reCaptcha public key is empty

Question

I have an error:

System.InvalidOperationException: Public key cannot be null or empty.

my Controller page Employees/Create looks like:

@using System.Collections
@using System.Collections.Concurrent
@using System.Data.SqlTypes
@using DataAccess
@using Recaptcha.Web.Mvc
@using Recaptcha.Web;
@using Recaptcha.Web.Mvc;
@model DataAccess.Employee

@{
ViewBag.Title = "Create";
}
@{ Layout = "/views/shared/_EmployeeLayout.cshtml";
}


@section Scripts {
@Scripts.Render("~/bundles/jqueryval")
}

@using (Html.BeginForm())
{
@Html.AntiForgeryToken()

<div class="container">
    <h2>Please, provide some information.</h2>
    <div class="row">
        <div class="col-md-8">
            <div class="form-group">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Name, "Name", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
                <div class="col-md-10">
                    @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Name, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control" } })
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Name, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
                </div>
            </div>
            <br />
            <br />
            <div class="form-group">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Surname, "Surname", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
                <div class="col-md-10">
                    @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Surname, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control" } })
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Surname, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
                </div>
            </div>
            <br />
            <br />
            <div class="form-group">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Location, "Location", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
                <div class="col-md-10">

                    @Html.DropDownList("LocationID", null, "--Please pick one--", new { @class = "form-control" })
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Location, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
                </div>
            </div>
            <br />
            <br />

            <div class="form-group">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Mail, "E-mail", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
                <div class="col-md-10">
                    @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Mail, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control" } })
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Mail, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
                </div>
            </div>
            <br />
            <br />
            <div class="form-group">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Telephone, "Telephone number", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
                <div class="col-md-10">
                    @Html.EditorFor(model => model.Telephone, new { htmlAttributes = new { @class = "form-control" } })
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Telephone, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
                </div>
            </div>
            <br />
            <br />
            <div class="form-group">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.EnglishLang.NameLang, "English level", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
                <div class="col-md-10">
                    @Html.DropDownList("EngID", null, "--Choose level--", new { @class = "form-control" })
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.EngID, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
                </div>
            </div>

            <br />
            <br />
            <div class="form-group">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Faculty.FacultyName, "Faculty", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
                <div class="col-md-10">
                    @Html.DropDownList("FacultyID", null, "Choose a faculty", new { @class = "form-control" })
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.FacultyID, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
                </div>
            </div>
            <br />
            <br />
            <div class="form-group">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.StartEduYear, "Entrance study year", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
                <div class="col-md-10">
                    @Html.DropDownListFor(model => model.StartEduYear, ViewBag.StartYearFaculty as IEnumerable<SelectListItem>)
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.StartEduYear, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
                </div>
            </div>
            <br />
            <br />
            <div class="form-group">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.AvgScore, "Average score", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
                <div class="col-md-10">
                    @Html.DropDownListFor(model => model.AvgScore, ViewBag.AverScore as IEnumerable<SelectListItem>)
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.AvgScore, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
                </div>
            </div>
            <br />
            <br />

            <div class="form-group">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.GradYear, "Graduation year", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
                <div class="col-md-10">
                    @Html.DropDownListFor(model => model.GradYear, ViewBag.GradYear as IEnumerable<SelectListItem>)
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.GradYear, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
                </div>
            </div>
            <p></p>
            <br />
            <br />
            <p></p>
            <p></p>


            <div class="form-group">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.WExp, "Work Experience", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
                <div class="col-md-10">
                    @Html.TextAreaFor(model => model.WExp, new { @class = "form-control" })
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.WExp, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
                </div>
            </div>
            <p></p>
            <br />
            <br />
            <br />
            <div class="form-group">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Interests, "Interests", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
                <div class="col-md-10">
                    @Html.TextAreaFor(model => model.Interests, new { @class = "form-control" })
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Interests, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
                </div>
            </div>
            <p></p>

            <span>Did you have any additional trainings?</span>
            <label for="chkYes">
                <input type="radio" id="chkYes" name="chkPassPort" onclick=" ShowHideDiv() " />Yes
            </label>
            <label for="chkNo">
                <input type="radio" id="chkNo" name="chkPassPort" onclick=" ShowHideDiv() " />No
            </label>

            <div class="form-group" id="dvPassport" style="display: none">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Trainings, "Trainings", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
                <div class="col-md-10">
                    @Html.TextAreaFor(model => model.Trainings, new { @class = "form-control" })
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Trainings, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
                </div>
            </div>
            <p></p>
            <span>Did you have any projects recently?</span>
            <label for="chkYes">
                <input type="radio" id="chkYes1" name="chkPassPort1" onclick=" ShowHideDiv() " />Yes
            </label>
            <label for="chkNo">
                <input type="radio" id="chkNo1" name="chkPassPort1" onclick=" ShowHideDiv() " />No
            </label>

            <div class="form-group" id="dvExample" style="display: none">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.Projects, "Projects", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
                <div class="col-md-10">
                    @Html.TextAreaFor(model => model.Projects, new { @class = "form-control" })
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.Projects, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
                </div>
            </div>
            <p></p>
            <span>Have you been in some students organization?</span>
            <label for="chkYes">
                <input type="radio" id="chkYes2" name="chkPassPort2" onclick=" ShowHideDiv() " />Yes
            </label>
            <label for="chkNo">
                <input type="radio" id="chkNo2" name="chkPassPort2" onclick=" ShowHideDiv() " />No
            </label>

            <div class="form-group" id="dvExample1" style="display: none">
                @Html.LabelFor(model => model.StudOrg, "Organizations", htmlAttributes: new { @class = "control-label col-md-2" })
                <div class="col-md-10">
                    @Html.TextAreaFor(model => model.StudOrg, new { @class = "form-control" })
                    @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.StudOrg, "", new { @class = "text-danger" })
                </div>
            </div>
        </div>
        <div class="form-group">
            <div class="g-recaptcha" data-sitekey="6LccVRcTAAAAADLo_LxSj4mQzt9jLrgbo5L9wZ-J"></div>
            <div>
                @if (TempData["recaptcha"] != null)
                {
                    <p>@TempData["recaptcha"]</p>
                }
            </div>
        </div>
        <br />
        <br />
        <div class="col-md-offset-2 col-md-10">

            <b></b>
            <div class="form-group">
                @Html.Recaptcha()
            </div>

            <br />
            <br />
            <br />
            <br />
            <input type="submit" value="Apply" class="btn btn-default" style="text-align: center" />
        </div>
    </div>
    <p></p>

</div>
}

  <script type="text/javascript">
    function ShowHideDiv() {
    var chkYes = document.getElementById("chkYes");
    var chkYes1 = document.getElementById("chkYes1");
    var chkYes2 = document.getElementById("chkYes2");

    var dvPassport = document.getElementById("dvPassport");
    var dvExample = document.getElementById("dvExample");
    var dvExample1 = document.getElementById("dvExample1");

    dvPassport.style.display = chkYes.checked ? "block" : "none";
    dvExample.style.display = chkYes1.checked ? "block" : "none";
    dvExample1.style.display = chkYes2.checked ? "block" : "none";

}

Error comes in the row where is

@Html.Recaptcha()

I've inserted my public and private key into Web.Config

And in my controller I have:

 if (ModelState.IsValid)
            {

                var recaptchaHelper = this.GetRecaptchaVerificationHelper();

                if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(recaptchaHelper.Response))
                {
                    ModelState.AddModelError("", "Captcha answer cannot be empty.");
                    return View(employee);
                }

                var recaptchaResult = recaptchaHelper.VerifyRecaptchaResponse();

                if (recaptchaResult != RecaptchaVerificationResult.Success)
                {
                    ModelState.AddModelError("", "Incorrect captcha answer.");
                }



                DateTime myDateTime = DateTime.Now;
                string sqlFormattedDate = myDateTime.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss");
                int count = (from result1 in db.Employees.AsEnumerable() select result1).Count();
                int maxEmployeeId = count > 0 ? db.Employees.Max(x => x.EmployeeID) + 1 : 1;
                employee.EmployeeID = maxEmployeeId;
                employee.CreatedTimeStamp = Convert.ToDateTime(sqlFormattedDate);
                db.Employees.Add(employee);
                db.SaveChanges();
                return RedirectToAction("Success", "Employees");


                return View(employee);


                //string EncodedResponse = Request.Form["g-recaptcha-Response"];
                //bool IsCaptchaValid = (ReCaptchaClass.Validate(EncodedResponse) == "True" ? true : false);
                //if (IsCaptchaValid)
                //{


                //}
                //else
                //{
                //    TempData["recaptcha"] = "Please verify that you are not a robot.";
                //}
            }

I am going crazy because of this error, this was an implementation by some guy from the Net, but I cannot find it anymore (I've reinstalled my OS)..if you be so kind to help me to figure it out it would be awesome!

Answer 1

In case that you have just updated the nuget package, look for duplicate settings initialization like the following at the end of your appSettings section :

  <add key="recaptchaPublicKey" value="" /><add key="recaptchaPrivateKey" value="" /><add key="recaptchaApiVersion" value="1" />

in your web.config.

When you update the recaptcha package it will automatically append this row in your appSettings section even if you have already set your settings - thus overriding them.

Otherwise - set your keys here.