diff --git a/.env.test b/.env.test
index e09d5804a..e00a7209d 100644
--- a/.env.test
+++ b/.env.test
@@ -39,3 +39,6 @@ RAILS_ACTIVE_RECORD_KEY_DERIVATION_SALT=
 
 API_GATEWAY_BASE_URL=https://api-gateway.example.gov
 
+TURNSTILE_SITE_KEY=1x00000000000000000000AA
+TURNSTILE_SECRET_KEY=1x0000000000000000000000000000000AA
+
diff --git a/app/views/components/widget/_fba.js.erb b/app/views/components/widget/_fba.js.erb
index 2d72ef6f0..8d64b8aac 100644
--- a/app/views/components/widget/_fba.js.erb
+++ b/app/views/components/widget/_fba.js.erb
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ function FBAform(d, N) {
 				this.options.formSpecificScript();
 			}
 			<%- if form.enable_turnstile? %>
-			this.loadTurnstile();
+			this.lazyLoadTurnstile();
 			<% end %>
 			<%- if form.has_rich_text_questions? %>
 			this.loadQuill();
@@ -212,12 +212,22 @@ function FBAform(d, N) {
 			var self = this;
 			if (self.validateForm(formElement)) {
 				<%- if form.enable_turnstile? %>
-				const elapsed = Date.now() - self.turnstileInitiatedAt;
-				if (elapsed > 5 * 60 * 1000) {
-					self.initTurnstile();
-					self.turnstileInitiatedAt = Date.now();
-					return false;
-				}
+        var input = this.turnstileResponseInput();
+        if (!input || !input.value) {
+          <%# Re-enable the submit button(s) so the user can resubmit after re-verifying. %>
+          var submitButtons = this.formElement().querySelectorAll("[type='submit']");
+          Array.prototype.forEach.call(submitButtons, function(submitButton) {
+            submitButton.disabled = false;
+            submitButton.classList.remove("aria-disabled");
+          });
+          self.showTurnstileMessage("<%= I18n.t 'form.turnstile_verify' %>");
+          return false;
+        }
+//				if (!self.turnstileTokenIsValid()) {
+//					self.refreshTurnstile();
+//					self.showTurnstileMessage("<%= I18n.t 'form.turnstile_verify' %>");
+//					return false;
+//				}
 				<% end %>
 
 				// disable submit button
@@ -236,6 +246,13 @@ function FBAform(d, N) {
 			var self = this;
 			var formElement = this.formElement();
 			if (self.validateForm(formElement)) {
+				<%- if form.enable_turnstile? %>
+				if (!self.turnstileTokenIsValid()) {
+					self.refreshTurnstile();
+					self.showTurnstileMessage("<%= escape_javascript(I18n.t('form.turnstile_verify', default: 'Please complete the verification challenge again, then resubmit.')) %>");
+					return false;
+				}
+				<% end %>
 				var submitButtons = formElement.querySelectorAll("[type='submit']");
 				Array.prototype.forEach.call(submitButtons, function(submitButton) {
 					submitButton.disabled = true;
@@ -583,7 +600,11 @@ function FBAform(d, N) {
 			xhr.onload = callback.bind(this);
 			xhr.send(JSON.stringify({
 				<%- if form.enable_turnstile? %>
-				"cf-turnstile-response" : form.querySelector("input[name='cf-turnstile-response']") ? form.querySelector("input[name='cf-turnstile-response']").value : null,
+				"cf-turnstile-response" : (function() {
+					var turnstileInput = form.querySelector("input[name='cf-turnstile-response']");
+					var token = turnstileInput ? turnstileInput.value.trim() : "";
+					return token.length > 0 ? token : null;
+				})(),
 				<% end %>
 				"submission": params,
 				<%- if form.verify_csrf? %>
@@ -721,23 +742,171 @@ function FBAform(d, N) {
 		},
 		<% end %>
 		<%- if form.enable_turnstile? %>
+		<%# Tokens are single-use and Cloudflare expires them after ~5 minutes. %>
+		<%# Treat a token older than 4 minutes (or absent/cleared) as invalid. %>
+		turnstileTokenMaxAgeMs: 4 * 60 * 1000,
+		turnstileTokenIsValid: function() {
+			var input = this.turnstileResponseInput();
+			if (!input || !input.value) {
+				return false;
+			}
+			if (typeof this.turnstileTokenIssuedAt !== 'number') {
+				return false;
+			}
+			return (Date.now() - this.turnstileTokenIssuedAt) < this.turnstileTokenMaxAgeMs;
+		},
+		turnstileResponseInput: function() {
+			return this.formComponent().querySelector("input[name='cf-turnstile-response']");
+		},
+		turnstileContainer: function() {
+			return this.formComponent().querySelector("#turnstile-container");
+		},
+		clearTurnstileToken: function() {
+			var input = this.turnstileResponseInput();
+			if (input) {
+				input.value = "";
+			}
+			this.turnstileTokenIssuedAt = null;
+		},
+		showTurnstileMessage: function(message) {
+			var container = this.turnstileContainer();
+			if (!container) {
+				return;
+			}
+			var messageEl = container.parentNode.querySelector(".fba-turnstile-message");
+			if (!messageEl) {
+				messageEl = d.createElement("div");
+				messageEl.setAttribute("class", "fba-turnstile-message usa-error-message");
+				messageEl.setAttribute("role", "alert");
+				container.parentNode.insertBefore(messageEl, container.nextSibling);
+			}
+			messageEl.innerText = message;
+		},
+		clearTurnstileMessage: function() {
+			var container = this.turnstileContainer();
+			if (!container) {
+				return;
+			}
+			var messageEl = container.parentNode.querySelector(".fba-turnstile-message");
+			if (messageEl) {
+				messageEl.parentNode.removeChild(messageEl);
+			}
+		},
+    <%# Defer loading the Turnstile challenge until the user actually engages with %>
+    <%# the form, so we don't run a challenge for the many visitors who never %>
+    <%# interact. Triggers on first form interaction and on modal open. %>
+		lazyLoadTurnstile: function() {
+			var self = this;
+			this.turnstileRequested = false;
+
+			<%# Load the challenge at most once, on the first sign of engagement. %>
+			var trigger = function() {
+        <%# One-shot guard: load the Turnstile API + render the widget only once. %>
+        if (self.turnstileRequested) {
+          return;
+        }
+        self.turnstileRequested = true;
+        self.loadTurnstile();
+			};
+
+			<%# First interaction with any form field (covers all delivery methods). %>
+			<%# focusin bubbles (unlike focus); { once: true } auto-removes the listener. %>
+			var formElement = this.formElement();
+			if (formElement) {
+				formElement.addEventListener('focusin', trigger, { once: true });
+				formElement.addEventListener('input', trigger, { once: true });
+			}
+		},
 		loadTurnstile: function() {
-			let script = document.createElement("script");
-			script.src = "https://challenges.cloudflare.com/turnstile/v0/api.js";
-			script.async = true;
-			script.defer = true;
-			script.onload = this.initTurnstile;
-			this.turnstileInitiatedAt = Date.now();
-			if (!window.turnstile) {
-				document.head.appendChild(script);
+			var self = this;
+			if (window.turnstile) {
+				<%# API already loaded (host page or another form loaded it) — render now. %>
+				this.initTurnstileWidget();
+				return;
 			}
+			var script = d.createElement("script");
+			script.src = "https://challenges.cloudflare.com/turnstile/v0/api.js?render=explicit";
+			script.onload = function() {
+				self.initTurnstileWidget();
+			};
+			script.onerror = function() {
+				console.error("Touchpoints: failed to load Cloudflare Turnstile API.");
+			};
+			d.head.appendChild(script);
 		},
-		initTurnstile: function() {
-			turnstile.remove("#turnstile-container");
-			turnstile.render("#turnstile-container", {
+    refreshTurnstile: function() {
+      <%# Re-enable the submit button(s) so the user can resubmit after re-verifying. %>
+      var submitButtons = this.formElement().querySelectorAll("[type='submit']");
+      Array.prototype.forEach.call(submitButtons, function(submitButton) {
+        submitButton.disabled = false;
+        submitButton.classList.remove("aria-disabled");
+      });
+      this.clearTurnstileToken();
+      this.initTurnstileWidget();
+    },
+		initTurnstileWidget: function() {
+			var self = this;
+			this.turnstileTokenIssuedAt = null;
+			if (!window.turnstile) {
+				<%# Script not ready yet; loadTurnstile's onload will invoke initTurnstile. %>
+				return;
+			}
+			var container = this.turnstileContainer();
+			if (!container) {
+				console.error("Touchpoints: Turnstile container not found.");
+				return;
+			}
+//			if (this.turnstileWidgetId != null) {
+				<%# Reset the existing widget rather than remove/re-render to avoid errors. %>
+//				try {
+//					turnstile.reset(this.turnstileWidgetId);
+//					this.clearTurnstileToken();
+//					return;
+//				} catch (e) {
+					<%# Fall through to a fresh render if reset fails. %>
+//					try { turnstile.remove(this.turnstileWidgetId); } catch (removeErr) {}
+//					this.turnstileWidgetId = null;
+//				}
+//			}
+			this.turnstileWidgetId = turnstile.render(container, {
 				sitekey: "<%= ENV['TURNSTILE_SITE_KEY'] %>",
+				retry: "never",
 				callback: function (token) {
-					document.querySelector("input[name='cf-turnstile-response']").value = token;
+					var input = self.turnstileResponseInput();
+					if (input) {
+						input.value = token;
+					}
+					// self.turnstileTokenIssuedAt = Date.now();
+					// self.clearTurnstileMessage();
+				},
+//				'expired-callback': function () {
+					<%# Cloudflare expired the token; drop it so we never submit a stale token. %>
+//					self.clearTurnstileToken();
+//					self.showTurnstileMessage("<%= escape_javascript(I18n.t('form.turnstile_expired', default: 'Verification expired. Please complete the challenge again.')) %>");
+//				},
+//				'timeout-callback': function () {
+//					self.clearTurnstileToken();
+//				},
+				'error-callback': function (errorCode) {
+					// self.clearTurnstileToken();
+
+					<%# Configuration errors (e.g. 110200 unauthorized domain, 1101xx bad %>
+					<%# sitekey) will never succeed on retry. Stop and log — do not re-render. %>
+					var code = String(errorCode || "");
+					if (code.indexOf("1101") === 0 || code.indexOf("1102") === 0 || code.indexOf("4000") === 0) {
+						console.error("Touchpoints: Turnstile configuration error; not retrying.", errorCode);
+						return true;
+					}
+
+					<%# Transient error: inform the user and retry once ourselves after a short delay. %>
+					console.error("Touchpoints: Turnstile error occurred.", errorCode);
+					self.showTurnstileMessage("<%= escape_javascript(I18n.t('form.turnstile_error', default: 'Verification could not be completed. Please try again.')) %>");
+					N.setTimeout(function () {
+						if (self.turnstileWidgetId != null) {
+							try { turnstile.reset(self.turnstileWidgetId); } catch (e) {}
+						}
+					}, 2000);
+					return true;
 				}
 			});
 		},
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 3073daa65..f2863673a 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -198,6 +198,9 @@ en:
     field_is_invalid: "Please enter a valid value: "
     chars_remaining: "Chars remaining: "
     enter_other_text: "Enter other text"
+    turnstile_verify: "Please complete the verification challenge, then resubmit."
+    turnstile_expired: "Verification expired. Please complete the challenge again."
+    turnstile_error: "Verification could not be completed. Please try again."
   header:
     official: "An official website of the United States government"
     heres_how_you_know: "Here’s how you know"
diff --git a/config/locales/es.yml b/config/locales/es.yml
index 1d8862aa5..9083d6e73 100644
--- a/config/locales/es.yml
+++ b/config/locales/es.yml
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ es:
     field_is_invalid: "Por favor ingrese una cifra válida: "
     chars_remaining: "Caracteres restantes: "
     enter_other_text: "Ingresa otro texto"
+    turnstile_verify: "Por favor, complete el desafío de verificación y luego vuelva a enviar."
+    turnstile_expired: "La verificación expiró. Por favor, complete el desafío nuevamente."
+    turnstile_error: "No se pudo completar la verificación. Por favor, inténtelo de nuevo."
   header:
     official: "Un sitio web oficial del gobierno de los Estados Unidos"
     heres_how_you_know: "Así es como sabes"
diff --git a/docs/turnstile-metrics.md b/docs/turnstile-metrics.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7806963e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/turnstile-metrics.md
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+# Measuring the Impact of Cloudflare Turnstile on a Form
+
+This guide describes how to decide whether enabling Cloudflare Turnstile on a
+Touchpoints form is actually reducing spam, and what to measure before and
+after turning it on.
+
+## How Turnstile is wired in this app
+
+- Turnstile is toggled per form via the `enable_turnstile` boolean
+  (`app/models/form.rb`, `app/views/admin/forms/_admin_options.html.erb`).
+- On submission, if the form has Turnstile enabled, the server verifies the
+  `cf-turnstile-response` token against Cloudflare's siteverify endpoint
+  (`app/controllers/submissions_controller.rb`, `verify_turnstile`).
+- On success, the submission is stamped
+  `spam_prevention_mechanism = "turnstile"`.
+- On failure, an error is added and **the submission is not saved**.
+
+Because failed submissions are discarded and not logged or counted, the
+database records what got through, not what was blocked. Keep this in mind
+when interpreting the numbers below.
+
+## The one durable signal the app already stores
+
+`submissions.spam_prevention_mechanism`:
+
+- Set to `"turnstile"` only when verification passes.
+- Defaults to `""` for everything else.
+
+Quick query for how many submissions were Turnstile-verified after enabling:
+
+```sql
+SELECT spam_prevention_mechanism, COUNT(*)
+FROM submissions
+WHERE form_id = <id> AND created_at >= '<enable_date>'
+GROUP BY 1;
+```
+
+If Turnstile is enabled but few rows are stamped `turnstile`, that suggests a
+configuration problem (e.g., missing `TURNSTILE_SITE_KEY` /
+`TURNSTILE_SECRET_KEY`), not an absence of bots.
+
+## Metrics to capture BEFORE enabling (baseline)
+
+Use a stable window of 2-4 weeks on the same form:
+
+1. **Total submission volume per day** — the denominator for everything else.
+2. **Spam/junk rate** — however you currently identify spam (manual triage,
+   keyword patterns, obvious bot content, duplicate bursts). This is the number
+   you are trying to move.
+3. **Completion / abandonment** — any funnel data you have (widget opens vs.
+   submits). Turnstile adds friction, so watch for legitimate drop-off.
+4. **Duplicate / burst patterns** — submissions from the same IP or in rapid
+   succession. IP is only stored if `organization.enable_ip_address?` is set.
+
+## Metrics to capture AFTER enabling
+
+1. **Spam rate** vs. baseline — the primary success metric.
+2. **Share of submissions marked `turnstile`** — see the query above.
+3. **Total legitimate volume** — did real submissions drop? A large fall may
+   indicate friction/abandonment rather than blocked bots.
+4. **Blocked (failed) submissions** — not recorded in the app today; see gap
+   below.
+
+## Known measurement gap: blocked submissions
+
+The most valuable metric — how many submissions Turnstile actually blocked — is
+not recorded anywhere. When verification fails, the submission is discarded with
+no counter, no log line, and no persisted row. Without it you cannot distinguish
+"Turnstile blocked many bots" from "Turnstile did nothing."
+
+Ways to close the gap:
+
+- **Cloudflare dashboard (no code):** Turnstile analytics on Cloudflare's side
+  show challenge / solve / fail counts.
+- **Lightweight logging (low risk):** add a log line in the verification-failure
+  branch counting failures with the form id and IP.
+- **Persisted attempt counter (schema change):** durable before/after data in
+  the app itself.
+
+## Interpreting the results
+
+| Observation | Likely interpretation |
+|---|---|
+| Spam down, legit volume steady | Turnstile is working — keep it |
+| Spam down, legit volume also down noticeably | Friction may deter real users — investigate abandonment |
+| Spam unchanged, few `turnstile`-stamped rows | Misconfiguration (keys/env) — verify before concluding it fails |
+| Spam unchanged, many `turnstile`-stamped rows | Spam was not bot-driven — Turnstile is the wrong tool |
+
+## Controlling for confounders
+
+- Compare before/after on the **same form** over comparable-length windows.
+- Watch for external changes (a shared link, seasonal traffic) that move volume
+  independently of Turnstile.
diff --git a/spec/features/embedded_touchpoints_spec.rb b/spec/features/embedded_touchpoints_spec.rb
index e84115c6f..9e54bea7b 100644
--- a/spec/features/embedded_touchpoints_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/embedded_touchpoints_spec.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   let!(:user) { FactoryBot.create(:user, :admin, organization:) }
 
   context 'as Admin' do
-    let!(:form) { FactoryBot.create(:form, :kitchen_sink, organization:) }
+    let!(:form) { FactoryBot.create(:form, :kitchen_sink, organization:, enable_turnstile: true) }
 
     describe '/forms/:id/example' do
       before do