One does not simply log into WordPress and build a form

This is coming up a lot at the moment. Building forms isn’t always simple. There are some brilliant WordPress plugins that make is seem simple.  But they need thought. There are more questions you need to ask about forms than you think.

Here are some of them:

  • Which fields are required and which are optional?
  • Does your form have a privacy policy and is this clearly linked? (If you collect any personal information, the answer should be yes!)
  • Does your form require any kind of consent because of GDPR?
  • What should your form display, or where should your user be sent to once the form is submitted?
  • Should the user get an email when the form is submitted? If so:
    • What should it say?
    • What name and email address should it be from?
    • What should the title and contents of the email be?
  • Should anyone else (perhaps an administrator) get an email when the form is submitted?  If so:
    • What should it say?
    • What name and email address should it be from?
    • What should the title and contents of the email be?
  • Should the details of the form submission be stored on the server? If so:
    • How long should it be stored for?
    • How will old entries be deleted?