When installing WordPress, you may receive spam through comments or contact forms. To prevent this and avoid negative SEO impact caused by mass spam, there are tools that can significantly increase security and reduce unwanted submissions.
A CAPTCHA helps protect your website from spam and password cracking attempts by requiring users to complete a simple test that proves they are human and not a computer or bot. In other words, it acts as a human validator and limits automated spam bots.
We recommend using Google reCAPTCHA for your WordPress website.
Before installing it in WordPress, you must first register your website on the official Google reCAPTCHA site.
How to register your website with Google reCAPTCHA
First, visit the official Google reCAPTCHA website: https://www.google.com/recaptcha/about/
Once there, access the Admin Console:
If you already have websites configured in your Google account, you will see the option to add a new site. If this is your first time registering a site, you will need to complete the registration form:
IMPORTANT: Pay special attention to the reCAPTCHA type you select.
reCAPTCHA v2 presents a challenge (for example, selecting all images with buses or typing distorted characters).
reCAPTCHA v3 works invisibly by analyzing user behavior to determine whether the visitor is human or a bot.
After submitting the form, you will receive a Site Key and a Secret Key. Copy these keys, as you will need them for the WordPress plugin configuration.
How to install a CAPTCHA in WordPress
Go to the WordPress plugin library and click "Add New":
There are many reCAPTCHA plugins available. We recommend the plugin provided by BestWebSoft, as it has a high number of active installations.
After installation, activate the plugin to enable its features:
The plugin will now appear in your WordPress menu. Go to Settings to configure it:
Below you can see the plugin settings interface:
Now configure the plugin using the keys obtained from Google reCAPTCHA. Select the reCAPTCHA version you chose, paste the Site Key and Secret Key, and choose where you want to enable reCAPTCHA (login page, comments, forms, etc.).
For advanced configurations, we recommend reviewing the plugin’s official documentation: