Adding a contact form to your WordPress site allows visitors to reach out quickly and easily. In this guide, you’ll learn how to set up a simple, functional contact form using the free Contact Form 7 plugin.
1. Install the Contact Form 7 Plugin
Go to your WordPress dashboard and follow these steps:
- Navigate to Plugins > Add New
- Search for Contact Form 7
- Click Install Now, then Activate
The plugin is now ready to use.
2. Customize the Default Contact Form
After activation:
- Go to Contact > Contact Forms
- Click Edit on the default form listed
Replace the existing code with the following fields:
[text* your-name placeholder "Name"]
[email* your-email placeholder "Email"]
[text* your-subject placeholder "What can I help you with?"]
[textarea your-message placeholder "Message"]
[submit "Send!"]
You can modify the placeholder text or add additional fields if needed.
Click Save when you’re done.
3. Copy the Shortcode
Once saved, a shortcode will appear at the top of the form editor, such as:
[contact-form-7 id="1234" title="Contact form 1"]
Copy this shortcode.
4. Add the Form to a Page
To place the form on a page:
- Go to Pages > All Pages and select the page where you want the form
- Add a Shortcode block to the page content
- Paste the shortcode you copied earlier
- Click Update or Publish
Your contact form is now live on your website.
5. Save Messages in the Dashboard (Optional)
If you want to store submitted form messages inside WordPress, you can install and activate the Flamingo plugin (also developed by the creators of Contact Form 7). Messages will be saved under Flamingo > Inbound Messages. This ensures you won’t lose any important inquiries even if your email has issues.
Final Notes
With just a few steps, you’ve added a functional contact form to your WordPress site. It’s lightweight, customizable, and gets the job done. If you need more advanced features, Contact Form 7 also supports reCAPTCHA, file uploads, and custom validation.