How to Add Google reCAPTCHA to Your Zibster Website
Overview
Google reCAPTCHA helps protect your Zibster website from spam and automated submissions. This guide explains how to generate Google reCAPTCHA v2 keys and save them in the Spam Protection settings of your Zibster account.
Before You Begin
You will need:
- Access to a Google account
- Your website domain name
- Access to your Zibster account
Zibster requires Challenge (v2) with the Invisible reCAPTCHA badge. Other reCAPTCHA types are not compatible with this setup.
STEP ONE
Go to the https://www.google.com/recaptcha/admin/create and log in with your Google account.
This is where you will create and manage the reCAPTCHA keys for your website.
STEP TWO
Click the + icon in the upper-right corner to create a new reCAPTCHA profile.
If Google takes you directly to the registration screen, continue to the next step.
STEP THREE
Enter a name in the LABEL field. You can use your business name, website name, or domain to help you identify the profile later.
Under RECAPTCHA TYPE, select CHALLENGE (V2), then select INVISIBLE RECAPTCHA BADGE.
STEP FOUR
Enter your website domain in the DOMAINS section.
Enter only the main domain without https://, www, or a page path. For example:
yourdomain.com
Adding yourdomain.com also allows reCAPTCHA to work on www.yourdomain.com and other subdomains. If you use more than one separate domain with your Zibster website, add each domain to the profile.
Keep Google’s domain verification setting enabled to ensure the keys can only be used with the domains you have authorized.
Click SUBMIT to generate your reCAPTCHA keys.
STEP FIVE
Google will generate a SITE KEY and SECRET KEY for your website.
Keep this page open or securely copy both keys. You will add them to your Zibster account in the following steps.
Do not publish or share your Secret Key. If you close the page, you can reopen the profile through the Google reCAPTCHA Admin Console to access the keys again.
STEP SIX
Log in to your Zibster account and click MY ACCOUNT in the left-side menu.
STEP SEVEN
Hover over SETTINGS in the top menu and click SPAM PROTECTION.
FINAL STEP
Paste the Google SITE KEY and SECRET KEY into the matching fields.
If reCAPTCHA keys are already saved, replace them only if you intend to connect your Zibster account to the new reCAPTCHA profile.
Scroll down and click SAVE CHANGES.
Your Google reCAPTCHA keys are now connected to your Zibster account.
How to Turn Google reCAPTCHA On or Off
Adding your keys connects Google reCAPTCHA to Zibster. You can then choose whether reCAPTCHA is enabled for your forms.
For instructions, see How to Turn Google reCAPTCHA On or Off for Zibster Forms.
How to Test Your Google reCAPTCHA Keys
Open a form on your published website and submit a test entry.
Invisible reCAPTCHA usually works in the background without requiring the visitor to complete a visible challenge. Google may display a challenge when additional verification is needed.
After submitting the form, confirm that the test submission appears in the appropriate Zibster tool. Do not rely only on the notification email when confirming that the submission was received.
Google reCAPTCHA can apply to submissions made through website forms.
Troubleshooting Google reCAPTCHA
If the form does not submit:
- Confirm that you selected CHALLENGE (V2) and INVISIBLE RECAPTCHA BADGE in Google.
- Make sure the SITE KEY and SECRET KEY were pasted into the correct Zibster fields.
- Check for extra spaces before or after either key.
- Confirm that the domain entered in Google matches your website domain.
- Make sure Google’s domain verification setting remains enabled.
- Confirm that you clicked SAVE CHANGES in Zibster.
- If you recently added or changed the domain in Google, allow up to 30 minutes for the update to take effect before testing again.
Additional Options and Helpful Notes
Google can alert the owners of a reCAPTCHA profile if it detects a configuration problem or an increase in suspicious traffic.
To receive these notifications, open the profile in the Google reCAPTCHA Admin Console and enable SEND ALERTS TO OWNERS.
Google reCAPTCHA is a third-party service managed by Google. Google may update its dashboard, terminology, or available settings over time.
Need Help?
If you need help adding your Google reCAPTCHA keys to Zibster, contact our Support Team.
Zibster Support Hours: Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm EST
Phone: 844.353.3412
Channels: Phone, Live Chat, Support Ticket
