Setting Up Google reCAPTCHA on Your Website

Google reCAPTCHA helps reduce automated spam, fake account registrations, and unwanted form submissions on your website. Although reCAPTCHA can significantly reduce this activity, no spam-prevention method can guarantee that every unwanted submission will be stopped.

Sophisticated automated tools may sometimes pass the verification, and reCAPTCHA generally cannot stop an actual person from manually submitting an unwanted message.

Choosing a reCAPTCHA Type

Google currently offers two reCAPTCHA options that are compatible with Marketing Ideas For Printers:

Challenge (v2)

Challenge-based reCAPTCHA requires visitors to select an “I’m not a robot” checkbox. If Google considers the activity suspicious, the visitor may also be asked to complete an image puzzle.

Challenge-based reCAPTCHA:

• Works with website forms, including the Contact Us form
• Provides a visible verification step
• Has been reliable in most situations on Websites For Printers
• May add an extra step for legitimate website visitors

Although it is commonly called “v2,” Challenge-based reCAPTCHA is not obsolete technology. It remains one of Google’s current reCAPTCHA options.

MI4P currently recommends Challenge (v2) for printshops experiencing repeated spam submissions.

Score Based (v3)

Score-based reCAPTCHA works invisibly in the background. Google evaluates each interaction and assigns it a score based on whether the activity appears legitimate or suspicious.

Score-based reCAPTCHA:

• Does not require visitors to select a checkbox or complete a puzzle
• Protects input forms throughout the website
• Provides a smoother experience for legitimate visitors
• May allow sophisticated automated activity that appears legitimate
• May block legitimate visitors if the score requirement is made too restrictive

Finding the correct score balance can be difficult. Increasing the sensitivity may stop additional bots, but it also increases the possibility of blocking legitimate visitors.

Before You Begin

You will need:

• A Google account
• Your website’s domain name
• The base domain of each Private Label Website, if applicable
• Access to your website’s Control Center

You must create keys for the version you intend to use. Score-based and Challenge-based keys are not interchangeable. If you are changing from Score Based (v3) to Challenge (v2), create a new set of Challenge keys rather than reusing your existing v3 keys.

Create Your reCAPTCHA Keys

1. Go to the Google reCAPTCHA website: https://www.google.com/recaptcha/admin/create

2. Sign in to your Google account (if not already)

If you do not have a Google account, you will need to create one.

4. Enter a Label.

The label helps you identify the reCAPTCHA configuration in your Google account. You may use your business name, website domain, or another recognizable description.

5. Select the reCAPTCHA type you want to use:

• Select Challenge (v2) to use the “I’m not a robot” checkbox and possible image puzzle.
• Select Score based (v3) to use invisible, score-based verification.

6. If you select Challenge (v2), choose the “I’m not a robot” Checkbox option if Google displays additional choices.

7. Under Domains, enter your website’s domain name.

Enter only the domain. Do not include https://, page addresses, or anything following the domain.

Example:

acmeprinting.com

8. Add the following domain:

secureprintorder.com

9. If you use one or more Private Label Websites, add each PLW’s base domain.

Review the Web Address used by each PLW and enter its base domain.

Example:

theonlineprintcenter.com

Adding the appropriate PLW domains allows reCAPTCHA to work correctly on those websites.

10. Select the blue Submit button.

11. Google will display your Site Key and Secret Key.

12. Copy both keys and save them temporarily in a secure location:

• Site Key
• Secret Key

Do not publish or share your Secret Key publicly.

Add reCAPTCHA to Your Website

1. Log in to your website’s Control Center.

2. In the left sidebar, navigate to:

My Website → Website Settings → reCAPTCHA Settings

3. Select the version that matches the keys you created in Google:

• Select Version 2 for Challenge-based keys.
• Select Version 3 for Score-based keys.

4. Paste the Site Key into the Site Key field.

5. Paste the Secret Key into the Secret Key field.

We recommend copying and pasting the keys to avoid typing errors. Make sure there are no extra spaces before or after either key.

6. Select Save.

Confirm reCAPTCHA Is Working

The appearance of reCAPTCHA depends on the version you selected.

Challenge (v2)

Visitors will see an “I’m not a robot” checkbox on protected forms. Google may ask some visitors to complete an additional image puzzle.

Challenge-based reCAPTCHA works with the Contact Us form.

You can fine-tune how frequently Google presents the additional image puzzle:

1. Open the Google Cloud Console.

2. Navigate to Fraud Defense → Key details.

3. Select ‘Configure actions’

4.. Review the Challenge difficulty setting.

A Hard setting prompts visitors with additional challenges more frequently, while an easier setting reduces how often the image puzzle appears. We recommend beginning with the default setting and monitoring your website activity before making it more restrictive, as stronger settings may create additional steps for legitimate visitors.

Score Based (v3)

Verification occurs invisibly in the background. A reCAPTCHA badge will appear in the lower-right corner of the website.

Additional Spam-Prevention Recommendations

Even with reCAPTCHA enabled, some unwanted submissions may still get through. Consider creating email filters for repeated:

• Sender names
• Email domains
• Subject lines
• Words or phrases

Keep the filters specific. A broad rule that filters every Contact Us notification could cause legitimate inquiries to be missed.

If unwanted estimate or order requests continue, contact Tech Support to discuss account approval. Account approval allows the printshop to review newly created accounts before those users can proceed, but it also adds an approval step for legitimate new users.

Need Help?

If you would prefer that MI4P configure Challenge-based reCAPTCHA for your website, or if you need assistance with any part of this process, contact our Tech Support team:

Phone: 1-800-736-0688
Email: Email Us