Google reCAPTCHA helps protect websites from automated abuse such as spam submissions and brute force attempts. This guide explains how to generate reCAPTCHA site and secret keys and prepares the content structure so screenshots can be added for visual guidance.
Important
You must have access to a Google account and administrative access to the website where reCAPTCHA will be used.
About Google reCAPTCHA
Google reCAPTCHA is a security service designed to distinguish real users from automated traffic. It is commonly used on login forms, registration pages, contact forms, and checkout flows.
To use reCAPTCHA, a website or application must be registered with Google. During registration, Google generates two unique keys for the specified domain. These keys are later used to integrate reCAPTCHA into the site.
The two required keys are:
- Site Key which is used on the frontend to display the reCAPTCHA widget
- Secret Key which is used on the server side to validate user responses
These keys are domain-specific and cannot be reused across different websites.
When You Should Use reCAPTCHA
reCAPTCHA is recommended for any public-facing website that accepts user input. This includes sites built on hosting environments such as VPS services in the Netherlands or custom deployments running on dedicated server infrastructure.
Common use cases include:
- Contact and support forms
- User registration pages
- Login forms
- Password reset pages
How to Generate Google reCAPTCHA Keys
Follow the steps below to create reCAPTCHA keys for your domain. Each step is written to allow screenshots to be added directly under the relevant section.
Step 1: Sign in to Your Google Account
Sign in to the Google account that will own and manage the reCAPTCHA configuration.
[Screenshot placeholder: Google account login page]
Step 2: Open the reCAPTCHA Admin Console
Using your web browser, navigate to the Google reCAPTCHA administration page.
[Screenshot placeholder: Google reCAPTCHA homepage with navigation options]
Click the Get Started button to begin the registration process.
[Screenshot placeholder: Get Started button highlighted]
Step 3: Register a New Site
On the registration page, enter the required information:
- Label: A descriptive name to help you identify the site later
- reCAPTCHA type: Choose between score-based verification or challenge-based verification
- Domains: Enter the domain name where reCAPTCHA will be used, such as example.com
[Screenshot placeholder: Register a new site form filled with example values]
After reviewing the information, submit the form to continue.
Step 4: Retrieve the Site Key and Secret Key
Once the registration is complete, Google displays the generated keys.
- Copy and store the Site Key securely
- Copy and store the Secret Key securely
[Screenshot placeholder: Site Key and Secret Key displayed on confirmation page]
These keys will be required when configuring reCAPTCHA in your application or control panel.
Using reCAPTCHA on Your Website
After generating the keys, they must be added to your website configuration. This is typically done through application settings, CMS plugins, or server-side configuration files.
For sites hosted on scalable platforms such as cloud server environments, ensure that the keys are stored securely and not exposed in public repositories.