Looking to use hCaptcha for WordPress forms? This guide will show you how to add hCaptcha to your forms and the benefits of using this privacy-focused solution.
Approximate read time: 4 minutes
Are you tired of dealing with spam and abuse on your WordPress forms?
One answer is using hCaptcha, a CAPTCHA type that protects your forms from automated submissions.
This blog post will explain how to use hCaptcha for your WordPress forms and why it effectively protects your website.
Keep reading to learn more.
What is hCaptcha for WordPress forms?
hCaptcha is a type of CAPTCHA used to protect websites from spam submissions or other attacks.
Now, you may ask, "What is CAPTCHA?" And CAPTCHA stands for "Completely Automated Public Turing Test to tell Computers and Humans Apart."
Thank goodness they shortened it, right?
But this software helps keep all those spambots from blowing up your form with messages.
There are other alternatives besides hCaptcha, like invisible Captcha. But, hCaptcha is the standard choice when people look for a similar option to reCaptcha.
As the most popular reCaptcha alternative, hCaptcha works by using algorithms and machines to determine whether you’re a human or a bot and has users complete basic tasks to prove they’re human. If users fail, they get shown an error message.
Plus, hCaptcha is also easy to use! All you need to do is create an account and get a Site and Secret key. Then, you need an hCaptcha plugin or Captcha plugin on your site, right?
Actually, there’s a better option.
And we’ll show you how to do it with one of the best form-building WordPress plugins: Formidable Forms.
How to use WordPress hCaptcha to block spam in your forms
To get started with using hCaptcha, you’ll need Formidable Forms.
As we mentioned, it’s one of the best form builders for WordPress. And its simple drag-and-drop builder and anti-spam features make building forms for your website a breeze.
So, install and activate Formidable Forms, then it’s a few easy steps in this tutorial:
Step 1: Connect Formidable and hCaptcha
To start, you need a free hCaptcha account if you don’t have one already.
If you need to create one, you can follow these steps to get started quickly. Once you get your Site and Secret Key, go to your WordPress dashboard.
Go to Formidable → Global Settings → CAPTCHA and select hCaptcha as the captcha type, and add your Site Key and Secret Key to activate your hCaptcha settings.
So, now you have your hCaptcha keys entered and activated on the settings page.
Now let’s build the form you’ll use hCaptcha on.
Step 2: Create your form with hCaptcha for WordPress
To create a new form, go to Formidable → Forms. Click Add New at the top of the page to begin creating your form.
Next, you can choose Blank Form to start from scratch or one of Formidable’s 100+ form templates to get you started faster.
We’ll begin with a Blank Form. So, give your form a name, then click Create.
The plugin will take you to our drag-and-drop form builder, where you can begin creating your form. Add any fields you’d like, customize the labels and settings, and more all from one area.
We’ll add an email and name field for a contact form to keep things simple.
Since you enabled hCaptcha in the previous step, you must add an hCaptcha field to your form above the Submit button.
And that’s it!
Click Update to save your form. Then you’ve got a fully working form with hCaptcha spam protection.
Here’s a high five for being awesome 🖐️.
Step 3: Display your form
Now that your form is ready, you just have to display it!
So, go to the post/page where you want to show your form. Next, add a new WordPress block, and search for Formidable. Then, select the Formidable block and choose your form from the dropdown menu.
Last, update your page to save the changes; your form is live!
Is reCaptcha better than hCaptcha for WordPress?
While hCaptcha and reCaptcha are similar, many people consider hCaptcha a better alternative to reCaptcha.
hCaptcha’s privacy, security, and performance were often superior to reCaptcha, which works in regions where Google’s reCaptcha may be blocked.
While you’re sure to get excellent spam protection with either option, it’s a good idea to consider both options.
After all, it’s better to add Captcha (no matter the type) than none.
Wrapping up
hCaptcha is a fantastic tool for reducing the headaches you experience with your website.
Spam is everywhere, and keeping it out of your mailbox is better. With this hCaptcha tutorial, you learned an easy way to use it.
So, don’t hesitate. Grab Formidable Forms to get the best spam protection (and tons of other features) for your forms today!
And, if you aren't already, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for more spam protection tips & tricks!
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