Make a Gravity Form and Add to Elementor

Getting Started with Gravity Forms

Step 1: Access Your Website Dashboard

Begin by logging into your WordPress dashboard. Once you’re there, look for the Forms menu option on the left-hand sidebar. Hover over it, and select New Form to get started.

Pro Tip: If your internet is slow, be patient while the new form page loads. It may take a few seconds.

Step 2: Choose a Template

Gravity Forms presents you with several form templates to speed up the process. For demonstration purposes, we’ll choose the Simple Contact Form template.

• Enter a title for your form. For example, you might name it “Contact Form 2.”
• Optionally, add a description for your form, such as “Contact form for training purposes.”

Once you’ve completed these fields, click Create Form. Congratulations, your blank form is ready for customization!

Customizing Your Form Fields

Gravity Forms makes it easy to fine-tune your form to suit your needs. Here are some common customizations:

Step 3: Edit Form Fields

Your template likely includes default fields like name, email, and comments. If these meet your needs, you can leave them as they are. However, you can customize any field to better match your preferences.

• Rename Fields: Click on a field, such as “Name,” and change it to something else, like “First and Last Name” or “Preferred Name.”
• Mark Fields as Required: If necessary, make specific fields mandatory. For example, require users to provide their email address by toggling the Required option.
• Prevent Duplicates: To stop users from submitting a form multiple times, enable the No Duplicates setting.

Step 4: Add New Fields

Need additional information from your users? Simply add new fields to your form.

• Use the Add Fields section to drag and drop elements like dates, checkboxes, or dropdown menus onto your form.
• Group fields into columns for a more streamlined layout. For instance, you could have two date fields side-by-side or three fields in a row for a more compact design.

Step 5: Add Consent Checkboxes

If your form requires users to agree to terms or a privacy policy, add a consent checkbox.

• Customize the message to suit your needs. For instance, instead of the default “I agree to the privacy policy,” you could write something more detailed.
• Make the consent field mandatory to ensure users acknowledge your terms.

Configuring Form Settings

Once the form design is complete, it’s time to adjust the settings for functionality and user experience.

Step 6: General Settings

Navigate to the Form Settings tab, where you’ll find options to:

• Specify the form title.
• Adjust field label placements.
• Enable advanced features like multi-page forms (perfect for long or detailed submissions).
• Activate the Anti-Spam Honeypot feature to reduce spam submissions.

Step 7: Confirmation Messages

After users submit the form, they’ll see a confirmation message. By default, Gravity Forms displays, “Thank you for contacting us. We’ll get in touch with you shortly.”

If you’d prefer, you can:

• Display a custom message.
• Redirect users to a specific page, such as a resource page or a “Thank You” page (e.g., a packing list for camp sign-ups).

Step 8: Notifications

Notifications ensure that form submissions reach the right people. Here’s how to set them up:

• User Notification: This notification goes to the person who filled out the form. Set it up to send an email to the email address entered in the form field.
• Administrator Notification: This email goes to your team. Add the appropriate email addresses (separated by commas if there are multiple recipients). Use descriptive subjects, like “Camp Sign-Up Submission from [First Name][Last Name],” to easily identify incoming emails.

You can also blind copy (BCC) yourself on notifications to ensure everything is working as intended.

Pro Tip: For reliable email delivery, use a plugin like WP Mail SMTP to ensure emails are sent from your website’s official email address.

Adding the Form to Your Website

Now that your form is ready and configured, it’s time to add it to a webpage.

Step 9: Create a New Page

• Go to the Pages section in your dashboard and click Add New.
• Name your page. For example, if it’s a sign-up form, you might call it “Camp Sign-Up.”
• Publish the page, then click Edit with Elementor (or your preferred page builder).

Step 10: Place the Form

• Add a Container (or a block, depending on your builder) where you want the form to appear.
• Search for the Gravity Form Styler widget (available with certain plugins, like Ultimate Addons for Elementor).
• Select your form from the dropdown list and preview the page to confirm it looks right.

Alternative Option: If you aren’t using a plugin like Ultimate Addons, you can manually add the form using the shortcode. Find your form’s shortcode in the Gravity Forms dashboard and paste it into your page.

Step 11: Style Your Form

Gravity Forms offers plenty of styling options. You can customize:

• Field appearance (e.g., background colors, rounded corners, or underlined styles).
• Field padding and spacing.
• Font colors and sizes.

Once the design looks perfect, click Publish to make your page live. Test the form to ensure everything works smoothly, including notifications.

Wrapping Up

Creating a form with Gravity Forms is simple once you know the steps. From selecting a template to customizing fields, setting up notifications, and adding it to your site, the process is seamless and highly flexible. With these instructions, you can create a professional form that not only functions well but also enhances your website’s user experience.

Now it’s time to get creative! What form will you build next? Whether it’s for camp sign-ups, contact inquiries, or event RSVPs, you have the tools and knowledge to make it happen.

Your blog post is ready to roll! Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to tweak or add.