> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.animeoshi.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.animeoshi.com/how-rating-works/captcha-verification.md). # How Rating-Verification Works ## In one sentence The verification step in AnimeOshi's rating flow is a Proof-of-Watch quiz: an episode-specific question that confirms you actually watched the episode, and passing it marks your rating as Verified. ## Overview Unlike a standard verification-captcha that only proves you are human, AnimeOshi's verification proves you *watched the episode you're rating*. When you rate certain episodes, you're shown a short multiple-choice question about a specific moment from that episode. Answer correctly, and your rating is recorded as a **Verified Rating**; this is what keeps the OshiMeter a signal from people who actually saw the episode rather than drive-by scores. It is a custom system built into AnimeOshi — not hCaptcha, reCAPTCHA, or Cloudflare Turnstile. ## Details ### What the verification actually is When you submit a rating on an episode that has verification enabled, AnimeOshi serves a multiple-choice question drawn from a specific moment in that episode. You pick an answer from the options shown. Questions are generated for each episode (some authored automatically, some written by reviewers and fans) so they're specific enough that only someone who watched can answer reliably. There is also a series-level question that can stand in when an individual episode doesn't have one of its own. ### What passing it does Clearing the Proof-of-Watch question marks your rating as a **Verified Rating.** It carries a "Verified" status. Verified ratings are the trustworthy core of an episode's OshiMeter. If you skip the step, your rating can still be recorded, but it is not marked verified. ### When the verification appears It does **not** appear on every rating. It triggers only when all of the following are true: * Verification is enabled in the current environment (it is on in production, off in staging/dev). * The specific episode has a verification question available (`has_captcha`). * You haven't already verified for that episode (or series). Once you've passed, you aren't re-challenged for it. Rating always requires you to be signed in, so this step is never a human-vs-bot gate for anonymous visitors. It's a watched-vs-not-watched check for signed-in Scouts. Which episodes carry a question is decided on AnimeOshi's side. ### If you answer wrong You get a limited number of attempts. Repeated wrong answers count down your remaining tries, and exhausting them temporarily blocks further attempts (on the order of a day) before you can try again. This keeps the verification meaningful rather than something you can brute-force. ## FAQ **Q: Why does AnimeOshi ask me a question about the episode when I rate it?** To confirm you actually watched it. AnimeOshi's "captcha" is a Proof-of-Watch quiz, not a bot check. Answering correctly marks your rating as Verified, which is what makes the OshiMeter a credible signal from real viewers. **Q: Is this a normal verification like reCAPTCHA?** No. It's a custom system built into AnimeOshi that asks an episode-specific question. There's no third-party captcha widget (no hCaptcha, reCAPTCHA, or Turnstile). **Q: Do I have to do it every time I rate?** No. It only appears when the episode has a verification question and you haven't already verified for it. Once you've passed an episode, you won't be re-challenged on it. **Q: What happens if I get the question wrong?** You have a limited number of attempts. Too many wrong answers temporarily locks the verification (about a day) before you can retry. **Q: What's a "Verified Rating"?** A rating you submitted after passing the Proof-of-Watch question. It's flagged as Verified and is the kind of rating the OshiMeter leans on. ## Related pages * [How to Rate Episodes on AnimeOshi](/how-rating-works/how-to-rate-episodes.md) * [What is the OshiMeter?](/core-concepts/oshimeter.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.animeoshi.com/how-rating-works/captcha-verification.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.