How to Avoid CAPTCHAs

The internet these days is filled with those pesky CAPTCHAs, and it’s only getting worse with the rise of AI and other bots.

But not to fear. It is possible to avoid CAPTCHAs, at least to some extent. Keep reading to find out how.

What is a CAPTCHA?

So, first things first: the acronym CAPTCHA stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.

While that may sound a little complicated, it’s actually pretty simple. Basically, it’s a short test, usually in the form of a simple puzzle, that helps to stop bot traffic from overwhelming websites or servers.

These can take the form of text, images, or even audio.

Why Do I Get CAPTCHAs?

There are several reasons you may be faced with CAPTCHAs when browsing online:

The site you’re visiting wants to confirm your identity (bank account, etc.)
The site you’re visiting simply wants to control traffic
The IP address you’re using is somehow associated or suspected of bot traffic
Your traffic is somehow suspicious (too many requests, etc.)

Of course, you might not know exactly why at the time, but these are some of the most common causes.

Do VPNs Cause CAPTCHAs?

Yes, they definitely can.

If you’re using a commercial VPN, these typically share IPs between a number of users at the same time. This can make the site or server you’re trying to access suspect the IP of being bot traffic.

If you’re facing this problem, keep reading to find out ways to prevent it.

How do Avoid CAPTCHAs

There’s no foolproof way to avoid CAPTCHAs, but there are a few things you can do to reduce the probability or frequency. Or at least, the hassle of actually solving them.

Use a CAPTCHA solver

Though you can’t always avoid CAPTCHAs entirely, you can reduce the amount of time you spend solving them. One way to do this is with a CAPTCHA solver, like the browser plug-in Buster, which is available for Chrome and Firefox.

This particular solver is free and open-source, though you can find other paid options around the internet.

Change your VPN server

If you’re using a VPN and you’re getting CATPCHAs when you try to access websites, one of the easiest ways to fix this is by simply changing the VPN server.

Alternatively, if you’re not already using a VPN, using one could help. For instance, if you’re outside of the US but trying to access an American website, try connecting to a US server.

Our recommendation would be Private Internet Access VPN, for its combination of great features and low price.

Use a dedicated IP address

Another option is, rather than relying on the shared IP addresses provided by most VPNs, is to upgrade to a dedicated IP address.

This can allow you to reduce the number of CAPTCHAs you see while maintaining the advantages of using a VPN.

Don’t make rapid requests

One of the main actions that CAPTCHAs seek to avoid is the ability for bot swarms to overload a server by making many requests in a short span of time.

For this reason, you should try to avoid these kinds of rapid requests: repeatedly refreshing a page, clicking on lots of links in succession, and other things like that.