CAPTCHA

#How CAPTCHA works

A CAPTCHA asks for a task that people do easily and simple programs find hard. Classic examples are distorted text to read or a set of images to sort. The site checks the answer on its server, and lets the visitor continue only when the answer is right. Some sites now use lighter checks that run in the background, which are covered by Cloudflare Turnstile.

#Why it matters for AI agents

A CAPTCHA is the visible form of a site challenge. An agent that browses the web can meet one in the middle of a task, with no warning. A CAPTCHA exists to stop automated use, so an agent should not be built to get past it. The practical answer is a person. The user completes the check, then decides whether the task continues.

#Wield and CAPTCHA

Wield does not solve CAPTCHAs. When a recipe meets a CAPTCHA or an "are you human" check, Wield stops with a site_challenge result. The user solves the check in their own tab, not inside the agent. Recipes run in the user's own browser, so the check appears where the user can see it. The same rule applies to every site challenge.

#Related terms

• Cloudflare Turnstile: a CAPTCHA alternative that uses light challenges.
• Browser fingerprinting: another signal sites use when they decide whether a visitor is a person.
• Human-in-the-loop: the design where a person makes the decision that a machine cannot.

#FAQ

#Can AI solve CAPTCHAs?

CAPTCHAs exist to stop automated answers, so Wield does not try to answer them. A site that shows one expects a person to complete it. Wield keeps that expectation: it stops and returns the check to the user.

#What happens when Wield meets a CAPTCHA?

Wield stops the run and returns a site_challenge result. The user solves the check in their own tab. The agent does not see the answer, and Wield does not try another route to the same page.

#Is a CAPTCHA the same as a login?

No. A login checks who you are, and you have an account on the site. A CAPTCHA checks that a person is present, and it can appear on pages where no account exists. Both can stop an agent, and both need a person to act.