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Troubleshooting Contact Form 7 and Flamingo reCAPTCHA Score (0.00) Errors

16 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Contact form 7

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Why Am I Getting a reCAPTCHA Score of 0.00?

A common and frustrating issue for users of Contact Form 7 and the Flamingo add-on is the sudden appearance of a reCAPTCHA score of 0.00. This low score causes all form submissions, both legitimate and spam, to be flagged and often blocked. Based on community reports, this problem often arises from conflicts, configuration changes, or updates to either the Contact Form 7 plugin or third-party services.

What Causes the reCAPTCHA Score (0.00) Error?

This error indicates that Google's reCAPTCHA v3 service is not properly validating user interactions on your form. Instead of returning a score based on user behavior (e.g., 0.9 for a human, 0.1 for a bot), it returns a neutral 0.00, which is typically below the default 0.50 threshold and is marked as spam. Thread analysis points to several potential causes:

  • Outdated or Misconfigured reCAPTCHA Keys: Google requires reCAPTCHA v3 keys to be migrated to Google Cloud projects. Using legacy keys can cause validation to fail.
  • Plugin or Theme Conflicts: JavaScript from other plugins (like page builders) or your theme can interfere with the reCAPTCHA script, preventing it from loading or executing correctly.
  • Mixed CAPTCHA Services: Attempting to use both reCAPTCHA and an alternative service like hCaptcha simultaneously can cause conflicts, as Flamingo may still be looking for a reCAPTCHA response.
  • Caching Issues: Aggressive caching mechanisms may serve a stale version of the page that does not include the current reCAPTCHA token.
  • Unexpected Plugin Updates: Some users have reported the issue began after a specific update to Contact Form 7, suggesting a change in how the plugin handles validation.

How to Fix the reCAPTCHA Score (0.00) Error

Try these troubleshooting steps, starting with the most common and simplest solutions.

1. Verify and Migrate Your reCAPTCHA Keys

The most frequent solution is to ensure your keys are valid and migrated.

  1. Log into your Google reCAPTCHA admin console.
  2. Confirm your reCAPTCHA v3 keys are associated with an active Google Cloud project. If you see a migration prompt, complete it.
  3. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Contact > Integration.
  4. Remove your existing site and secret keys.
  5. Generate new keys in the Google admin console and add them back to the Integration page.
  6. Save changes and clear your site and browser cache before testing.

2. Perform a Conflict Test

A plugin or theme conflict is a likely culprit.

  1. Temporarily switch your theme to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four.
  2. Deactivate all plugins except for Contact Form 7 and Flamingo.
  3. Test your form submission. If it works, the problem is a conflict.
  4. Reactivate your plugins one by one, testing the form after each, to identify the conflicting software.
  5. Common conflict sources include page builders (Elementor, WPBakery), optimization/caching plugins, and security plugins.

3. Ensure CAPTCHA Consistency

If you have switched from reCAPTCHA to another service like hCaptcha, you must completely remove the old configuration.

  1. Navigate to Contact > Integration in WordPress.
  2. If a reCAPTCHA section exists, click the button to remove the keys. This should deactivate the reCAPTCHA module.
  3. Ensure your new anti-spam service is fully configured and active.
  4. Check that no leftover reCAPTCHA code ([recaptcha]) exists in your form template.

4. Investigate JavaScript Errors

The reCAPTCHA script requires JavaScript to function. Any errors on the page can halt its execution.

  1. Open your browser's Developer Tools (F12).
  2. Go to the Console tab.
  3. Submit your form and look for any red error messages.
  4. Common errors might relate to 'CORS' or scripts being blocked. These errors can help pinpoint the conflicting script.

5. Check Flamingo for Detailed Errors

Flamingo provides crucial debugging information. After a failed submission, check the Flamingo inbound message for more specific errors than the front-end orange box, such as "reCAPTCHA response token is empty" or "invalid-input-response."

When to Seek Further Help

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, the problem may be more complex. The community on the WordPress support forums can be a valuable resource. When asking for help, be prepared to provide:

  • The URL of the page with the form.
  • A list of your active plugins and theme.
  • Any error messages found in the browser console (Developer Tools).
  • Screenshots of the Flamingo message details for a failed submission.

Remember, the 'Contact Form 7' and 'Flamingo' plugins are maintained by independent developers. For persistent, complex issues not resolved by community advice, you may need to consult a web development professional to diagnose server-level conflicts or custom code issues.

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