Who can say they’ve never received spam?
When they pollute your mailboxes, it’s a pain.
When they pollute your personal website’s contact emails, it’s a pain.
But when it’s your e-commerce site that’s under attack, it’s much more problematic.
An unprotected form on Prestashop is an open door to spammers.
They can use the form, fill it in automatically with a robot and submit it.
So you run the risk of receiving hundreds of unwanted e-mails.
Not only will this make managing your store more difficult, but you’re also likely to miss out on messages sent by real customers.
Installing a Prestashop Recaptcha module is undoubtedly the simplest and most effective way of combating spam.
What is a captcha?
Captcha definition
” CAPTCHA is an acronym for Completely AutomatedTuring TestTo Tell Computersand Humans Apart.
As the name suggests, it’s a Turing test to tell the difference between a human and a program.
The aim is to ensure, for example, that a form is filled in by a human and not by a computer or robot.
The captcha therefore helps protect a site against mass advertising and robot attacks, which are very common on the web.
The captcha is a registered trademark that first appeared in 2000.
It spread rapidly across the web.
All websites handling sensitive or personal information have adopted it.
Captcha principle
The principle is quite simple.
An element is added to the form to be protected.
It asks the user a question.
This usually involves recognizing characters, pictograms or sounds.
While finding the answer is well within the reach of a human being, a program won’t be able to.
This ensures that the form is filled in and sent by a human being.
Did you say “Recaptcha”?
The Recaptcha is an update of the captcha created by Google in 2009.
This time, the user must identify the content of an image.
This can be words or numbers, for example.
In 2014, a new version introduced the famous “I’m not a robot” checkbox.
The user must check this box before proceeding to the next step.
In 2017, Recaptcha was updated once again.
Detection is now automatic, and the checkbox has disappeared.
Simple recaptcha
Early recaptchas displayed an image containing alphanumeric characters, usually in two different fonts to make automatic identification more difficult.
Users had to enter the sequence of characters they read in the image into a text field.
While this solution was relatively effective, it did have its drawbacks:
- First of all, its ergonomics were not very efficient.
- Reading the test wasn’t always easy.
- The test blocked the user’s navigation and often led to user abandonment.
- The conversion rate of e-commerce sites using this recaptcha was therefore not optimal.
Confident Captcha
Websites needed a more efficient and ergonomic system.
So a new recaptcha was created.
It’s called ReCaptcha, and it’s now commonplace on websites.
It’s totally image-based.
A grid of nine images, usually three lines of three images, is displayed to the user.
An action is then requested.
The user clicks on the images corresponding to the request.
For example, there may be nine images of urban landscapes, and the user must select all those containing a traffic light to validate the recaptcha.
How do I install reCAPTCHA in Prestashop?
The two main forms exposed to spam in Prestashop are the contact and registration forms.
It is therefore important to protect them.
Prestashop module installation
The easiest way to install a recaptcha solution in Prestashop is to use a module.
Some are paid for, many are free.
Once you’ve selected a module, simply install it as you would any other Prestashop module.
Obtaining Google reCaptcha keys
ReCaptcha is owned by Google.
Therefore, to use the anti-spam system, you need to obtain keys.
To do this, go to the official Google reCaptcha website and log in.
Once you’ve logged in, you’ll need to register your Prestashop site.
In particular, you’ll be asked to enter your website name, the type of reCaptcha you’d like to use and the relevant domain name.
Once you’ve read and accepted the terms of use, click on the “Register” button.
You now have access to the reCaptcha keys created by Google for your Prestashop site.
All that remains is to configure the module.
Prestashop module configuration
- Go to the configuration of the Prestashop module used to manage the reCaptcha.
- Enter the keys in the configuration form.
You will be asked for the site key and the secret key. - Check the “Enable for contact form” and “Enable for account creation” options.
- Save changes.
From now on, your Prestashop forms will be protected against spam.
Checking how reCaptcha works on your Prestashop site
Open your Prestashop site in a browser and display your contact form.
If the Prestashop module is installed and configured correctly, you should see a reCaptcha element at the end of the contact form.
No message can be sent via this form without the reCaptcha being validated by a user.
Need help setting up reCaptcha Prestashop?
I can help you choose, install and configure the reCaptcha module for your Prestashop e-commerce store.
Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss the best solution for your Prestashop site.
