How to Secure Your Squarespace Contact Form from Spam
Every time my inbox dings with excitement, only to crash back down to earth with a spam email. How do we protect our Squarespace website from spam contacts? Let us explore how to make this type of digital pest go away.
For the strategy to work, we need to set up the forms to take advantage of reCAPTCHA, a free tool offered by Google. This clever approach examines the visitor's online journey replay and historical interactions, identifying the fine details that differentiate man from machine. If the algorithm picks up on a bot-like persona, Google will start a verification process, asking the entity to prove its human authenticity. Indeed, you’ve probably seen these verifications – the ones asking you to select every image containing crosswalks, stoplights, and so on.
Sign up for Google ReCAPTCHA
First, you have to go to this link and sign in to any Google account you have.
Register your Website with Google
After successful login, you'll find yourself on the website registration page. Navigate through the process with the following steps:
In the Label field, input any descriptor of your choice for key identification. I personally opt for my website name, such as "Adlytic Marketing."
Opt for "reCAPTCHA v2" under the reCAPTCHA type, as Squarespace supports this version. Ensure the "I'm not a robot" option remains selected.
In the Domains section, exclude "https" or "www" when entering your domain. For instance, if your domain is "adlyticmarketing.com," input only "adlyticmarketing.com." Note that reCAPTCHA functions exclusively on the specified domain. If you manage multiple Squarespace websites, either list multiple domains or create distinct keys for each site.
Tick the box indicating acceptance of the reCAPTCHA Terms of Service.
Maintain the default settings for other fields and conclude the process by clicking on SUBMIT.
Ensure a seamless registration process by adhering to these guidelines.
Adding Keys to Squarespace
Clicking SUBMIT in the previous step, you'll be directed to a page revealing your SITE KEY and SECRET KEY. Ensure not to close this page.
Proceed to the backend of your Squarespace website and follow these steps:
Go to SETTINGS → ADVANCED → EXTERNAL API KEYS.
Scroll down to locate the GOOGLE RECAPTCHA section.
Copy the SITE KEY and SECRET KEY from the Google page.
Paste these keys into the respective fields in your Squarespace backend.
Confirm the changes by clicking SAVE in the top-left corner.
This integration process ensures the seamless incorporation of your reCAPTCHA keys into your Squarespace website, enhancing its security measures.
Adding Recaptcha to Forms
With reCAPTCHA successfully activated for your website, the final step involves enabling it for each form. Follow these steps:
Go to the page housing the form on your website.
Enter the EDIT view, as if you were about to modify the form.
Look for the newly added tab called CAPTCHA.
Inside this tab, you'll find the option to ADD GOOGLE RECAPTCHA. Select this option.
Save the page to apply the changes.
By checking off the Google reCAPTCHA option in the CAPTCHA tab, you've seamlessly fortified each form on your Squarespace website with an additional layer of security. Your setup is now complete!
