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Traffic Filter

The Traffic Filter lets you block CAPTCHA verification requests based on the type of network connection the user is on. Each filter is an independent toggle, so you can tailor the policy per site without affecting other checks.

Traffic from abusive networks is blocked by default for every account, including free tier. All other filters are available to Professional and Enterprise tier customers.

Available Filters

Section titled Available Filters
FilterSettingStatus CodeDefault
VPNblockVpnAPI.VPN_BLOCKEDOff
ProxyblockProxyAPI.PROXY_BLOCKEDOff
TorblockTorAPI.TOR_BLOCKEDOff
Abusive ASNblockAbuserAPI.ABUSER_BLOCKEDOn
DatacenterblockDatacenterAPI.DATACENTER_BLOCKEDOff
MobileblockMobileAPI.MOBILE_BLOCKEDOff
SatelliteblockSatelliteAPI.SATELLITE_BLOCKEDOff
CrawlerblockCrawlerAPI.CRAWLER_BLOCKEDOff

Each filter returns a specific status code when it blocks a request. Your application can use these codes to show the user a tailored message (for example, asking a VPN user to disconnect and retry).

How It Works

Section titled How It Works
  1. A user submits a CAPTCHA solution.
  2. Your server calls the Prosopo verification endpoint, optionally including the user’s IP address.
  3. The provider looks up IP metadata (geolocation, ASN, threat classification) using a local IP information service.
  4. Each enabled traffic filter is evaluated against the IP metadata.
  5. If any filter matches, verification is rejected with the corresponding status code.
  6. If no filter matches, verification proceeds normally.

Traffic filter checks run before other verification logic (captcha correctness, IP distance, email rules, etc.), so blocked traffic is rejected early without wasting compute.

Providing the IP Address

Section titled Providing the IP Address

Traffic filters require the user’s IP address. Pass it in the ip field when calling the server-side verification endpoint:

{
    "secret": "your_secret_key",
    "token": "PROCAPTCHA-RESPONSE",
    "ip": "USER_IP_ADDRESS"
}

See the Server-side Verification docs for details.

If no IP address is provided, traffic filters are still evaluated but only the abusive-network filter will fire (using the connecting IP from the request itself).

Filter Details

Section titled Filter Details

VPN

Section titled VPN

Blocks connections identified as VPN services. This is one of the most common signals of automated abuse, but keep in mind that some legitimate users rely on VPNs for privacy.

Proxy

Section titled Proxy

Blocks connections routed through known proxy servers, including HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS proxies.

Tor

Section titled Tor

Blocks connections originating from Tor exit nodes. Tor traffic is strongly associated with anonymity and is frequently used by bots.

Abusive ASN

Section titled Abusive ASN

Blocks IP addresses belonging to Autonomous Systems (networks) flagged for abuse. This is the only filter enabled by default because abusive networks have a very high correlation with bot traffic and a low false-positive rate for legitimate users.

Free-tier accounts always have this filter enabled and cannot disable it.

Datacenter

Section titled Datacenter

Blocks IP addresses belonging to hosting providers and cloud datacenters. Most real users browse from residential or mobile connections, so datacenter traffic is often automated. However, some corporate networks route through datacenter IPs, so consider your audience before enabling this filter.

Mobile

Section titled Mobile

Blocks connections from cellular/mobile networks. This filter is situational — it’s useful when you want to restrict submissions to fixed-line connections, but will block legitimate mobile users.

Satellite

Section titled Satellite

Blocks connections from satellite internet providers. This is a niche filter for cases where satellite traffic is not expected.

Crawler

Section titled Crawler

Blocks known web crawlers and automated bots. This includes search engine bots and other well-known crawlers.

Configuration via Portal

Section titled Configuration via Portal

Traffic filters are configured in the Prosopo Portal under Site Settings > Traffic Filter. Each filter has an independent toggle switch.

Free-tier accounts see the abusive-network toggle locked on, with the remaining filters showing an upgrade prompt. Professional and Enterprise tier accounts can toggle all filters freely.

Fail-Open Behavior

Section titled Fail-Open Behavior

If the IP information lookup fails (network timeout, service unavailable, etc.), the traffic filter allows the request through rather than blocking it. This prevents an outage in the IP intelligence service from blocking all legitimate traffic.

Verification Response

Section titled Verification Response

When a traffic filter blocks a request, the verification endpoint returns:

{
    "verified": false,
    "status": "API.VPN_BLOCKED"
}

The status field contains the specific filter that triggered the block. Your application can use this to show a user-friendly message:

if (result.status === 'API.VPN_BLOCKED') {
    showMessage('Please disconnect your VPN and try again.');
} else if (result.status === 'API.TOR_BLOCKED') {
    showMessage('Tor connections are not supported. Please use a standard browser.');
}

Use Cases

Section titled Use Cases

E-Commerce (Moderate Security)

Section titled E-Commerce (Moderate Security)

Block the highest-risk traffic while allowing most legitimate users:

  • Abusive ASN: On (default)
  • Tor: On
  • Crawler: On
  • Everything else: Off

Financial Services (High Security)

Section titled Financial Services (High Security)

Strict filtering to minimize automated fraud:

  • Abusive ASN: On (default)
  • VPN: On
  • Proxy: On
  • Tor: On
  • Datacenter: On
  • Crawler: On

Consumer App (Permissive)

Section titled Consumer App (Permissive)

Rely on the default abusive-network blocking only:

  • Abusive ASN: On (default)
  • Everything else: Off

Availability

Section titled Availability
TierAbusive ASNOther Filters
FreeAlways onNot available
ProfessionalConfigurableConfigurable
EnterpriseConfigurableConfigurable