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A Penn State Nittany Lion statue is seen in the courtyard of Penn State College of Medicine in Summer 2016. The statue is in focus toward the right side of the image. Out of focus in the background, green plants and trees are visible in the courtyard.

Using the REDCaptcha Module

Users of REDCap have the option to use the REDCaptcha external module.

This tool integrates Google’s reCAPTCHA service, which helps protect websites from spam and abuse, into REDCap. A CAPTCHA is a test to tell human and bots apart. It is a small task that easy for humans to do, but hard for bots and other malicious software to figure out.

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Using REDCaptcha

Prerequisites Expand answer

Prerequisites for using REDCaptcha are:

  • The survey must be public.
  • Surveys must be enabled in the Project Setup Screen.
  • At least one instrument must enabled as a survey. (Note: If using a multi-arm project with multiple public survey URLs, all will be protected.)
Project-Level Setup Directions Expand answer

Enabling the Module

Enable the module in the Applications Menu from within the project by selecting the “External Modules” ink.

A screenshot from the REDCap tool shows a list of applications with External Modules, toward the bottom, highlighted. It has a small puzzle piece icon next to it.

A small image shows a clickable digital button with a plus sign and the words Enable a module.Select the “Enable a module” button.

From within the “Available Modules” screen, select the “Enable” button to the right of the REDCaptcha module.

A screenshot from REDCap shows a listing for REDCaptcha with the version number, a tag that says "Discoverable" and a link to view documentation. An "Enable" button appears at right.

Test the functionality by visiting “Survey Distribution Tools” and selecting “Open Public Survey.” Before being presented with the survey, a message will appear with a checkbox that says “I’m not a robot” and the reCAPTCHA logo, and a submit button.

A screenshot shows a checkbox that says "I'm not a robot" and the reCAPTCHA logo.

After checking the “I’m not a robot” box and hitting submit, the user may be presented with a picture challenge. In this challenge, a set of images is presented in a grid, and the user is asked to click the squares in the grid that contain a certain item (a bridge, a traffic light, etc.)

Options are presented below the grid to refresh the images (if any do not seem clear) or to play an audio challenge instead (for users who may have trouble with a visual challenge). After completing the challenge, there is a “Verify” button to click.

A screenshot of a reCAPTCHA challenge shows a grid of photos with instructions for the user to click any photos that include bridges. Icons below allow the user to refresh with a new set of images or hear an audio challenge instead. There is also a "Verify" button.

After clicking “Verify,” if the user has passed the challenge, a green checkmark will appear next to “I’m not a robot” in the original message. At that point, the user must click “Submit” underneath the checkbox to proceed to the survey.

A screenshot shows a checkmark next to the saying "I'm not a robot" and the reCAPTCHA logo.

Configuring a Personalized Message Expand answer

If desired, the CAPTCHA in REDCaptcha can be customized to display a personalized message.

To set up a personalized message, return to the “External Modules” link in the Applicatons menu.

The REDCaptcha module’s item should show buttons to configure or disable the module. Click “Configure.”

A screenshot from REDCap shows a listing for REDCaptcha with the version number, a tag that says "Discoverable" and a link to view documentation. Two buttons appear at right, "Configure" and "Disable."

On the screen that appears, custom instructions or a custom error message can be entered for the REDCaptcha.

A screenshot from REDCap shows the REDCaptcha module configuration screen. Two textboxes allow the user to enter custom instructions or a custom error message, with sample text in each.

The custom instruction message will appear above the “I’m not a robot” checkbox information.

A screenshot from REDCap shows the REDCaptcha "I'm not a robot" checkbox with sample instruction text appearing above the checkbox and CAPTCHA logo.