In the digital age, gathering information through forms is essential for any business, whether for customer inquiries, feedback, or subscriptions. For WordPress users, receiving notifications when someone submits a form is crucial to ensure timely responses and effective communication with potential clients. In this blog post, we’ll explore various methods to set up notifications for form submissions in WordPress.

Why Notifications Are Important

Before diving into the methods, let’s discuss why it’s important to receive notifications for form submissions:

1. Timely Responses: Notifications allow you to respond to inquiries promptly, enhancing customer satisfaction.
2. Lead Management: For businesses, capturing leads through forms is essential. Notifications help you manage and follow up with leads effectively.
3. Feedback and Improvement: Receiving feedback through forms can help you improve your services or products. Notifications ensure you don’t miss valuable insights.
4. Automation: Setting up notifications can automate your workflow, allowing you to focus on more critical tasks.

Choosing the Right Form Plugin

Before you can receive notifications, you need to choose a form plugin that suits your needs. WordPress offers a variety of form plugins, each with its notification features. Here are some popular options:

1. Contact Form 7: One of the most widely used form plugins. It’s simple and has basic notification settings.
2. WPForms: A user-friendly drag-and-drop form builder with advanced notification features.
3. Ninja Forms: A flexible form builder that allows for complex forms and notifications.
4. Gravity Forms: A premium plugin that offers powerful features, including conditional logic for notifications.

For this guide, we will focus on WPForms, as it strikes a balance between ease of use and functionality.

Setting Up WPForms to Receive Notifications

Step 1: Install and Activate WPForms

1. Log into your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
3. Search for “WPForms” and click Install Now.
4. After installation, click Activate.

Step 2: Create a New Form

1. In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to WPForms > Add New.
2. Choose a template that fits your needs, such as Simple Contact Form or Blank Form.
3. Customize your form by adding fields (e.g., Name, Email, Message) using the drag-and-drop builder.
4. Once you’re satisfied with your form, click Save.

Step 3: Set Up Notifications

1. With your form still open, navigate to the Settings tab.
2. Click on Notifications.
3. You will see a default notification already created. Click on it to edit.
4. In the Send To Email Address field, enter the email address where you want to receive notifications. You can add multiple email addresses by separating them with commas.
5. Customize the From Name and Email fields if necessary. This helps identify the notification easily.
6. In the Subject field, set a descriptive subject line for your notification (e.g., “New Form Submission”).
7. Under the Message section, customize the content of the email. You can use smart tags to include form field values. For example, you can use {field_id} to include the name or email address of the submitter.
8. After you’ve made all necessary changes, click Save.

Step 4: Add the Form to Your Site

Now that your form is ready and notifications are set up, you need to add the form to your website.

1. Create a new page or edit an existing one.
2. Click on the Add Form button above the editor.
3. Select your newly created form from the dropdown.
4. Click Add Form to insert the form shortcode.
5. Publish or update the page.

Step 5: Test the Form

After setting everything up, it’s essential to test your form to ensure notifications are working correctly.

1. Visit the page where you added the form.
2. Fill out the form and submit it.
3. Check the email address you set up for notifications to see if you received the submission alert.

Additional Notification Settings

Conditional Notifications

WPForms allows you to set up conditional notifications, meaning you can send notifications to different email addresses based on the user’s input. For instance, if you have a dropdown field for different departments, you can set it up so that submissions are directed to the appropriate department.

1. Under the Notifications tab, click on Add New Notification.
2. Scroll down to the Conditional Logic section.
3. Enable the conditional logic and set the conditions that must be met for this notification to be sent.
4. Customize the notification settings as previously discussed.

Email Notification Troubleshooting

If you’re not receiving notifications, consider the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Check Spam Folder: Sometimes, email notifications may end up in the spam folder.
2. Verify Email Configuration: Ensure that the email settings in WPForms are correct. Use a reliable email address.
3. SMTP Plugin: If you continue to have issues, consider using an SMTP plugin like WP Mail SMTP. This can help improve email deliverability.

Alternative Form Plugins for Notifications

While WPForms is a great choice, here are a few alternative plugins that also provide notification features:

1. Contact Form 7

• Installation: Install and activate the plugin from the WordPress plugin directory.
• Notifications: Go to the form settings and add email addresses under the Mail tab.

2. Ninja Forms

• Installation: Install and activate Ninja Forms.
• Notifications: Add a new notification under the Emails & Actions settings.

3. Gravity Forms

• Installation: Purchase, install, and activate Gravity Forms.
• Notifications: Set up notifications by navigating to the Settings > Notifications section of the form.

Receiving Notifications via Other Channels

While email is the most common method for receiving notifications, there are alternatives you might consider:

Slack Notifications

You can integrate your form submissions with Slack to receive instant notifications in your Slack channel.

1. Install the WPForms Slack Addon.
2. Navigate to WPForms > Settings > Integrations.
3. Follow the prompts to connect your Slack account.
4. Set up notifications in the form settings to send submissions to your selected Slack channel.

SMS Notifications

If you prefer receiving notifications via SMS, you can integrate WPForms with services like Twilio.

1. Install the Twilio Addon for WPForms.
2. Follow the setup instructions to link your Twilio account.
3. Set up notifications in your form to send SMS alerts to your mobile number.

Best Practices for Form Notifications

To ensure your form notifications are effective, consider the following best practices:

1. Keep It Simple: Avoid overwhelming your email with unnecessary details. Include only the essential information in the notification.
2. Use Clear Subject Lines: Make your subject lines descriptive to help you quickly identify the nature of the notification.
3. Monitor Notifications: Regularly check your notifications to ensure they are functioning correctly and adjust as necessary.
4. Respond Promptly: Make it a priority to respond to form submissions quickly to enhance customer satisfaction.

Conclusion

Receiving notifications for form submissions in WordPress is a vital part of managing your online presence effectively. With the right form plugin, such as WPForms, and the proper setup, you can ensure that you never miss a potential lead or important feedback from your visitors. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can set up notifications seamlessly, automate your workflow, and enhance your customer communication strategy.

Whether you’re running a small blog, an online store, or a large corporate site, ensuring timely responses to form submissions will significantly benefit your engagement and customer satisfaction. Start implementing these strategies today and watch your communication improve!