Google has recently made a major transition by migrating reCAPTCHA to its Cloud platform. While reCAPTCHA v2 (challenge-based) and v3 (invisible scoring) were widely used and supported across various platforms, Google is now centralizing its services — including reCAPTCHA — under the Google Cloud ecosystem.
This change not only impacts how developers integrate reCAPTCHA, but also introduces a more secure and flexible way to authenticate and validate human users. The Email Form module for ExpressionEngine has also been updated to comply with the new Google Cloud reCAPTCHA implementation.
Key Changes in the New reCAPTCHA on Google Cloud
New Authentication Model
Instead of the traditional secret/site key pairing, Google Cloud reCAPTCHA now relies on a single Site Key and a Service Account JSON file for authentication.
You’ll need to generate this service account key in the Google Cloud Console and store it on your server.
Project ID Requirement
The new system also requires a Project ID associated with your Google Cloud project. This ID must be specified in the module settings.
Challenge and Score Versions Still Exist
Although reCAPTCHA v2 and v3 are deprecated in their original forms, the concepts of "Challenge" (interactive verification) and "Score" (risk analysis) still remain under the new names:
- reCAPTCHA challenge (new version)
- reCAPTCHA score (new version of v3)
Cloud-Based Management
You now manage all reCAPTCHA configuration from the Google Cloud Console, which brings consistent control and logging capabilities across all your Google Cloud services.
What’s New in the Email Form Module for ExpressionEngine
To align with these updates, I’ve released an important update to the Email Form module:
- Single Site Key Only – You now only need to provide one key.
- Service Account Authentication – Upload your service_account.json file to your server. By default, the module will look for it at /system/user/reinos_email_form/service_account.json, but you can specify a different path.
- Project ID Field – A new setting is available in the module to enter your Google Cloud Project ID.
- Flexible reCAPTCHA Type – You can choose between the new challenge or score method within the module settings.
These changes make the module more secure and compatible with Google’s long-term roadmap for authentication services.
Upgrading Notes
If you’re upgrading from an older version of the Email Form module:
- Remove your old secret key
- Create a new site on Google Cloud reCAPTCHA - we found creating a new key is easier than migrating your old key.
- Create and download your service account JSON file and place it on your server in /system/user/addons/reinos_email_form/service_account.json
- Update your module settings with the Site Key and Project ID
More info can be found on docs.reinos.nl/email-form/control-panel.html#google-recaptcha
If you have questions or run into issues while transitioning, feel free to reach out via the support channel.
5/26/2025