How long a captcha stays valid
2026-01-19 · Captchas
The portal sets the lifetime, often under a few minutes. Solve and submit inside that window.
The API response does not extend the portal timer. Their server issued the image and their server drops the expected text. A correct reading sent late is still rejected.
Use POST /v1/solve when the form is about to be submitted. The answer is in that response. Use POST /v1/submit when you want an id now and the text later. Do not leave a background task so long that the portal captcha expires while it runs.
GET /v1/result/{id}?wait=10 holds the connection until the task is ready or 10 seconds pass. The maximum wait is 30 seconds. The Lambda deployment caps it at 25, because the front door closes at 30.
Prefer the synchronous call when you are in a hurry. Background mode is for a queue, not for a captcha that dies in a minute.
Ready to call it? Start with the quickstart, the API guide, or pricing.