Restricting Entries Using reCAPTCHA

Overview

Google reCaptcha is a widely used standard for bot detection and prevention. ShortStack provides reCaptcha as a tool to protect your entry forms and instant win features from bots.

Instead of outright rejecting entries with low reCaptcha scores—which might block legitimate submissions— you can accept entries, but limit their ability to win instant prizes and be considered when picking winners after the campaign ends.

Note: Google reCaptcha is a third-party application. Google keeps its reCaptcha algorithm a secret to prevent bots and bad characters from gaining knowledge. 

Getting There

To access and configure reCaptcha settings for your form:

1. Open your campaign in the Campaign Builder.
2. Open your Form Container settings by clicking the gear icon.
3. Click on the Entry Restrictions tab.
4. In the Bot Prevention section, click the link labeled Configure in Campaign Settings → Security.
5. Click the Choose Profile button.
6. Select an existing profile, or click the Add button to connect a new set of keys.
7. Check the box for Enable Google reCAPTCHA.
8. Use the Sensitivity Level slider to adjust the strictness of the verification.

Learn more about How to Create Google reCaptcha Keys.

Google reCaptcha Scores

Google reCaptcha assigns a score between 0.0 and 1.0 for each form submission:

• 1.0: Low risk; the visitor is likely legitimate.
• 0.0: High risk; the visitor might be a bot or fraudulent.

For a detailed understanding of reCaptcha scoring, refer to Google's Interpreting an Assessment Support Doc.

Sensitivity Level for Instant Win

How It Works

Below the Sensitivity Level slider, you'll find a second slider for the instant win feature. This setting determines the minimum reCaptcha score required for an entry to qualify for an instant win prize.

Key Points

If an entry's score is below the instant win threshold, it will automatically lose.

The instant win sensitivity applies only if it is higher than the general Sensitivity Level setting.

If both sliders are set to the same value, entries below the threshold will be rejected for both general entry acceptance and instant win eligibility.

Filtering Entries by reCaptcha Score

You can filter received entries based on their reCaptcha scores using the Entries Manager:

1. Open your list in the Entries Manager.
2. In the filtering options on the left, open the Other section.
3. Use the reCaptcha score filter slider to set a range of scores (e.g., 0.5 to 1.0).
4. Entries within the selected range will appear on the right.