Guides
How to Add a Contact Form in WordPress
Every WordPress site needs a way for visitors to reach you without exposing your email address to scrapers. A contact form collects enquiries in a consistent format, stores them in your dashboard and sends you an instant notification. Auto Form Builder handles all of that free — this guide shows exactly how to add one to your site and publish it on a page.
What you'll need
Auto Form Builder installed free from WordPress.org — no account required for the core plugin.
Step 1: Install Auto Form Builder
Go to Plugins → Add New in your WordPress dashboard, search for Auto Form Builder and click Install Now, then Activate. Once active, Auto Form Builder appears in your admin menu and you can start building immediately. The plugin is free from WordPress.org with no signup required for the core features you need for a contact form.
Step 2: Create a new contact form
Open Auto Form Builder and click Create New Form, then name it Contact or something similar so you can find it later in the Forms list. You can start blank or use Build with AI — describe "a simple contact form with name, email and message" and edit the generated fields before saving. A dedicated contact template is not required; three or four fields is the right size for most sites.
Step 3: Add name, email and message fields
Drag a Name field, Email field and Text Area onto the canvas for the standard contact layout. Mark Email and Message as required so every submission includes a way to reply and enough context to act on. Click each field to set friendly labels like "Your name" and "How can we help?" — clear labels reduce abandoned submissions on mobile.
Step 4: Enable spam protection
Open Form Settings and turn on spam protection with reCAPTCHA or Cloudflare Turnstile — public contact forms are a common bot target and protection keeps your inbox clean. Both options are built into the free core and add minimal friction for real visitors. Test the form once after enabling CAPTCHA to confirm submissions still go through on the front end.
Step 5: Set up email notifications
In Form Settings, configure an admin notification email with the address where enquiries should arrive — you can add multiple recipients separated by commas. Use {submission_data} in the email body so every field value is included automatically. Set a short success message like "Thanks — we will reply within one business day" so visitors know the form worked.
Step 6: Add the form to your contact page
Save the form and copy its shortcode from the Forms screen. Edit your Contact page in WordPress, paste the shortcode into a Shortcode block or the classic editor, or add the Auto Form Builder block and select your form from the dropdown. Update the page, visit it in a private browser window and submit a test message to confirm the notification email and dashboard entry both appear.
Tips
- Keep the contact form to name, email and message unless you truly need phone or subject dropdown — shorter forms convert better on first-time visitors.
- Add an optional Phone field only if your team actually calls back; otherwise it adds friction without improving response quality.
- Every submission is stored in your WordPress dashboard even when email delivery fails, so check Submissions if an enquiry seems missing from your inbox.
Go deeper
FAQ
Is it really free?
Yes — the contact form and every core feature needed for it, including spam protection and submission storage, are free with no paid tier required.
Are submissions saved?
Yes — every message is stored in your WordPress dashboard and emailed to you, so nothing is lost if email delivery hiccups.