Where does WPForms data go

Where Does WPForms Data Go? [Beginner’s Guide]

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Where does WPForms data go? What happens when a user fills out a form?

Well, it’s simpler than you might think!

WPForms Lite sends your form entries via email.

That might leave you asking what happens if an email goes amiss or if you need to look back at previous entries.

This guide will shed light on how WPForms handles data, using tools like:

  • WP Mail SMTP for email delivery
  • Lite Connect for secure backups
  • WPForms Pro for exporting and managing data.

Where is WordPress Form Data Stored?

Wondering where WPForms data goes?

  • In WPForms Lite, your form data is sent via email.
  • In any paid version, form data is stored in your WordPress database.

It’s important to mention that WPForms Lite customers can optionally back up entries in the cloud. We’ll explain how this works and how to see entries when you back them up.

WPForms Pro users get additional options for secure storage, efficient handling, and seamless management of their essential form data.

Upgrade to WPForms Pro Now

Form Notifications Not Arriving? Check Your Settings

Wondering how to see entries in WPForms Lite?

WPForms Lite entries are sent via email. This is completely free!

If you don’t get the emails, it might look like they’ve disappeared. You might even think WPForms Lite collected your form entries and threw them away.

So where does WPForms data go in WPForms Lite?  Rest assured; your form submission data is not discarded. What’s probably happening is that your email notifications are landing in the spam mailbox.

Your recipients may see a ‘Be careful with this message’ warning in Gmail:

Be careful with this message warning in Gmail

To prevent this, we use a friendly postman, WP Mail SMTP, which ensures your form notification emails are delivered every time!

We recommend using WP Mail SMTP with a service like SendLayer to deliver your WPForm entries reliably.

WP Mail SMTP mailers

The free version of WP Mail SMTP works great with WPForms Lite.

If you’re not sure how to set up SMTP in WordPress, you can purchase WP Mail SMTP Pro with an additional White Glove Setup service. This means an expert from the WP Mail SMTP team will set everything up for you.

With any paid version, you’ll also unlock additional features like WordPress email logging. Logs act as an additional safety net against email deliverability problems.

So, remember, if your contact form email notifications aren’t showing up, the problem isn’t with your WPForms Lite or Pro plugin.

With WP Mail SMTP and the right settings, you’ll ensure those important notifications land in your inbox, not your spam folder.

A successful test email

For more information, check out this article on how to configure WordPress SMTP settings.

Backing Up Form Entries and Data with Lite Connect

While WPForms Lite doesn’t store your entries locally, you can still back up new form entries with Lite Connect for free, then retrieve when you upgrade to Pro.

The primary function of Lite Connect is to assure users that their form entries and relevant data are safely stored and retrievable whenever needed.

Lite Connect enable backups dialog

Lite Connect captures entries, encrypts them, and stores them securely in the cloud. (Even the WPForms team won’t be able to see them.)

This means that even if your form notification emails don’t work, a backup will always be accessible for retrieval.

Lite Connect restore entries notice

Wondering how to see entries? After you upgrade to Pro, they’ll be restored automatically.

Upgrading to WPForms Pro

The WPForms Pro subscription provides you with superior control over your data.

You won’t need to ask: where is my WPForms data? WPForms Pro stores form entries in your WordPress database.

Form entries overview

To make data retrieval hassle-free, WPForms Pro also offers advanced options such as allowing you to export form entries for further analysis.

You can export your data as a CSV file, making it compatible with various software applications like Google Sheets and Excel.

Export all WordPress contact form entries to CSV

Further enhancing your data management, WPForms Pro lets you automatically save form entries to Google Sheets.

You can avoid the repetitive task of manual data input while ensuring your data is always up-to-date. We find this integration helpful if we want to share form entries with someone who doesn’t use WordPress.

Automatic entry capture on Google Sheets

In a nutshell, upgrading to WPForms Pro is a worthy consideration for anyone seeking enhanced control and flexibility over their data management.

Choosing the Right WPForms Version

You can get an unlimited free trial of WPForms: WPForms Lite. You can get entries via email totally free.

As a reminder, we recommend that you use WPForms Lite with either the free or Pro version of WP Mail SMTP. If your needs are simple and focused on simple backups of form entries, WPForms Lite, coupled with WP Mail SMTP and Lite Connect, is a great choice.

WPForms Pro offers enhanced form management capabilities that can make a significant difference in handling form entries so you can be successful in running your site. Having entries stored inside WordPress also provides some insurance against lost form notification emails.

So if you require a robust, full-fledged form solution with diverse data handling options, WPForms Pro might be your best bet.

Upgrade to WPForms Pro plan

We hope this article helped to explain where WPForms data goes. Now you can choose the best notification or backup option for your entries.

FAQs About WPForms Entries and Notifications

Want to know a bit more about where your WPForms data is stored? Here are the most commonly asked questions.

What Email Do WPForms Entries Go To?

By default, WPForms entries are sent to the site administrator email. If you’d like to change that, edit the notifications for the form and type a different email address in the Send To Email Address field.

Configure email notifications

How Do I Add an Email to WPForms?

You can add an email to your WPForms notification settings in the form builder. Just head to the Notifications panel inside the form builder. The notification will be sent to the email address in the Send To Email Address field.

You can also use a Smart Tag to send the email notification to the WordPress admin email address, or the person who filled out the form.

Why Am I Not Getting Emails From WPForms?

If you’re not getting emails from WPForms, first make sure that your email notifications are enabled.

Enable WPForms email notifications

If they are enabled, but the emails aren’t getting through, it’s likely because your form notification emails are being marked as spam. This is a common problem with all form builder plugins. It happens because emails sent from a website are not authenticated properly.

You should always get emails from WPForms if you set up email notifications. This applies to both WPForms Pro and WPForms Lite. If the emails are not getting through, check out our article on how to fix email delivery failures in WordPress.

Does WPForms Have a Database?

No, WPForms doesn’t have its own database.

If you’re using WPForms Lite, you can choose to enable Lite Connect Entry Backups. This will securely store your form entries in the cloud. When you upgrade to WPForms Pro, you can restore the entries to your database.

In WPForms Pro, entries are stored in your WordPress database by default. You can disable this feature if you don’t want to store form entries in WordPress.

How Do I Print Entries in WPForms?

You can print entries from your WordPress dashboard if you’re using WPForms Pro. Check out our article on how to print entries to PDF. Once you’ve generated the PDF, you can print the entries on paper.

Does WPForms Need an SMTP Plugin?

Every WordPress site should have an SMTP plugin. It’s not essential, but it is very highly recommended. All contact form plugins are vulnerable to email delivery issues because of the way WordPress sends emails.

Create Your WordPress Form Now

Next, Security Tips and Tricks for Your Online Forms

When managing your WPForms, it’s not just about how you handle data but also how you protect it. Here are some essential tips and tricks to enhance the security of your online forms and optimize your overall WPForms experience.

Ready to build your form and explore more features? Get started today with the easiest drag-and-drop WordPress form builder plugin. WPForms Pro includes lots of free templates and offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.

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Comments

  1. This doesn’t help me. I need to see a list of sent emails 12 months back. I only need to see it one time. And why should I have to purchase a license for using it one time? There must be another solution?!

    1. Hey Bjorn – WPForms does not have the feature to store email notifications sent from the plugin. Additionally, any entries made with the paid version of WPForms will be stored to the WordPress database and are only accessible from the WordPress admin dashboard. However, if the lite connect feature is enabled before upgrading to the paid version, it will be able to backup lite entries and restore those later. You can find more details about our lite connect feature here.

      While WPForms doesn’t have the ability to log emails some hosting providers will keep a log of any emails sent from your website. The next best step would be to reach out to the hosting provider for the WordPress site to check if they’ve kept a log of any emails sent from the website.

      Hope this helps. Thanks 🙂

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