LAKEKIT.NET

Websites for Wisconsin Lake Organizations

Lakekit Memo #1 Contact Forms

Karen Reynolds and I have found that the contact form generated with the “Add Contact Form” option at the top of the edit page screen may not always work properly. This “Add Contact Form” button is provided through the Jetpack plugin and is included in Template-a. The specific email address entered into the email field seems to determine if the submitted form reaches the page author’s address. For example, if I enter Jim@comcast.net or Jim@gmail.com in the Email field, no email of the form entries is received. But if I enter Jim@optdat.com or Jim@bearmail.com or Jim@omcast.net, emails with the form entries are received.
“Usually the Jetpack people are very helpful, but they will not available until April 11 to help resolve this issue. If you also find inconsistent results with this form, which is part of template-a, please consider using the Contact Form 7 plugin described below. This plugin is already installed and can be activated by you. In testing the 5 addresses above with the Contact Form 7 plugin, I received all 5 of the emails sent when the forms were submitted (Send button).

The Contact Form 7 plugin is available if you wish to use that instead of the Jetpack contact form:
Go to Dashboard –> Plugins –> Contact Form 7 –> Activate.
Next go to Dashboard –> Contact –> Contact Forms.
The default contact form named “Contact form 1” shows in the form list.

Click on the shortcode and copy it.
Paste the copied shortcode into the page you wish to have the contact form.
Update the page.
Visit that internet page, fill in the form fields and “Send” it.
A message “Thank you for your message. It has been sent.” should appear below the “Send” button.
An email with the form entries is sent to the Dashboard –> Settings –> General –> Email Address. [Note that the form entries are sent to the email address in the general settings area not the email address of the page author in this case. Both email addresses are often the same, but they do not have to be.]
Many options are available, described in the documentation, to modify this form. Contact me if you need help to work with those options.