How to Create Forms on a WordPress Site Using Caldera Forms Plugin

Posted on December 8th, 2021

Caldera Form is a free and powerful WordPress plugin. The plugin creates responsive forms with a simple Drag and Drop editor. It is available in the WordPress plugin library for free. So you can easily install and activate it from the WordPress dashboard. The plugin comes with many free, user-friendly add-ons for both beginners and web developers. You will have a visual editor. So you can easily see the changes in the front end while editing.

Also, you can set up your form with multiple columns, add additional pages, and funnel user responses. It helps you have more conditional logic and get more robust data and relevant information from your customers and site visitors. You can protect the fake entries by enabling the Anti-Spam, AJAX, and email notifications. Also, you can also utilize the database entry tracking feature in this plugin. It has easy to use and straightforward user interface. The plugin provides many field options such as calculation, radio file upload, drop-down select, and many more.

It lets you submit frontend posts and editors with free Caldera Custom Field Add-ons. You can add as many forms, submissions, and fields as you want in the free version. The Caldera forms are responsive, working well on mobile, desktop, and tablets. Also, you will get unlimited auto responders in the free version of the plugin. The plugin doesn’t have premium plans, but it offers separate add-ons for different aspects such as Advanced custom field Add-ons, etc.

The plugin is free to use from the builder and provides various add-ons. However, it doesn’t have any premium plans, but you can buy separate add-ons to enhance the features. Also, they have recently transitioned Caldera forms into Ninja Forms. Service for current users of Caldera forms will be continued. Also, the Transition will take place without any interruption. All the add-ons provided by this plugin will be retired on 31 December 2021. So, let’s discuss the basic features of this plugin in brief,

Features

  • Caldera Plugin lets you create any forms with advanced options and features.
  • All the control over forms will be from the WordPress dashboard.
  • The setup and installation process are very user-friendly and straightforward.
  • You will have various field options as well. You can also add new pages to the forms.
  • Also, you can prevent bot entries by enabling Anti-Spam, AJAX, and email notifications.
  • Moreover, you can add as many fields as you want. It provides tons of fields such as calculation, radio file upload, and many more.
  • Caldera plugin has a Drag and Drop feature. So, you can easily drag the fields and drop the fields where you want to place them in the form.
  • You will have various payment gateway options such as PayPal, Stripe, Braintree, PayFast, PayPal Pro, and many more.
  • Also, you can send email notifications to your users. Moreover, you can add processors, or you can set them as autoresponders. You can send unlimited autoresponders using this plugin.
  • The Caldera plugin is free to use Form builder. It doesn’t have any premium plans, but you can buy separate add-ons to enhance the features. However, they have recently transitioned Caldera forms into Ninja Forms.
  • Service for current users of Caldera forms will be continued. Also, the Transition will take place without any interruption. All the add-ons provided by this plugin will be retired on 31 December 2021.
  • It comes with seven ready-made templates in the free version. However, it also allows you to create forms from scratch.
  • You will have templates for contact forms, booking forms, registration forms, rates for our service forms, and many more.
  • You can also use the database entry tracking feature in this plugin. It has easy to use and straightforward user interface.
  • The Caldera Form plugin allows you to submit frontend posts and editors with free Caldera Custom Field Add-ons. You can add as many forms, submissions, and fields as you want in the free version.

Pricing Details

Caldera Forms is free to use form builder for WordPress sites. You can install and activate it from the WordPress plugin library for free. It doesn’t offer a premium version, but it provides multiple separate Caldera Forms add-ons. You can purchase add-ons to increase the functionality of the plugin. However, the Caldera plugin has been transitioned into Ninja Forms recently. So all the add-ons and Caldera Forms will be retired on 31 December 2021. You will have free Ninja Forms memberships, and add-ons will be provided for all current Caldera Forms customers. It is to ensure that the service for current customers will be uninterrupted at no additional cost for the first year post-transition. Moreover, all free users will receive a 75% first-year membership discount.

How to Install and Activate Caldera Forms Plugin

The installation process is Straightforward. You can follow the simple steps mentioned below to install and activate the plugin.

Step 1: First, you need to log in to the WordPress admin dashboard.

Step 2: Now, you will see the option “Plugins” on the left-hand side panel of the WordPress dashboard. Click on “Plugins,” then select “Add New.”

Step 3: You will see a search bar on the top right-hand side corner of the dashboard. Now, Search “Caldera Forms Plugin”

Step 4: After that, you need to click on “Install Now.”

Step 5: After installation, you will need to activate the Caldera Forms Plugin to use it on your site. Now, click on “Activate.”

Now you have successfully installed and activated the plugin. You can easily create and customize any form using this plugin.

How to Add Forms on Your Site Using Caldera Forms Plugin

After activating the plugin on your site, you can start using this plugin on your site. You can set up the plugin easily with just a few clicks. We have explained step by step guide below on how to use Caldera Forms Plugin,

Step 1: First of all, go to the “Caldera Form” option on the left-hand side panel of the WordPress dashboard. Then select the “Forms” option.

Step 2: Now, click on the “New Form” button to add any form on your site. You will have seven ready-made templates of form.

Step 3: You can create forms like contact form, booking form, registration form, job application form, etc. Also, it allows you to create a new form from scratch. Select any one template which you want to add to your site. Enter the form name and click on the “Create Form” button. Here, we have selected a template of the contact form.

Step 4: You will have a form editor panel. You can modify many sections such as layout, general form settings, email notification settings, form processors, and form conditions. First, click on the “Layout” tab.

Step 5: The layout builder will open up. You can add new fields in the ready-made template by clicking on the “Add Fields” button. You have to drag the “Add Field” button and drop where you want to place it in the form. It also allows you to add new pages.

Step 6: After that, click on the “Email” section. In this section, you can enable or disable the Email notification sender. If you are enabling it, you will have to customize some information like the Email address of the sender, Email type, and Email message for users.

Step 7: For the “Processor” section, you can add processors or set it as “Autoresponder.” If you have set it on “Auto Responder,” you will have to enter the email address, subject, and message for users. In the “Condition” section, you can add conditions and privacy or terms. You can also disable the processor if you want by clicking on “Disable processor” in the top right corner.

Once the editing is complete, you can click on the “Save Form” button. Check the preview of the form if it is properly displayed or not on the front end of the site. This way, you can easily add any form on your site using this plugin.

Conclusion

Caldera Form is one of the effective form builders for WordPress sites. Using this plugin, you can easily add contact forms, registration, and booking forms to your site. The plugin also provides shortcodes to embed the forms anywhere on your site. It doesn’t provide any premium plan, but you can purchase the add-ons for additional features. Also, the plugin has been transitioned to Ninja form. So all add-ons and features will be retired on 31 December 2021. The current service for users will not be interrupted, and it will be continued. However, you will get free membership for ninja forms and add-ons if you are using it currently.

The installation and the setup process are very straightforward. You can follow the steps mentioned below to install and activate the plugin. Also, we have explained step by step guide on how to set up this plugin. We hope this article will help you create and customize the forms on your site using the Caldera Forms Plugin.

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