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Troubleshooting Forminator reCAPTCHA: Why It's Not Showing or Working

30 threads Sep 16, 2025

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Forminator's reCAPTCHA integration is a powerful tool for preventing spam, but it can sometimes fail to appear or function correctly. Based on common community reports, this guide covers the most frequent causes and their solutions.

Why Forminator reCAPTCHA Might Not Work

The issues generally fall into a few categories: configuration errors, missing fields, plugin/theme conflicts, and caching problems. Let's break them down.

Common Solutions for reCAPTCHA Issues

1. Verify reCAPTCHA Configuration

The first step is always to double-check your setup. For reCAPTCHA to work, you must:

  • Generate the correct type of keys (v2 or v3) from the Google reCAPTCHA admin console.
  • Ensure you select the corresponding version (v2 or v3) in Forminator > Settings > CAPTCHA before pasting your keys. A common bug prevents the version selection from saving correctly; if it reverts to v2, try saving again or check for conflicts.
  • Verify the keys are for the correct domain after a site migration. An "Invalid key type" error often means the key version (v2/v3) in Forminator does not match the keys you obtained from Google.

2. Add the CAPTCHA Field to Your Form

This is a very common oversight. Configuring the keys in the global settings is only half the job. You must edit your form and add the "CAPTCHA" field from the available options. Without this field, reCAPTCHA will not render on the front end, even if your keys are correct.

3. Perform a Conflict Test

Many issues, especially those where reCAPTCHA works in the admin preview but not on the live site, are caused by conflicts with other plugins or your theme.

  1. Switch Themes Temporarily: Activate a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four. If reCAPTCHA works, the issue is with your theme.
  2. Deactivate Plugins: Deactivate all other plugins except Forminator. If reCAPTCHA works, reactivate your plugins one by one to identify the culprit. Common conflicting plugins include:
    • Caching Plugins: WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache
    • SEO Plugins: Yoast SEO
    • Cookie Consent Plugins: Complianz
    • Page Builders like Divi or Flatsome

4. Address Caching Issues

Caching is a frequent cause of "Invalid CAPTCHA" errors upon submission because the cached page serves an old verification token.

  • In Forminator, navigate to Forminator > Settings > Privacy and enable "Prevent page caching on form pages."
  • In your caching plugin (e.g., WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache), configure it to exclude pages containing Forminator forms from being cached. Use a pattern like /contact-page/$ or /registration-form/ (without the $ if the URL has parameters like ?draft=123).
  • Always clear all caches (server, plugin, browser) after making changes.

5. Check Browser Console for Errors

Open your browser's developer tools (F12) and check the "Console" tab for any JavaScript errors. Errors here can provide crucial clues:

  • CSP Errors: If you have a Content Security Policy (CSP), you may need to adjust it to allow scripts from https://www.google.com/recaptcha/ and https://www.gstatic.com/recaptcha/.
  • Other script errors might indicate a conflict that is preventing the reCAPTCHA API from loading properly.

6. Cloudflare Turnstile

Forminator does not natively support Cloudflare Turnstile. However, community threads suggest it can be integrated using a third-party plugin like "Simple Cloudflare Turnstile." You must still add the CAPTCHA field to your form after configuration.

Conclusion

Most reCAPTCHA issues in Forminator can be resolved by methodically working through these steps: confirm your key configuration, ensure the field is added to the form, test for conflicts, and configure caching correctly. If problems persist, checking the browser console for specific errors is the best way to find a targeted solution.

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