Cloudflare's alternative to a captcha.
WHAT IT IS
A verification widget for forms, confirming a visitor is human without the puzzles a traditional captcha requires.
WHERE IT HELPS
Contact forms receiving spam Registration forms Comment forms Login forms
WHY IT IS PREFERABLE TO A TRADITIONAL CAPTCHA
Most visitors pass without doing anything. Traditional puzzles cost you legitimate submissions, particularly on mobile.
SETTING IT UP
Create a site key in the Cloudflare dashboard, then add the widget to your form.
Plugins exist for the common platforms.
WHAT IT DOES NOT REPLACE
Server-side validation. A form must still validate what it receives.
A widget can be bypassed by a determined attacker; it stops automated volume.
THE ALTERNATIVE
A honeypot field, invisible to humans and filled by bots, costs nothing and stops a surprising proportion of spam.
For a low-traffic contact form, that may be sufficient.
WHAT TO MEASURE
Spam before and after. If it drops substantially, it is working. If it does not, the spam is not automated.
