Is your CAPTCHA helping — or just getting in the way?

Hey Demo,

CAPTCHAs can stop spam and build trust — but only when set up right. Used blindly, they frustrate real people and still let bots through. A lead fails twice and gives up. Someone on assistive tech can't complete it. A legitimate user is flagged with no way to appeal. They don't complain — they just leave.

Meanwhile, bots evolve. Scripts mimic humans, rotate fingerprints, and slip past outdated challenges. Cranking up settings often adds friction for users, not attackers.

The fix isn't ditching CAPTCHA — it's choosing the right one, in the right place, with the right fallback. That might mean hCaptcha instead of reCAPTCHA, trying alternatives like Turnstile or Altcha, or fine-tuning reCAPTCHA with passive checks and smarter triggers.

CAPTCHA should work for your visitors — not against them.

//Cole
Cofounder, Formspree.io

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