Integrating reCAPTCHA v3 in Next.js

#webdev #nextjs #javascript #security

Step 1: Obtain reCAPTCHA v3 credentials

Access Google reCAPTCHA page:
- Visit Google reCAPTCHA admin console.
- Log in with your Google account if necessary.
Register your website:
- Click on "V3" at the top to register a new key for reCAPTCHA v3.
- Fill out the form with your project name and domains where reCAPTCHA will be used.
Get site keys:
- After registering your site, Google will provide two keys: the site key and the secret key. These keys are essential for integrating reCAPTCHA v3 into your web application.

Step 2: Setup in your Next.js application

Install necessary npm package:

   npm install @react-google-recaptcha-v3

Create a reCAPTCHA component:
- Create a React component in your Next.js project to handle reCAPTCHA v3 logic.

   // components/Recaptcha.js
   import { useEffect } from 'react';
   import { useGoogleReCaptcha } from 'react-google-recaptcha-v3';

   const Recaptcha = ({ onVerify }) => {
     const { executeRecaptcha } = useGoogleReCaptcha();

     useEffect(() => {
       const verifyCallback = async () => {
         if (executeRecaptcha) {
           const token = await executeRecaptcha();
           onVerify(token); // Send token to backend or handle verification here
         }
       };
       verifyCallback();
     }, [executeRecaptcha, onVerify]);

     return null; // This component doesn't render anything visible in the DOM
   };

   export default Recaptcha;

Integrate the component into your form:

   // contact.js
   import Recaptcha from '../components/Recaptcha';

   const ContactPage = () => {
     const handleRecaptchaVerify = (token) => {
       console.log('reCAPTCHA Token:', token);
       // Send token to server for verification
     };

     return (
       <div>
         {/* Your form goes here */}
         <form>
           {/* Other form fields */}
           <Recaptcha onVerify={handleRecaptchaVerify} />
           <button type="submit">Submit</button>
         </form>
       </div>
     );
   };

   export default ContactPage;

Server-side setup:
- In your backend (Node.js, Python, PHP, etc.), verify the reCAPTCHA v3 token using the provided secret key from Google.

Differences between reCAPTCHA v2 and reCAPTCHA v3

Interaction mode:
- reCAPTCHA v2: Requires users to solve a visible challenge like selecting images or entering text.
- reCAPTCHA v3: Operates in the background and evaluates user behavior to provide a risk score.
Visibility for users:
- reCAPTCHA v2: Is visible to users as it presents an explicit challenge.
- reCAPTCHA v3: Is invisible to users, working behind the scenes without requiring explicit user interaction.
Use of scores:
- reCAPTCHA v2: Does not generate a score; it only validates correct challenge responses.
- reCAPTCHA v3: Provides a score from 0.0 to 1.0 indicating the likelihood that the user is a bot.
Implementation:
- reCAPTCHA v2: Requires including a widget in the form and backend verification.
- reCAPTCHA v3: Integrates via a frontend API, with primary verification done on the backend using the secret key.

Additional considerations

Handling null in executeRecaptcha: You may encounter cases where executeRecaptcha could be null temporarily, especially during component initialization. Here's how to handle it:

  // Inside useEffect in Recaptcha.js
  useEffect(() => {
    const verifyCallback = async () => {
      if (executeRecaptcha) {
        const token = await executeRecaptcha();
        onVerify(token); // Send token to backend or handle verification here
      }
    };
    if (executeRecaptcha !== null) {
      verifyCallback();
    }
  }, [executeRecaptcha, onVerify]);

Additional References: For more technical details or troubleshooting specific issues, you can refer to the official Google documentation for reCAPTCHA v3 or explore additional resources within the developer community.

This guide provides a solid foundation for effectively integrating reCAPTCHA v3 into your Next.js application, enhancing both security and user experience simultaneously.