Solve Grid Image CAPTCHA with Node.js and CaptchaAI

Grid image CAPTCHAs present a 3×3 or 4×4 grid with an instruction like "select all squares with traffic lights." This tutorial shows how to solve them from Node.js using CaptchaAI and Puppeteer.

Prerequisites

Step 1: Capture the grid image

const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
const fs = require('fs');

const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com/page-with-recaptcha');

// Switch to the reCAPTCHA challenge iframe
const frames = page.frames();
const challengeFrame = frames.find((f) => f.url().includes('recaptcha/api2/bframe'));

// Get the instruction text
const instruction = await challengeFrame.$eval(
  '.rc-imageselect-desc-no-canonical',
  (el) => el.textContent.trim()
);

// Screenshot the grid
const grid = await challengeFrame.$('.rc-imageselect-target');
await grid.screenshot({ path: 'grid.png' });

Step 2: Submit to CaptchaAI

const axios = require('axios');
const FormData = require('form-data');

const API_KEY = 'YOUR_API_KEY';
const sleep = (ms) => new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, ms));

const form = new FormData();
form.append('key', API_KEY);
form.append('method', 'post');
form.append('grid_size', '3x3');
form.append('img_type', 'recaptcha');
form.append('instructions', instruction);
form.append('json', '1');
form.append('file', fs.createReadStream('grid.png'));

const { data: submitData } = await axios.post('https://ocr.captchaai.com/in.php', form, {
  headers: form.getHeaders(),
});

if (submitData.status !== 1) throw new Error(submitData.request);
const taskId = submitData.request;
console.log(`Task submitted: ${taskId}`);

Step 3: Poll for the solution

await sleep(5000);

let cellsToClick;
for (let i = 0; i < 30; i++) {
  const { data: pollData } = await axios.get('https://ocr.captchaai.com/res.php', {
    params: { key: API_KEY, action: 'get', id: taskId, json: 1 },
  });

  if (pollData.status === 1) {
    cellsToClick = JSON.parse(pollData.request);
    console.log('Click cells:', cellsToClick);
    break;
  }
  if (pollData.request !== 'CAPCHA_NOT_READY') {
    throw new Error(pollData.request);
  }
  await sleep(5000);
}

Step 4: Click the correct tiles

const tiles = await challengeFrame.$$('.rc-imageselect-tile');

for (const cellNum of cellsToClick) {
  await tiles[cellNum - 1].click();
  await sleep(300);
}

// Click verify
await challengeFrame.click('#recaptcha-verify-button');
console.log(`Solved: clicked tiles ${JSON.stringify(cellsToClick)}`);
await browser.close();

Expected output:

Click cells: [1, 3, 6, 9]
Solved: clicked tiles [1,3,6,9]

FAQ

Does this work with 4×4 grids?

Yes. Set grid_size to 4x4 in the request parameters.

Can I use Playwright instead of Puppeteer?

Yes. The CaptchaAI API calls are the same — only the browser automation code changes.

What if the CAPTCHA refreshes with new images?

Some reCAPTCHA challenges load new tiles. You may need to capture and submit again for each round.

Related guides

• Solve Grid Image CAPTCHA with Python
• How to Solve Grid CAPTCHA Image

Start solving Grid Image CAPTCHAs with CaptchaAI →