As a WordPress security professional, I highly recommend adding a CAPTCHA to protect your login and registration pages. The reason is simple – these endpoints see a staggering number of brute force attacks from bots trying to break in.
Shocking Statistics: WordPress Login Security Risks
Let‘s look at some troubling data points around the security of WordPress‘ wp-login area:
- Over 30 million brute force attacks occur against WordPress sites every day (Sucuri)
- Attacks can come from botnets with 100,000+ infected devices
- Peak attack traffic can exceed 150 login attempts per second on one site alone
- Once breached, hackers will install backdoors, add spam links, cause SEO damage, steal data, and leverage your site resources for crypto mining activities.
Simply put, adding a CAPTCHA creates an unbreakable speed bump that stops these automated attacks in their tracks. Human users can pass through with ease, but robots cannot continue.
Default vs Custom Forms
There are two types of login and registration forms you may be using in WordPress:
| Default Forms | Custom Forms |
|---|---|
| Built into WordPress Core | Added Using Plugins Like WPForms |
| Provides Basic Functionality | More Customization and Styling Control |
| CAPTCHA Setup Tutorial Below | CAPTCHA Setup Tutorial Below |
The good news is that adding a CAPTCHA is straightforward regardless if you are using the plain default forms or custom versions.
Let‘s go through it step-by-step:
Adding CAPTCHA to Default WordPress Forms
The following 3-step configuration using the CAPTCHA Pro plugin will add strong protection in just a few minutes:
Step 1: Install and Activate CAPTCHA Pro
Login to your WordPress dashboard and click on "Plugins > Add New". Search for "CAPTCHA Pro" and install this plugin. Upon activation, the settings menu will appear in your sidebar.
Why CAPTCHA Pro?
I recommend CAPTCHA Pro because it seamlessly handles adding reCAPTCHAs to WordPress‘ default login and registration pages with no coding headaches. Over 100,000 active installs back its reliability.
Step 2: Get CAPTCHA Keys
Head over to Google‘s reCAPTCHA site and click the blue "+ Add Site" button. Give your site a label like "My Website" and choose the reCAPTCHA v2 type that shows a checkbox.
Registering your domain here gets you the necessary site and secret API keys needed in Step 3.
Step 3: Configure CAPTCHA Plugin
Return back to your WordPress dashboard and open the CAPTCHA Pro settings. Paste your site and secret keys from Google into the indicated fields. You can tweak other preferences like theme colors or language before clicking "Save Changes".
That‘s it! The wp-login URL will now show a "I‘m not a robot" reCAPTCHA checkbox protecting login attempts and user registration.
Adding CAPTCHA to Custom WordPress Forms
For custom login and register forms, leverage the built-in captcha support offered by your form plugin (like WPForms):
Step 1: Configure Form Plugin CAPTCHAs
In your form plugin settings area, find the CAPTCHA or spam protection tab. Enable Google reCAPTCHA v2 support and save your changes.
You still need to enter valid site+secret keys which we‘ll handle in the next step.
Step 2: Generate CAPTCHA Credentials
Just like before, head to Google‘s admin console, register your site for automated protection, and choose the v2 checkbox challenge. Fetch your credentials.
Step 3: Build Custom Form
Launch your form builder plugin and select either the predefined user login or registration blueprint. Customize fields and design if needed.
Step 4: Enable CAPTCHA
Open the form settings tab, find CAPTCHA or spam prevention, and enable Google reCAPTCHA. Insert keys if asked. Save form.
Step 5: Embed and Test
Place your form onto any page using shortcodes or content blocks. Preview it to confirm the CAPTCHA appears correctly.
For added security, I would recommend always using HTTPS URLs with these forms. It encrypts login credentials and personal information entered during registration.
I hope this guide has shown that adding a CAPTCHA to default or custom WordPress forms takes just minutes while providing immense login security enhancement. Please leave a comment if you still have any questions!
