Elevate Conversions: A Comprehensive, Step-by-Step Guide to Optimizing Contact Form 7 for Beginners

Are you ready to enhance your WordPress site’s communication capabilities? This guide will take you step-by-step through optimizing Contact Form 7, one of WordPress’s most popular and flexible plugins for creating and managing contact forms. Whether you’re new to WordPress or looking to improve your site’s user experience, this comprehensive guide is designed to simplify the process for you.

Contact Form 7 allows you to build versatile forms tailored to your website’s needs quickly. In this guide, we’ll cover everything from the basics of installation to advanced customization, including:

• Creating custom forms: Learn how to build forms from scratch using simple tools like Text fields, checkboxes, and radio buttons.
• Configuring email settings: Set up how and where form submissions will be sent, allowing you to receive form data directly to your preferred email.
• Adding spam protection: Prevent unwanted submissions by integrating tools like CAPTCHA and Akismet to secure your forms.
• Styling your forms: Use CSS to customize the appearance of your forms, ensuring they match your website’s design perfectly.
• Inserting forms with shortcodes: Add forms to your posts, pages, or widgets using simple shortcodes for quick integration.
• Extending functionality: Use various add-ons and extensions that offer features like file uploads, additional spam protection, and more advanced form capabilities.

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a fully optimized Contact Form 7 that enhances user interaction on your WordPress site. Each section is broken down into simple steps, accompanied by detailed images, to ensure you can follow along easily.

Let’s start creating a seamless Contact Form 7 that delivers a smooth and professional experience for your visitors.

It’s widely used because it’s straightforward to set up and highly customizable, making it a good choice for beginners and advanced users.

Managed WordPress Hosting with Seamless Contact Form Integration

Now that you’ve explored Contact Form 7’s capabilities, it’s time to pair it with a hosting solution that ensures optimal website performance. Our managed WordPress hosting is designed to simplify the setup and management of your contact forms, allowing you to integrate them with a single click using our intuitive hosting control panel. Not only can you easily set up your forms, but our platform also supports the smooth installation of other essential plugins, enhancing the overall user experience.

With our hosting plans, you get flexibility, scalability, and dedicated support from WordPress experts, ensuring your site runs efficiently without needing technical know-how.

Additionally, our VPS services offer long-term hosting solutions tailored specifically for your growing business needs. Whether aiming to improve your site’s performance or streamline management, our advanced hosting options enable you to focus on expansion without getting weighed down by technical complexities.

To explore the right hosting solutions for your website, we invite you to visit our WordPress Hosting and Concept pages, where you’ll find detailed information about our services and the best plan to match your requirements. This is your opportunity to optimize your WordPress site with expert support, powerful tools, and a reliable hosting partner dedicated to your success.

Logging into WordPress

To begin managing your WordPress site, you can use your browser to access the WordPress admin panel by entering example.com/wp-admin. Replace “example.com” with your actual website address. This will take you to the login page to input your username and password.

Once logged in, you can access all the tools and settings needed to customize your website, manage plugins, and edit content. The WordPress admin dashboard provides a user-friendly interface, making it simple for even novices to handle their site’s functionality and design.

Search for Contact Form 7 and Install the Plugin

In the left-side menu, navigate to Plugins and select Add New Plugin.

This will take you to the plugin search page, where you can find and install plugins to enhance your website’s functionality. In this case, we’re looking for Contact Form 7, a versatile and easy-to-use plugin for creating contact forms.

Installing Contact Form 7

In the search bar at the top right, type “Contact Form 7.” When the plugin appears in the search results, select the Install Now option. Contact Form 7 is a free and viral plugin with over 10 million active installations.

Once you’ve completed the installation, activate the plugin to efficiently manage and create contact forms on your WordPress site.

Activate the Plugin

After installing the plugin, the Activate button will replace the Install button. Click on it to activate the plugin. Activating the plugin ensures it is ready for use, allowing you to start creating and managing Contact Form 7 on your WordPress site.

Form Successfully Added

After activating the plugin, you will see Contact Form 7 added to your WordPress dashboard. Under the Contact tab, you’ll find a section called Contact Forms, where you can create, manage, and customize your forms. This ensures that the plugin is fully operational and ready to use on your website.

Navigating to Contact Forms

In your WordPress dashboard, move your mouse over the Contact tab in the left-hand menu and click on Contact Forms. This will take you to the main page, where you can view a list of any existing forms and add new ones. This is where you’ll manage all contact forms for your website.

Edit Your Contact Form

When you see the list of contact forms, Select the Edit option beside the form you wish to customize. Editing your form allows you to modify form fields such as name, email, or any other information you want to collect from users. You can easily adjust the form to suit your needs.

Removing or Adding Form Elements

Once in the form editor, you’ll notice that the fields are displayed using a combination of HTML and WordPress shortcodes. Don’t worry if this looks complex. You can use the buttons above the Text editor to easily add common form elements like Text fields or checkboxes without needing to write any code. This step also allows you to rename your contact form according to your preferences.

Creating or Editing a Form

In the Contact Forms section, you can either create a new form or edit an existing one. If you’re creating a new form, click on Add New. If you want to customize the default form, click the Edit button next to the form.

You will now see the form’s code and structure, with each field (such as name, email, subject, and message) displaying HTML and WordPress shortcode. From here, you can adjust the fields as needed to match the information you want to collect from your users.

Save the Form

After adding or editing form elements, Navigate to the bottom of the page and press the Save button. This action will save all changes and ensure your contact form is ready. Remember to save every time you make changes to avoid losing any work.

Go to the Pages Section

Now that your contact form is ready navigate to the Pages section on your WordPress dashboard. Click on All Pages to view the list of pages on your website. You will add the form to a specific page, typically the Contact Us page.

Edit the Contact Us Page

Find the contact Us page in your list of pages and click edit. This action will launch the page editor, allowing you to insert your contact form. By making changes to this page, you guarantee that visitors can easily use the form to reach out to you.

Adding a New Block:

In the page editor, follow these steps to add the Contact Form 7 block to your page:

• • Open the Block Selector: At the top left corner of the page editor, you will see a + icon. This block selector allows you to insert various content blocks into your page, such as Text, images, or, in this case, a form.
  • Click the + icon to open the block menu.

Browse or Search for a Block:

• Once the block menu opens, you will see several categories and options. You can either scroll through the list to find the Contact Form 7 block or use the search bar for a quicker method.
• The search bar is located at the top of the block menu. This is a faster way to find the specific block you want to use, especially if you have many plugins or blocks installed.

Insert the Contact Form

1. Select the Contact Form Block: After finding the Contact Form 7 block in the previous step, select the form you want to add to your page. Choose the form you previously created in the dropdown menu that appears (e.g., “Contact Form 1”).
2. Embed the Form: Selecting the form from the dropdown will immediately embed it into the page, allowing visitors to fill it out. This ensures the form will appear on the Contact Us page for anyone who visits the site.

Save the Page

1. Saving Changes: After adding the contact form, saving your changes is essential. Scroll to the top right corner of the page editor and click Save or Update, depending on your WordPress version. This ensures your updates are saved, making the form accessible to visitors on your site.
2. Confirming the Changes: Once saved, you can view the page to verify that the form is embedded correctly and functioning. This step is crucial to ensure that everything looks and works as expected.

View the Contact Us Page

Once the changes are saved, follow these steps to preview the page:

1. Click on View Page: After saving the changes to your page, a confirmation message will appear at the bottom of the screen with a button labeled View Page. Click this button to view the Contact Us page with the newly added contact form.
2. Verify the Form Display: Viewing the live page lets you see exactly how the contact form will appear to your visitors. Make sure all form fields are visible and properly formatted, and test the functionality by filling out the form if necessary.
3. Confirm Functionality: Check that the form works as expected, including any required fields, spam protection (if enabled), and email notifications for form submissions. This step ensures that the contact form is fully operational for your users.

Contact Us Page

On the Contact Us page, you will see all the fields you created in the form. These fields include labels such as:

• Your Name: This is where users will input their name.
• Your Email: This field requires the user’s email address.
• Subject: The user can input the subject of their message here.
• Yomessageage (optionamessages field aoptional messagesto enter a message. Note that this field is optional, meaning users can submit the form without filling it out.
• Submit The final button that users click to send their message to you.

Messages in this form are message stories, except for the Your Message field, which is optional. The labels you assign during the form creation process will appear next to each field, guiding users through the required information.

Return to Contact Forms for Additional Fields

If you need to add more fields to the contact form, follow these steps:

• • Navigate to Contact Forms: In your WordPress dashboard, move your mouse over the Contact tab on the left-hand menu, then click on Contact Forms. This will bring you to the list of forms you’ve already created.
  • Edit the Form: Locate the form you want to modify and click the Edit button. This opens the form editor, where you can make adjustments.
  • Add New Fields: In the form editor, you can add fields like Phone Number, Address, or any other information you’d like to collect from users. To do this, use the buttons above the Text editor (such as tel for phone numbers) to add the new fields without manually writing code.

Edit Your Contact Form details.

Click on edit to make changes to your form. This action will open the form editor, where you can adjust, add, or remove fields and modify the form’s layout. The editor provides all the tools to update the form according to your preferences and requirements.

By editing the form, you can ensure that it collects the specific information you need from users, giving you complete control over its content and appearance.

Copying an Existing Field

To add a new field easily, you can copy the existing Email field and paste it below. This method allows you to duplicate the field’s structure while only changing the necessary details, such as the label or field type.

• • Copy the Field: Highlight the code for the Email field (as shown in the image). To copy, press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + C.
  • Paste the Field: Move your cursor to where you want to add the new field, then Paste the copied content using Ctrl + V on your keyboard.
  • Modify the Field: After pasting, you can change the label or type of field (e.g., change “Your email” to “Phone Number” and adjust the field type accordingly).

Adding a Phone Number Field

To create a new input field for phone numbers on your form:

• • Replace the Label: In the section you copied earlier, change the label from “Your email” to “Phone Number.” This will update the field’s label so users can see it when filling out the form.
  • Ensure It Accepts Phone Numbers: To ensure the field is formatted to accept phone numbers, click the Tel button above the editor. This will generate the proper shortcode for a telephone input field, ensuring users can enter phone numbers in the correct format.

Following these steps will add a field for phone numbers.

Click on Tel

To include a phone number field in your contact form, click the ‘tel’ option in the toolbar above the form editor. This option allows you to add a field specifically designed for phone numbers.

By selecting ‘tel,’ you ensure that users are prompted to enter their phone numbers in the correct format when filling out your form.

This step ensures the field is formatted correctly to receive phone number inputs, improving the form’s functionality and user experience.

Making the Phone Number Field Required

To make the phone number field mandatory for users:

• • Check the Required Box: When setting up the phone number field in the form editor, check the box labeled Required Field. This ensures users can only submit the form after filling in their phone numbers.
  • Insert the Field: Once you have checked the required box, click the Insert Tag button. This will add the phone number field to your form and mark it as needed.

Making mandatory fields like phone numbers helps gather essential information you don’t want users to skip.

Save the Updated Form

After adding the phone number field and making any other changes to your contact form:

• • Click Save: Once satisfied with the adjustments, scroll to the right side of the page and click the Save button. This action will ensure that all the changes are stored and the updated form is ready for your website.
  • Permanently Save After Changes: You must save your form after every edit to avoid losing your work. This ensures that your updates, such as new fields or required settings, are correctly implemented and live on your site.

Go to the Pages Section

Now, go to the Pages section in your WordPress dashboard. Follow these steps:

1. Go to Pages: From the left menu, select the Pages option.
2. Click on All Pages: This will display a list of all the pages on your website. You will add the contact form to a specific page, typically the Contact Us page.

By following, you can locate the page where you want to add your newly created form.

View the Updated Contact Us Page

Once the changes are saved:

1. Go back to the Pages section: In your WordPress dashboard, click on the Pages section.
2. Click on View: Click the View button next to your contact Us page. This will allow you to see how the page looks with the new form, including any fields you added, such as the phone number.

This step ensures the form appears correctly on the live page and functions as expected.

Phone Number Added

After clicking the ‘View’ button, you’ll see a preview of your contact form. You should notice that the Phone Number field has been successfully added in this preview. This confirms that the phone number field is now part of your contact form and is ready for users to input their phone numbers when they submit the form.

Adjusting Mail Settings

Now that your form has been updated, it’s time to configure the Mail settings. To do this, go to the Mail tab in the form editor. This is where you specify where form submissions will be sent. You have the option to add either one or several email addresses, depending on your needs. Ensure the email addresses entered are correct to access critical user submissions.

Adding the Phone Number Field to the Mail Template

In the Mail settings, include the Phone Number field in the email you receive when someone submits the form. Copy the shortcode for the phone number from the form and paste it into the mail template. This ensures that all the necessary information, including the phone number, is sent with each form submission.

Once you’ve made these changes, click Save to apply them.

Go to Settings

To configure the general settings for your WordPress site, first, navigate to the Settings section from your WordPress dashboard. Once there, find the General option and click on it to open. The general settings page lets you control the basic details of your site, such as the site title, tagline, and other vital elements.

Using the WordPress Admin Email for Your Website

Many hosting companies, like ours, offer a dedicated email address for website admins. This email is important because it saves you from opening separate accounts or paying for additional email services. You can use this email for notifications and updates and easily manage your site.

How to Find and Use Your Admin Email

• • Navigate to the Email: Go to your WordPress dashboard.
  • On the left-hand side, click on Settings.
  • Under Settings, click on General.
  • Copy the Email: You’ll see your Administration Email Address displayed.
  • Highlight the email with your mouse, right-click, and select “Copy.”
  • Now, you can use this email for other services or in your contact forms without needing a separate email account!

This simple step saves you money by using the email your hosting provides, and it helps keep everything connected to your website.

Using the Admin Email in Your Contact Form

To quickly set up your administrator email for receiving submissions from the contact form, follow these steps:

• • Go to the Contact Form Email Settings: In the WordPress dashboard, navigate to the Mail tab under your Contact Form settings.
  • Enter the Admin Email: Click inside the box labeled “To,” where you must enter the email address to receive form submissions.
  • Now, right-click inside the box and select “Paste” to enter the WordPress admin email address that you’ve previously copied.
  • Final Step: Click Save to apply the changes after entering the email. All contact form submissions will be sent to your admin email address.

Setting Up the Contact Form Email Notifications

In this part, you can enter the email addresses where you want to receive notifications about form submissions. Here’s a quick breakdown of the fields:

• • Admin Email: Notifications will be sent to this email address whenever the form is submitted. It usually includes the site’s admin email (_site_admin_email), ensuring all submissions are sent to the correct inbox.
  • Sender Email: This field controls the “From” address when the form sends notifications. In this case, it’s set to use the website’s domain, ensuring that the emails don’t end up in spam.

This setup ensures all contact form submissions are routed correctly, and you can verify these details before saving the form settings.

Adding a Second Email (Optional)

If you want to receive form submissions at more than one email address, follow these steps:

1. Check the “Use Mail (2)” box: This allows the form to send notifications to a second email address.
2. Enter another email address: In the “To” field, type the secondary email address where you’d like to receive form submissions. This feature is particularly beneficial for teamwork, as it ensures multiple people are notified when someone submits the form.

This feature helps ensure that essential submissions reach all relevant parties within your team.

Setting Up File Attachments

If you want users to upload files through the form on your website, follow these steps:

1. Go to the form editor and look for the File button. Clicking this button inserts a file upload field into the form.
2. Customize the file upload field: You can specify limits for file size and restrict file types only to allow specific formats, such as images or documents. This is useful if you want to manage the kind of content users are allowed to upload.

This feature is ideal for forms that need to accept resumes, images, or other documents from users. You can ensure that only the required file types are accepted by setting limits.

Go to Form

To incorporate a file upload feature into your contact form, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Form Section: Click on the Form tab in the form editor. This tab controls the structure of your form, where you can manage different input fields, including Text boxes, checkboxes, and file upload fields.
2. Add File Upload Option: Once in the Form section, look for the option that allows file uploads. This selection enables users to include attachments, such as images or documents, when submitting the form. Users can provide additional information, such as resumes, photos, or other documents, by allowing file attachments as part of their form submission.

Click on the File Option

When you click on the File button, it opens up options to set file size limits and specify acceptable file types (e.g., images, documents) for users to upload through your contact form.

This feature allows you to control:

• The formats that users can upload (e.g., .jpg, .pdf, .docx).
• The maximum file size users can attach, ensuring uploads fit within your website’s capabilities and prevent excessive load.

You can add this field to your form if you want users to submit files and their responses.

Adding File Size and Accepted File Types

When setting up file uploads for your contact form, you can specify two critical factors:

1. File Size Limit: Define the maximum file size users can upload, written in bytes. For example, 10 MB equals 10,485,760 bytes. This ensures users upload only a few files, which could affect your server’s performance.
2. Accepted File Types: You can control the type of files users submit, such as images or documents. Standard formats include .jpg, .png, .pdf, etc. By listing these types, you ensure that only acceptable formats are uploaded.

Once you’ve filled out the details, click Insert Tag to add the file upload field to your form.

Updating Mail Settings for File Attachments

1. Copy the File Shortcode: Once you’ve added the file upload field, you will see the shortcode for the file field (e.g., [file file-145 limit:10485760 filetypes: jpg|png|gif]). Copy this shortcode.
2. Go to the Mail Tab: Navigate to the “Mail” tab to configure how form submissions are sent. Find the section labeled File Attachments.
3. Paste the File Shortcode: Paste the copied shortcode into the File Attachments field. This ensures that any files uploaded through the form will be sent as attachments in your email notifications.
4. Click Save: After updating the form and mail settings, click Save to apply the changes.

This configuration helps ensure all uploaded files are delivered with the form submissions.

Configuring Email Settings in Contact Form 7

1. Navigate to the Mail Tab: After customizing your contact form, click on the Mail tab at the top of the form editor. This is where you’ll set where form submissions will be sent.
2. Configure Email Fields: The form fields displayed will show sections like Your Name, Email, and Phone Number. In the Mail tab, you can specify the recipient email address to which submissions should be sent.
3. Check and Edit Mail Template: Ensure the correct mail format and necessary details are filled out, including how you want to receive form data.

Click Save to apply your settings once everything is configured.

Adding File Attachments to Form Emails in Contact Form 7

You are still in the Mail tab of the Contact Form 7 settings. The focus is on adding a file attachment field to your form emails.

Copy the Shortcode: Look for the shortcode [file* your-file] as shown in the image. This represents the file upload field you added to your contact form earlier.

Paste into file Attachments: Use Ctrl + C to copy this shortcode, then place it in the File Attachments section under Mail settings. This ensures any files users upload through your contact form will be attached to your email notifications.

Save Your Settings: Once you’ve pasted the shortcode in the appropriate place, remember to click Save to enable file uploads with form submissions.

Pasting Shortcut for File Attachments in Contact Form 7

In this step, you paste the previously copied shortcode [file* your-file] into the File Attachments section in the Mail tab. This ensures that the uploaded files submitted through your contact form will be attached to the emails you receive.

Use CTRL + V to paste the shortcode into the File Attachments box. After pasting the shortcode, any file users upload via the form will be sent to you as part of the email notification. This step is essential for users to attach documents, images, or other files when submitting the contact form.

Saving Your Data Entry

Once you’ve filled in all the required information for your Contact Form 7, saving your changes is crucial. After configuring your form’s fields—like email settings, subject lines, and additional details—click the Save button on the right-hand side, as shown in the image. This action ensures that your updates are retained and your form is ready to use on the selected page.

By saving your settings, you confirm that your website’s changes are live and functional, offering visitors a seamless way to contact you. 

Customizing Form Submission Messages

“Customizing Form Submission Messages” refers to adjusting the messages shown to users after completing a form. To do this, click the Messages tab in the form settings, as shown in the image. This tab allows you to set up specific responses, such as confirmation messages that indicate the submission was successful or error notifications if something went wrong.

These customized messages help improve user experience by providing clear feedback after they interact with your form. Please ensure the messages are easy to understand and helpful in guiding the user through the following steps, whether confirming receipt or resolving an error.

Customizing Messages

For example, in the Messages tab, you can personalize the default messages users see after submitting the form. For instance, you may want to adjust the message that says message message has said messages successfully” to match your website’s tone or branding. Additionally, you can modify error messages, like “We were unable to send your message due to an error. “Please try again later” to ensure they are user-friendly or aligned with your site’s messaging.

Go to the Pages Section

Go to the Pages section in your WordPress dashboard. Click on All Pages to view the list of your website’s pages. You will add the form to a specific page, typically the Contact Us page.

Click on view

Once you’ve made changes to your form or page, previewing it before making it live is a good practice. To do this, click the View button next to the page or form you want to review (in this case, the contact Us form). This lets you see exactly how your form looks and functions on the front end, ensuring everything is in place before you publish or save your updates.

Previewing your form helps you catch potential issues and ensures that the form’s layout, fields, and settings appear as expected.

Fill Out and Submit the Form

After making the necessary changes to your Contact Form 7, testing everything on your live site is essential to ensure it functions smoothly. Begin by navigating to the Contact Us page, where you’ll find fields such as your name, your email, the recently added phone number field, and the file upload option. These new features should work seamlessly alongside the existing fields for a smooth user experience. Fill out each section and, once complete, click Submit to confirm that everything is operating as expected.

This simple test ensures that your contact form is ready for visitors and helps identify potential issues before it goes live on your site. Testing the functionality of critical elements, especially the file upload feature, can prevent future frustrations and ensure your site is running efficiently. Additionally, ensuring your WordPress hosting is optimized for such features will help maintain your site’s performance and security.

Add Contact Information

When setting up your Contact Form 7, guiding users on correctly filling out the form fields is essential to ensure smooth communication. In this example, you can see how the Contact Us form is structured, with clear fields for:

• Your name: This field allows users to input their full name for identification.
• Your email address: Ensuring users enter a valid email address is critical for follow-up communication.
• Your phone number: A field that collects phone numbers for more direct contact.
• Subject: Here, users can specify the topic of their message.
• Your message Text messaging, which aids users, can provide details, ask questions, or make requests.

Once you’ve filled in the required information, click the Submit button to complete the process. Testing each field, including the new phone number and file upload options, is essential to ensure everything works correctly.

Attaching a File to Your Contact Form

Click the’ Browse’ button to attach a file to your contact form. This will create another window allowing you to browse the document or image you must insert. Once selected, the file will be attached to your form, allowing us to review it along with your message.

Upload message(Optional)

If you’ve enabled the file upload option in your contact form, users can attach a file by following these steps:

1. In the file upload field, click on the Browse button.
2. A file selection window will open (as shown in the image below). Here, users can navigate through their computer to select an appropriate file, such as an image or document.
3. Once they have chosen the file, they can click Open to upload it. This action attaches the file to the form submission, which is ready to be sent along with the user’s message.

Success message

As illustrated in the image, a success message will appear upon submitting the form. This message confirms that the form was successfully submitted, and the email has been sent to the website owner. The typical message is “Thanktypical message message. It has been sent.”

At this point, users can check their inboxes to verify that the form submission was received correctly. This success message assures users that their information has been delivered and that further communication is coming.

Conclusion

Contact Form 7 offers a powerful way to streamline website communication, helping WordPress users build stronger relationships with their audience. It’s easy to set up, has many customization options, and works well with spam protection. Whether new to WordPress or experienced, this plugin is excellent for creating and managing contact forms. Following the steps in this guide, you can easily set up and optimize your forms for a better visitor experience.

This tutorial is designed for beginners and advanced users, providing a comprehensive and easy guide to Contact Form 7. Whether you’re starting with WordPress or have more experience, this guide covers everything you need to know—from basic setup to advanced customization options. This clear, concise guidance ensures a seamless experience, making it effortless to follow along and achieve your goals and ensuring anyone can create, manage, and optimize their contact forms. With full informative content, this guide will help you improve communication on your website efficiently. Additionally, if you’re interested in more tutorials, such as using Elementor, our website has other resources available to support your WordPress journey.

About Author

This article was written by Haider Aftab Abbasi. If you’re looking for more insightful content or professional collaborations, feel free to connect with Haider on LinkedIn using the provided link.