Implementing Google reCAPTCHA in a React Application

Introduction to CAPTCHA

In today’s digital landscape, security is a top priority for web applications. One effective way to prevent spam and automated bots from accessing your application is by using a CAPTCHA system.

What is CAPTCHA?

CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) is a type of challenge-response security measure designed to differentiate between real website users and automated users, such as bots. It requires users to complete a simple test to demonstrate they are human and not a bot before giving them access to sensitive information.

What is reCAPTCHA?

reCAPTCHA is a tool from Google that provides a CAPTCHA system for web applications. It generates a response token that can be verified by the server to ensure the user is human.

Implementing reCAPTCHA in a React Application

To implement reCAPTCHA in a React application, follow these steps:

Step 1: Get a reCAPTCHA Site Key and Secret Key

First, sign up for a reCAPTCHA account and obtain a site key and secret key. You will need these keys to integrate reCAPTCHA into your React application.

Step 2: Install the reCAPTCHA Library

Install the react-google-recaptcha library using npm or yarn:

npm install react-google-recaptcha

Step 3: Import and Initialize reCAPTCHA

In your React component, import the ReCaptcha component and initialize it with your site key:

import ReCaptcha from 'eact-google-recaptcha';

const siteKey = 'YOUR_SITE_KEY';

function MyComponent() {
  return (
    <ReCaptcha
      siteKey={siteKey}
      onChange={(token) => handleTokenChange(token)}
    />
  );
}

Step 4: Handle Token Verification

In the handleTokenChange function, send the token to your server for verification:

function handleTokenChange(token) {
  fetch('/verify-token', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify({ token }),
  })
   .then((response) => response.json())
   .then((data) => {
      if (data.success) {
        // Token is valid, allow access to sensitive information
      } else {
        // Token is invalid, display an error message
      }
    });
}

Step 5: Verify the Token on the Server

In your server-side code, verify the token using the reCAPTCHA API:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.post('/verify-token', (req, res) => {
  const token = req.body.token;
  const secretKey = 'YOUR_SECRET_KEY';

  fetch(`https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/siteverify?secret=${secretKey}&response=${token}`, {
    method: 'POST',
  })
   .then((response) => response.json())
   .then((data) => {
      if (data.success) {
        res.json({ success: true });
      } else {
        res.json({ success: false });
      }
    });
});

By following these steps, you can implement Google reCAPTCHA in your React application to prevent spam and automated bots from accessing your sensitive information.

Conclusion

In this article, we have explored what CAPTCHA is, how it works, and provided a step-by-step guide on implementing Google reCAPTCHA in a React application. By using reCAPTCHA, you can ensure that only human users can access your sensitive information.