Why do I get the Captcha challenge here or elsewhere?

Captchas are a way of life these days due to all the malicious activity, hack attempts and rouge bots that try over and over to access systems. Systems are safe guarded using various forms of detection and prevention including captchas. We don't like using captchas anymore than the next person, but websites, website hosts, forms, and the list goes on, are all either using them or forcing capatchas.

A captcha is really just a very simple test to see if you are a human or a machine, it is used to determine if you can select a phrase or picture that matches. For example one of the captchas will have three sets of a cookie and an egg across the top, you must select the image with either a cookie, egg or both. Which ever is the best fit. And you might have to do it twice. Sometimes you might have to select all the stop lights. You get the idea.

If you cannot get past a captcha after trying it a bit, contact us and we may be able to assist you.

You might be getting captchas frequently due to several reasons, including: suspicious user behavior like rapid clicking or form submissions, using a VPN or proxy, accessing a website from a new location, unusual traffic patterns from your IP address or a shared IP address with a known bot; essentially, anything that could make a website system suspect your activity is not human-like.

Quick fix browser specific issues (Google your browser for more captcha issues and fixes, there is a wealth of information online):

What to do if CAPTCHA isn't working in Chrome:

Update Chrome: Make sure you have the latest version of the Chrome browser.
Disable extensions: Try disabling any browser extensions that might interfere with CAPTCHA.
Turn off VPN/Proxy: Temporarily disable your VPN or proxy to see if that resolves the issue.
Clear cache and cookies: Clear your browsing data, including cache and cookies, to eliminate potential conflicts.
Restart your browser: Sometimes a simple browser restart can fix temporary glitches.
Check your network connection: Ensure you have a stable internet connection.

What to do if CAPTCHA isn't working in Firefox:

- Clear cache and cookies:
  
  Open Firefox and go to "History" > "Clear Recent History."
  
  Select "Cache" and "Cookies" and choose the appropriate time range.
  
  Click "Clear Now."
- Disable ad-blocking extensions:
  
  Click the three horizontal lines in the top right corner of Firefox.
  
  Select "Add-ons and themes."
  
  Find any ad-blocking extensions and toggle them off.
  
  Disable or drop VPN use.
- Check zoom level:
  
  Go to "View" > "Zoom" and ensure it is set to 100%.
- Update Firefox:
  
  Select "About Firefox."
  
  If an update is available, it will automatically download and install.
- Check JavaScript settings:
  
  Go to "Settings" > "Privacy & Security."
  
  Ensure that "Enhanced Tracking Protection" is not set to "Strict" and that JavaScript is enabled.
- Try a different browser:
  
  Access the website on another browser like Chrome or Edge to see if the CAPTCHA works correctly there.

What to do if CAPTCHA isn't working in a Windows browser:

- Clear cache and cookies: Go to your browser settings and clear browsing data, including cache and cookies.
  
  Disable VPN/Proxy: Check if you are using a VPN or proxy, and temporarily disable it to see if that resolves the issue.
  
  Update browser: Ensure your browser is updated to the latest version.
  
  Update operating system: Check for any pending updates on your Windows system.
  
  Check JavaScript settings: Verify that JavaScript is enabled in your browser settings.
  
  Restart your computer: Sometimes a simple restart can fix temporary glitches.
  
  Check for browser extensions: Disable any extensions that might interfere with CAPTCHA functionality.
  
  Try a different browser: Test if the CAPTCHA works on a different web browser to see if the issue is browser-specific.

What to do if CAPTCHA isn't working in Brave:

- Check Brave Shields:
  - Click the Brave icon in the address bar. Temporarily lower the Shields settings for the website where you're having CAPTCHA issues.
- Clear cache and cookies:
  - Go to Brave settings and clear your browsing data, including cache and cookies.
- Disable extensions:
  - Open Brave settings and disable any extensions that might interfere with CAPTCHA functionality.
- Check JavaScript settings:
  - Make sure JavaScript is enabled in your browser settings.
- Test in private window:
  - Open a new private window in Brave and try accessing the CAPTCHA again.
- Update Brave:
  - Check for and install any available updates for your Brave browser.

What to do if CAPTCHA isn't working in Safari:

- - Update Safari: Ensure you have the latest version of Safari installed on your device.
  - Disable extensions: Some browser extensions can interfere with CAPTCHAs, so try disabling them temporarily to see if that resolves the issue.
  - Check VPN settings: If you are using a VPN, temporarily turn it off to see if that fixes the CAPTCHA problem.
  - Clear cache and cookies: Go to Safari settings and clear your browsing history, cache, and cookies.
  - Check device settings: Make sure your device's date and time are set correctly.

Key general factors triggering captchas:

Automated behavior:
Clicking too fast, submitting forms too quickly

Using scripts or bots to interact with a website

Frequent login attempts from the same IP address, this is the most common reason, ie: Trying your password several times because you forgot it.
Network issues:
Using a VPN or proxy service

Changing IP addresses frequently

A shared IP address with a history of malicious activity
Location-based triggers:
Accessing a website from a new geographic location

Unusual traffic patterns from your region

What can you do to avoid captchas?

Be mindful of your actions:

Click at a normal pace, fill out forms carefully, and avoid excessive refreshing.
Check your network settings:

If you're using a VPN or proxy, try disabling it temporarily to see if that resolves the issue.
Clear browsing data:

Clear your cookies and cache regularly

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