Google reCAPTCHA

Pro

Score submissions with Google reCAPTCHA and set the threshold your forms enforce.

One licence covers every Pro plugin

What Google reCAPTCHA connects, and what travels between them.

Visitor

reCAPTCHA

Score check

Version
1.0.0
WordPress
6.5+
PHP
7.4+
Tested up to
7.1
Licence
GPLv3

What it does

A threshold you set

reCAPTCHA returns a score between 0 and 1. Choose where the line sits, so a form protecting a mailing list can be stricter than a contact form.

The badge is optional

Hide the floating badge and show Google’s required attribution as text instead, without breaking their terms.

Verified on the server

The token is checked against Google with your secret key before the submission is accepted, so a forged token in the browser gets nowhere.

Getting it working

  1. 01

    Register your site

    Create a reCAPTCHA v3 site in the Google admin console and copy the site key and secret key.

  2. 02

    Add both keys

    Paste them into the xpac settings screen and set your score threshold.

  3. 03

    Enable it per form

    Switch reCAPTCHA on for the forms that need it, and leave it off where it would only add weight.

Every setting

What you can configure, and where it lives. Site settings apply everywhere; the rest are set on the form itself.

Setting Scope Notes
Site Key Site setting Public. Reaches the browser.
Secret Key Site setting Write-only. Server side only.
Score Threshold Site setting 0.0 to 1.0. Higher is stricter.
Disable Google reCAPTCHA Badge Site setting Hides the floating badge.

Questions

What threshold should I use?

Google suggests 0.5. Start there, watch what gets blocked for a week, and move it in the direction the evidence points.

Is hiding the badge allowed?

Yes, as long as the attribution text appears instead. That text is added for you when the badge is hidden.

Does it work with v2 keys?

No. Scores are a v3 feature, so a v3 key pair is required.

Will a real person ever be blocked?

Occasionally, which is why the threshold is yours to set and blocked submissions are recorded rather than silently discarded.

Start using Google reCAPTCHA

One licence covers every Pro plugin