> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.orbitforms.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Spam Protection

> Protect your forms from bots and spam submissions with multiple layers of defense.

## Protection Methods

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Google reCAPTCHA v3" icon="shield-check">
    **Recommended.** Invisible, no friction, high accuracy, free tier available.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Honeypot Fields" icon="bug">
    Zero friction, simple setup, no external service required.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Rate Limiting" icon="gauge">
    Per-IP limits, customizable thresholds, auto-blocking of abusive traffic.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Enabling Spam Protection

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open form settings">
    Go to your form and open the Settings or Integrate tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose protection methods">
    Enable reCAPTCHA, add a honeypot field, and/or configure rate limits.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save and test">
    Save your changes and submit a test form to verify protection is working.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Best Practices

* **Use multiple methods together** — Combine reCAPTCHA with honeypot fields for stronger protection.
* **Enable reCAPTCHA for high-traffic forms** — Forms with lots of public traffic benefit most from reCAPTCHA v3.
* **Add honeypot fields** — A hidden field that bots fill out but humans don't see catches simple bots.
* **Don't set rate limits too low** — Avoid blocking legitimate users; start with conservative limits and adjust.
* **Test after enabling** — Submit test forms to ensure real users can still submit successfully.

## How It Works

When a user submits your form, OrbitForms applies your enabled protection layers in sequence:

1. **Honeypot** — If a hidden honeypot field is filled, the submission is rejected (bots often auto-fill all fields).
2. **reCAPTCHA v3** — Google scores the user's behavior; low scores are flagged or blocked.
3. **Rate limiting** — If the same IP exceeds your limit within the time window, the submission is blocked.

Submissions that pass all checks are processed normally. Blocked submissions are logged for review.

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Account Settings" icon="settings" href="/guides/settings">
    Manage your account and security
  </Card>

  <Card title="Analytics" icon="bar-chart-3" href="/getting-started/analytics">
    Monitor form performance
  </Card>
</CardGroup>