Many websites incorporate Google reCAPTCHA in their contact forms and login pages as a spam prevention measure. However, when accessing these sites from China, the page display may become extremely slow, and one of the reasons for this is Google reCAPTCHA.
Table of Contents
As part of China’s internet security management, Google-related services are generally restricted and cannot be accessed directly from within China. Google reCAPTCHA is also one of the services subject to these access restrictions.
By design, Google reCAPTCHA communicates with Google’s servers before a form is submitted to retrieve JavaScript, images, and verification resources. From within China, this communication can experience extreme delays or timeouts, negatively affecting the overall page load speed. As a result, issues such as “the site does not open at all,” “only images fail to display,” or “styles are broken” can occur.
*Note: Many websites in Japan also use Google reCAPTCHA, and when accessed from China, slow display on Japanese sites can similarly be caused by this issue.
The following problems can exacerbate slow website display:
〇 Loading the reCAPTCHA script within the <head> tag of the site.
〇 Blocking HTML rendering of other pages while executing the loaded script (lack of asynchronous processing).
〇 Structuring the page so that it doesn’t render until the verification result is obtained.
Slow website display can significantly affect conversion rates:
〇 The page remains blank for an extended period.
〇 The contact form is unusable or encounters submission errors.
〇 Users cannot log in or register, leading to increased site abandonment.
To ensure stable website operation for Chinese users, consider the following alternatives to Google reCAPTCHA:
〇 Alibaba Cloud CAPTCHA
https://www.alibabacloud.com/en/product/captcha
Alibaba Cloud provides an online verification service that performs human verification (bot protection) to prevent unauthorized access and spam submissions.
While offering similar functionality to Google reCAPTCHA, it operates on servers within China, allowing fast and stable page loading even for users accessing from mainland China.
*Note: There is no free plan. Pricing is based on usage, either per-traffic or as a package. Costs increase in proportion to monthly access and verification counts, so it is recommended to estimate expenses before implementation.
〇 WP Advanced Math Captcha (WordPress plugin)
https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-advanced-math-captcha
If you want to avoid Google reCAPTCHA or other paid CAPTCHA services, and your site is built with WordPress, one free plugin option is WP Advanced Math Captcha.
Although limited to WordPress, it provides a simple and effective way to implement spam prevention for free. This plugin is especially useful for sites targeting the Chinese market or environments where Google services are difficult to use. However, its security level is basic, so for large-scale sites or pages involving important transactions, it is recommended to use it alongside other security measures (such as IPS/IDS or WAF).
〇 Cloudflare Turnstile (Can be used alongside WordPress plugins)
https://www.cloudflare.com/application-services/products/turnstile
Even if Cloudflare Turnstile is implemented on a site targeting China, it does not seem to significantly affect site performance or loading speed.
However, when opening the URL of a contact form via the browser within WeChat, security restrictions imposed by WeChat (and Tencent), such as control over the Referer or cookies, may cause authentication errors and prevent the process from proceeding.
This is likely due to the WeChat in-app browser restricting external site scripts and requests through a combination of mechanisms, including Referer control, Cookie limitations, and Content Security Policy.
*From our perspective, implementing Cloudflare Turnstile on a site targeting China is not recommended.
For websites aimed at China or Chinese users, Google reCAPTCHA can be a major cause of slow page loading.
When building sites with the Chinese market in mind, it is essential to implement form verification methods optimized for China’s network environment. Simply copying the design and functionality of a Japanese site is not sufficient; “tuning for China” is the first step to prevent loss of site traffic and business opportunities.
● For website creation, server setup, and operation — Contact Us ●
▼ Company WeChat Official Account▼
▼ Contact person in charge WeChat ID ▼
Follow us on WeChat
We have renewed the website of Beyond Technology
Published a case study on updating the homepage of the “Yuwa Life” website.