A Beginner’s Guide to Implementing and Displaying Contact Form 7 in WordPress

Here’s a more detailed step-by-step guide on implementing and displaying a Contact Form 7 in your WordPress site:

Step 1: Install Contact Form 7 Plugin

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to “Plugins” and click on “Add New.”
3. Search for “Contact Form 7” in the search bar.
4. Install the Contact Form 7 plugin by Takayuki Miyoshi.
5. Activate the plugin.

Step 2: Create a New Contact Form

1. After activation, go to “Contact” in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Click on “Add New” to create a new contact form.
3. You’ll see a default form with fields like Name, Email, Subject, and Message.
4. Customize the form by adding or removing form fields according to your needs.

Step 3: Configure Form Fields

1. Each form field has a corresponding tag. Configure each field by adjusting the settings.
2. Tags are like placeholders for the actual form fields. For example, use [text* your-name] for a required name field.

Step 4: Set up Mail Settings

1. Go to the “Mail” tab to configure email settings.
2. Enter the recipient’s email address in the “To” field.
3. Customize other mail settings like the subject, additional headers, etc.

Step 5: Configure Messages

1. Navigate to the “Messages” tab.
2. Customize the messages displayed to users upon form submission. You can use HTML here.

Step 6: Insert the Form into a Page/Post

1. After saving the form, copy the shortcode provided at the top of the form editor.
2. Create a new page or edit an existing one.
3. Paste the shortcode into the page/post where you want the form to appear.

Step 7: Customize Styling (Optional)

1. Use the “Additional Settings” tab to add custom CSS styles if needed.
2. You can also style the form using your theme’s CSS or a custom CSS file.

Step 8: Preview or Publish

1. Preview the page or post to see how the form looks.
2. If satisfied, publish the page or post.

Step 9: Test Your Form

1. Visit the published page and fill out the form.
2. Submit the form and check your email to ensure that you receive the submission.

You’ve now successfully implemented and displayed a Contact Form 7 on your WordPress site. Adjust the settings and styling as necessary for your website’s requirements.