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WordPress how-tos

How do I add a contact form to my WordPress site?

By Chris Parsons, founder of ParsonsHosting. Published .

WordPress does not include a contact form on its own, so you install a form plugin, build a short form, and place it on your contact page with a block or shortcode. Then send yourself a test message to make sure it arrives. The whole job usually takes one sitting.

Woman writing in a notebook in front of her laptop at a home desk

Pick a form plugin

There are several well-known free options in the WordPress plugin directory, including WPForms Lite, Contact Form 7, Formidable Forms and Fluent Forms. Any of them can handle a basic contact form. Pick one that is actively updated and has many active installs; you can see both on its plugin page.

Use only one form plugin. Extra plugins slow a site down and add more to keep updated.

Install the plugin

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard (usually yoursite.com/wp-admin).
  2. Go to Plugins > Add New Plugin.
  3. Search for the plugin name.
  4. Click Install Now, then Activate.

Build a short form

Every plugin looks a little different, but the steps are the same:

  1. Find the plugin's menu in the dashboard sidebar and choose to add a new form.
  2. Start from a "simple contact form" template if one is offered.
  3. Keep the fields to what you need: Name, Email or Phone, and Message. For a contractor, a Town or Service needed drop-down can help.
  4. Mark only the essential fields as required.
  5. Save the form.

Set where messages go

  1. Open the form's Notifications or Mail settings.
  2. Set the To address to the inbox you check every day.
  3. Set the From address to an address on your own domain, such as wordpress@yourbusiness.com or office@yourbusiness.com. Using a Gmail or Yahoo address as the "From" often gets messages blocked.
  4. Set Reply-To to the visitor's email field, so hitting reply goes to them.
  5. Save.

Add the form to your contact page

  1. Go to Pages and open your Contact page (or create one).
  2. Click the + to add a block and search for the plugin's name. Many form plugins provide a block. If not, copy the form's shortcode from the plugin and paste it into a Shortcode block.
  3. Choose your form.
  4. Next to it, add your phone number (as a tap-to-call link), hours and service area.
  5. Click Update or Publish.

You can also add the same form at the bottom of the homepage.

Test it

  1. Open the contact page in a private browser window.
  2. Fill in the form and send it.
  3. Check your inbox and spam folder. If form messages land in spam and your domain's DNS is on Cloudflare, add the email records in our Cloudflare email setup guide.
  4. Test again from your phone.

If messages are not arriving, a mail-sending (SMTP) plugin can send form mail through a real email account, which tends to be more reliable. We are happy to help set that up. Email support@parsonshosting.com with your domain and when you sent the test.

Block spam

  • Turn on the plugin's built-in anti-spam option (honeypot or CAPTCHA, such as Cloudflare Turnstile or Google reCAPTCHA).
  • Do not post your email address as plain text across the site.
  • If one form gets flooded, add a simple question like "What town are you in?"

Privacy

If you store form entries in WordPress, mention it in your privacy policy, and delete old entries you no longer need. Do not ask for sensitive details (like card numbers) in a contact form.

Keep the plugin updated

Form plugins handle visitor input, so updates matter. Turn on auto-updates for the plugin on the Plugins screen, or check for updates weekly. Our article on WordPress security and updates covers this.

ParsonsHosting WordPress hosting includes offsite backups three times a week (Monday, Tuesday and Friday) on every plan. Questions? Call 530-710-8726 or see the FAQ.

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