Simple Forms

Build contact forms, lead capture forms, and feedback forms directly in WordPress without relying on external services or heavyweight form builder plugins.

Use Cases#

• Create a contact form for your website with name, email, and message fields
• Build lead generation forms with custom fields for marketing campaigns
• Set up feedback forms with file upload support for bug reports or submissions
• Collect newsletter signups with email validation and spam protection

Where to Find It#

Navigate to Switchboard → Forms in your WordPress admin to access the form builder, view entries, and manage all your forms.

How It Works#

1. Click “Add New Form” to open the drag-and-drop form builder
2. Add fields by clicking the field types (text, email, textarea, select, checkbox, file upload)
3. Use Group fields to organize your form into visual sections
4. Configure each field’s label, placeholder, and required status
5. Set up email notifications to receive submissions
6. Copy the generated shortcode to embed the form anywhere on your site

Creating Your First Form#

Step 1: Add a New Form#

Go to Switchboard → Forms and click the “Add New Form” button. Give your form a descriptive title like “Contact Form” or “Quote Request”.

Step 2: Add Fields#

The form builder provides these field types:

Step 3: Configure Settings#

• Email Notifications: Set the recipient email address for form submissions
• Success Message: Customize what users see after submitting
• Submit Button Text: Change the button label (default: “Submit”)

Step 4: Embed the Form#

After saving, copy the shortcode displayed in the form list:

[simple_form id="123"]

Paste this shortcode into any post, page, or widget area.

Using Group Fields#

The Group field type lets you organize your form into logical sections with headings and descriptions. This is especially useful for longer forms.

Adding a Group Section#

1. Click the + Group button in the field palette
2. Enter a Section Title (e.g., “Contact Information”, “Project Details”)
3. Optionally add a Description to explain the section
4. Drag the Group field to position it in your form
5. Add fields below the Group that belong to that section

Example Form Structure#

[Group: Contact Information]
  Description: "Please provide your contact details"
  - Name (Text)
  - Email (Email)
  - Phone (Text)

[Separator]

[Group: Project Details]
  Description: "Tell us about your project"
  - Project Type (Select)
  - Budget (Select)
  - Description (Textarea)
  - Attachments (File Upload)

Group Styling#

Groups render with:

• A prominent section title
• Optional description text below the title
• Visual separation from other sections
• Fields below inherit the section context

Shortcode#

Basic Usage#

[simple_form id="123"]

Replace 123 with your actual form ID (shown in the Forms list).

Managing Entries#

All form submissions are stored in your WordPress database. Access them via Switchboard → Forms and click “Entries” next to any form.

Entry Features#

From the entries screen you can:

• View all submission details - See complete form data for each entry
• Filter entries by form - Select which form’s entries to display
• Filter by status - Show all, read, or unread entries
• Mark entries as read/unread - Track which entries you’ve reviewed
• Export entries to CSV - Download data for spreadsheets or CRM systems
• Delete individual entries - Remove entries you no longer need

Entry Status#

Each entry has a read/unread status:

• Unread - New entries you haven’t reviewed yet
• Read - Entries you’ve already viewed

This helps you track which submissions need attention.

Email Notifications#

When a form is submitted, Switchboard sends an email notification containing:

• All field values from the submission
• Timestamp of when it was submitted
• Link to view the entry in admin

Spam Protection#

Simple Forms includes built-in honeypot spam protection that catches most automated spam bots without requiring CAPTCHAs that frustrate real users.

File Uploads#

When you add a file upload field, visitors can attach documents, images, or other files to their submissions. Uploaded files are stored in your WordPress media library and linked from the entry.

Styling#

Forms are styled with clean, minimal CSS that inherits your theme’s styles. The form wrapper has the class switchboard-simple-form for custom styling:

.switchboard-simple-form {
    max-width: 600px;
}

.switchboard-simple-form input,
.switchboard-simple-form textarea {
    border-radius: 4px;
}

.switchboard-simple-form button[type="submit"] {
    background: #0073aa;
    color: white;
}

/* Style group sections */
.simple-form-group-title {
    font-size: 1.2em;
    font-weight: 600;
    margin-top: 1.5em;
}

.simple-form-group-description {
    color: #666;
    margin-bottom: 1em;
}

FAQ#