reCAPTCHA Field Element

The reCAPTCHA Field Element protects a Tirenoa Form against spam bots and automated submissions. It adds the reCAPTCHA check to the form, and every submission is verified on the server before an entry is saved or a notification email is sent. Real visitors usually pass without effort.

The element works with both reCAPTCHA versions that you can choose in Global Options. Version 2 shows the familiar “I’m not a robot” checkbox; version 3 runs invisibly in the background, scores each visitor and only shows a small badge. The element itself needs just a few display settings.

In this article: How To Use · Element Options · Tips · Related Elements

First create your keys in your reCAPTCHA account and enter them, together with the version, in the reCAPTCHA section of Global Options; the note Set Up Needed Keys In Global Options in the element reminds you of this. Then open your form under Tirenoa > Forms and add the reCAPTCHA Field Element, usually just above the submit button. It has no label or field name, because it collects no answer.

reCAPTCHA Color Scheme sets the checkbox to Light or Dark and applies to version 2. reCAPTCHA Badge Position applies to version 3: Bottom Left or Bottom Right pin the badge to a corner of the screen, Inline places it inside the form, and Hide hides it. Default uses the setting from Global Options in both cases.

When the form is sent, the check result is verified with the reCAPTCHA service. A submission that fails is rejected and the visitor sees an error; a passed check lets the form continue. The check itself is not stored in the form entries or included in the notification email. If the keys are missing, visitors see no check, logged-in administrators see a configuration notice in place of the field, and the form cannot be sent at all, because the server still expects a check result.

The tables below list every option of the element, grouped by the tabs you see when you edit it in the Builder. Many options depend on others, so the edit screen only shows the options that apply to your current choices.

• Add the field only once per form. One check protects the whole form.
• If you hide the version 3 badge, reCAPTCHA’s terms require you to show a notice about it near the form instead, for example in a short Text Block Element below the button.
• The check loads its script from an external server and sends data about the visitor to the reCAPTCHA service. Mention it in your privacy policy and, where required, in your cookie consent.
• For version 3 the score threshold in Global Options decides how strict the check is. Raise it carefully: a threshold that is too high also rejects real visitors.
• Combine it with the Honeypot Field Element for a second, invisible layer of spam protection that needs no external service.

• Turnstile Field Element – an alternative spam check
• Honeypot Field Element – a hidden spam trap without an external service
• Submit / Button Element – the button that sends the form
• Notice Element – shows the success or error message after sending