a specific form?

A: No. reCAPTCHA is enabled on all forms to ensure consistent spam protection. This prevents bots from targeting forms without protection.

Q: Can I adjust the score threshold (0.3)?

A: No. The threshold is set at 0.3 to balance security and usability. This setting works well for most forms.

Q: Is reCAPTCHA free?

A: Yes. Google reCAPTCHA is free and included with all FormRobin plans at no extra cost.

Q: Why does the form show a reCAPTCHA privacy notice?

A: Google requires this notice on pages using reCAPTCHA. It informs users that reCAPTCHA is active and links to Google's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Q: Can I use reCAPTCHA on embedded forms?

A: Yes. reCAPTCHA works on forms whether they're viewed on FormRobin directly or embedded on your website.

Q: What data does reCAPTCHA collect?

A: reCAPTCHA analyzes user interactions (mouse movements, typing patterns, browsing behavior) to determine if a visitor is human. This data is processed by Google according to their privacy policy. FormRobin does not have access to this analysis data - we only receive a pass/fail result.


Questions about spam protection? Contact our support team - we're here to help!

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