Whether you’re running a blog, managing an eCommerce site, or collecting leads through landing pages, forms are an essential part of every WordPress website. But if you’re manually following up with each submission, you’re missing out on one of the most powerful tools at your disposal: automatic email confirmations and autoresponders. Automating this process not only saves time but dramatically boosts your communication and professionalism.
What Are Automatic Email Confirmations and Autoresponders?
Email confirmations are messages sent immediately after someone submits a form on your website. They can be as simple as a “Thank you” or as detailed as a receipt, download link, or next steps.
Autoresponders go a step further–they’re automated emails that can be triggered by form submission or other user behavior. These emails are often used for onboarding, follow-ups, or content delivery.
Integrating these emails into your WordPress site enhances the user experience, streamlines your marketing strategies, builds trust, and ensures that no one is left hanging after they fill out a form.
Why Set Up Automatic Emails for WordPress Forms?
Here are just a few reasons why automating your form responses is worth the effort:
- Enhance user experience: Users feel acknowledged when they receive instant confirmation after interacting with your site.
- Boost conversions: Immediate emails can guide users to the next step, whether it’s confirming their subscription or offering a discount code.
- Save time: You don’t have to manually email every new lead or submission.
- Professionalism: Automated replies give your site a polished, business-like edge.
Choosing the Right Form Plugin
To get started, you’ll need a WordPress form plugin that supports email automation. Some of the top contenders include:
- WPForms – Beginner-friendly and perfect for all sites
- Gravity Forms – Robust and powerful for complex workflows
- Ninja Forms – Offers a mix of free and paid features
- Formidable Forms – Excellent for advanced users needing conditional logic
- Contact Form 7 – Free and open-source but requires additional plugins for advanced features
For this guide, we’ll focus on WPForms since it strikes a good balance between ease of use and flexibility, but the concepts can be applied to most modern form plugins.
Step-by-Step Guide: Setting Up Automatic Emails with WPForms
Here’s how to send automatic email notifications and confirmations after a user submits a form in WordPress using WPForms:
Step 1: Install and Activate WPForms
From your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New, search for “WPForms,” then install and activate the plugin. If using the premium version, upload it manually and activate your license key.
Step 2: Create a New Form
Navigate to WPForms > Add New. Choose from the available templates or start from scratch. Add the fields you need using the simple drag-and-drop interface.
Step 3: Configure Notifications (Automatic Admin or User Alerts)
Click on the Settings tab and then choose Notifications. By default, WPForms creates an admin email notification that goes to your email when someone fills out the form. But you can add or customize notifications for the user.
To send a confirmation email to the person who submitted the form:
- Click Add New Notification
- Name your notification (e.g., “User Confirmation Email”)
- In the Send To Email Address field, click on Show Smart Tags and choose
{field_id="email"}based on your form’s email field - Customize the Email Subject, From Name, and Message
Pro Tip: Use Smart Tags like {entry_id}, {date}, or {all_fields} to dynamically pull form data into your email.
Step 4: Enable Autoresponder Emails
You can get creative with autoresponders. These aren’t just confirmations—they can be used for delivering files, sending discount codes, or initiating a multi-step email campaign.
If you want to kickstart a sequence of emails via your email marketing provider (like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or ActiveCampaign), integrate it with WPForms via their marketing add-ons.
For example:
- Install the Mailchimp Addon
- Connect your Mailchimp account
- Select the desired list and tag users based on form responses
- In your Mailchimp dashboard, preset your autoresponder workflow for that tag
This setup ensures that once a user submits your WordPress form, they’re automatically entered into a campaign that nurtures the lead or delivers value over time.
Customizing Email Templates
Want your emails to match your branding?
Here are a few quick ways to refine your autoresponders and confirmation messages:
- Add a logo: Simply include an image URL in the message body.
- Use HTML formatting: WPForms supports simple HTML, so you can bold text, change fonts, and add links or buttons.
- Personalize the message: Greet users by name using Smart Tags, or include references to specific responses.
Troubleshooting Tips
If your users aren’t receiving emails as intended, check the following:
- Use SMTP: WordPress’s default mail function is often blocked by spam filters. Use an SMTP plugin like WP Mail SMTP to ensure safe delivery.
- Check spam folders: Especially for Gmail or business email addresses, automated emails often land in spam.
- Verify email addresses: Make sure users are entering valid emails and that your form’s email field is properly configured.
- Avoid common spam triggers: Stay away from ALL CAPS subject lines and too many links in the email body.
Beyond Basic Emails: Advanced Automation Ideas
Once you’re comfortable with basic automation, consider these strategic enhancements:
- Conditional Logic: Change the follow-up email based on user input (great for surveys and quizzes).
- Drip Campaigns: Send a sequence of onboarding emails after a form submission.
- Download Delivery: Automatically send downloadable content like eBooks, PDFs, or whitepapers.
- Online Appointments: Combine with a booking plugin and send appointment confirmations instantly.
Conclusion
Automating email confirmations and autoresponders in WordPress isn’t just a convenience—it’s a smart way to build engagement, reinforce trust, and scale your efforts efficiently. Whether you want to send a simple thank-you note or start a complex follow-up campaign, the right form plugin and a little setup go a long way.
So go ahead—set up that autoresponder, delight your visitors, and take your WordPress forms to the next level!