Table of contents

Why you need form submission notificationsChoose and install a WordPress form pluginHow to set up email notifications in WPFormsHow to set up email notifications in Formidable FormsImprove reliability with SMTPTips for managing multiple notificationsTroubleshooting notification issuesNext stepsAdditional resources

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WordPress Guide → Admin → Get Notification

How to get notification that someone submitted a form on WordPress

When someone fills out a contact form, lead form, or support request on your site, you don’t want to miss it. WordPress doesn’t notify you by default—you need to set up form submission notifications using a plugin.

Let’s walk through how to do that using two of the most popular options: WPForms and Formidable Forms.

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Why you need form submission notifications

Whether you run a business site, blog, or portfolio, form submissions usually mean someone wants to get in touch. Notifications ensure you never miss those opportunities.

Without them, you’d have to manually check your form entries in the WordPress admin, which isn’t practical or efficient. Email notifications help you:

Respond to new leads quickly
Track support or service requests in real time
Keep a backup copy of submitted information in your inbox
Route messages to the right person on your team

Let’s start by installing a plugin that supports email notifications.

Choose and install a WordPress form plugin

To receive notifications, you’ll need a form builder plugin that supports built-in email alert settings. We recommend:

WPForms – Ideal for beginners. Simple drag-and-drop builder with detailed notification controls.
Formidable Forms – Great for users who want advanced conditional logic or SMS alerts via Twilio.

Both plugins let you set up multiple notifications for each form and customize every detail of what gets sent, when, and to whom.

How to set up email notifications in WPForms

Once WPForms is installed and activated, you can configure it to send you an email whenever someone submits your form.

1. Create or edit your form

Go to your WordPress dashboard
Navigate to WPForms > Add New to create a form, or WPForms > All Forms to edit an existing one
Use the drag-and-drop builder to design your form (e.g., Name, Email, Message fields)
Click Save once your form is ready

2. Access the notification settings

In the form builder, click Settings in the left sidebar
Select Notifications from the submenu
By default, WPForms creates one admin notification for every form

3. Enable notifications

Make sure the “Enable Notifications” toggle is set to On
If you don’t see the toggle, it means notifications are already active

4. Set the recipient email address

In the Send To Email Address field, enter the address where you want to receive alerts
You can use {admin_email} to send it to your site admin email, or type a specific address like [email protected]
To send to multiple addresses, separate each with a comma: [email protected], [email protected]

5. Customize the subject and message body

Use a clear Email Subject, like: New Submission from Contact Form
In the Email Message field, you can insert smart tags to include user-submitted data:
- Example: Name: {field_id=”1″} (WPForms will show available smart tags in a dropdown)
You can also include all fields by using the {all_fields} smart tag

6. Set the Reply-To address

In the Reply-To field, enter the email field’s smart tag (e.g., {field_id=”2″}) so you can reply directly to the user from your inbox

7. Save your changes

Click the Save button in the upper-right corner to make sure your settings are stored

8. Test your form

Publish the form on a page or post
Submit it yourself and confirm the notification arrives as expected
If you don’t see it, check your spam folder or email logs

How to set up email notifications in Formidable Forms

Formidable Forms offers similar email notification features with a few extra tools for automation.

1. Create or edit your form

Go to Formidable > Forms
Create a new form or click Edit under an existing form
Add fields using the drag-and-drop builder, then click Update

2. Open notification settings

Click Settings at the top of the form builder
Choose the Actions & Notifications tab
Click Email Notification to add or edit a notification rule

3. Set recipient and sender information

In the To field, enter your email or use [admin_email]
Set a clear subject like: Form Submission on Your Website
In the From field, use a valid email address from your domain (e.g., [email protected]) to prevent spam filtering

4. Customize the message

Use field shortcodes to display user input
Click “Show Smart Tags” to insert them easily
You can also use [default-message] to include all form data

5. Add a Reply-To address

Enter the field shortcode for the user’s email so you can hit “Reply” in your inbox and message the user directly

6. Save and test your form

Click Update or Save
Fill out the form yourself and verify the email arrives
Troubleshoot if needed using the plugin’s built-in logs or SMTP setup

Improve reliability with SMTP

WordPress uses the built-in wp_mail() function to send emails, which depends on your web server. That can be unreliable. To make sure your notification emails get delivered:

Install the WP Mail SMTP plugin
Connect it to a real email provider like Gmail, SendLayer, Mailgun, or SMTP.com
Authenticate your domain if needed, using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records
Run a test from the plugin dashboard to verify everything is working

Using SMTP significantly increases the chances that your form notifications will land in your inbox and not the spam folder.

Tips for managing multiple notifications

If you have several forms or team members who should receive alerts, take advantage of advanced notification features:

Multiple recipients – Send the same form to different people
Conditional logic – Only send notifications based on user choices (e.g., high-priority messages go to [email protected])
Separate autoresponders – Send a confirmation email to the user while also notifying your team
Dynamic routing – Use form logic to route inquiries to the right department

WPForms and Formidable Forms both support these workflows with just a few extra settings.

Troubleshooting notification issues

If your form notifications aren’t arriving:

Check your spam or junk folder
Verify your “To” address is correct
Use SMTP to ensure delivery
Make sure your form’s notification is enabled
Avoid free email services like Gmail in the From field—use a domain-matching email like [email protected]
Try sending a test notification from your plugin’s test tools

Next steps for getting notification that someone submitted a form on WordPress

Getting form submission notifications set up is essential if you want to respond to visitors quickly and keep your workflow organized. Plugins like WPForms and Formidable Forms make it easy to configure and customize these alerts to fit your needs.

Once your email alerts are working, take things further by adding autoresponders, integrating with marketing tools like Mailchimp or Zapier, or setting up Slack or SMS alerts for instant access.

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