Ninja Forms WordPress: Create, Publish & Fix

Ninja Forms is a popular drag-and-drop form builder for WordPress that lets you create contact forms, surveys, payment forms, and more without writing code. This guide walks you through building a form, publishing it on a page or post, and fixing the most common issues that arise, such as forms not sending emails or submissions disappearing.

What You’ll Need

• A WordPress site with administrator access.
• The Ninja Forms plugin installed and activated (free version is sufficient for basic forms).
• For payment or advanced integrations, you may need the paid add-ons, but the core steps below use the free version.

Step-by-Step

Creating a New Form

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. In the left sidebar, hover over Ninja Forms and click Forms.
3. Click the Add New button at the top of the page.
4. You’ll see a list of templates. Choose Blank Form to start from scratch, or pick a template like Contact Form to save time.
5. Give your form a name (e.g., “Contact Us”) and click Publish.

Adding Fields

1. After publishing, you’ll be taken to the form builder screen.
2. On the left, you’ll see a list of field types (Text, Email, Textarea, etc.). Drag and drop a field onto the form canvas on the right.
3. Click the field you just added to open its settings in the left panel.
4. Set the Label (e.g., “Your Name”), and choose whether it’s Required.
5. Add more fields as needed. For a basic contact form, add Email and Textarea fields.
6. To reorder fields, drag them up or down in the canvas.
7. Click Done to save your form.

Configuring Email Notifications

1. In the form builder, click the Emails & Actions tab at the top.
2. You’ll see a default Notification email. Click it to edit.
3. Set the To field to the email address where you want submissions sent (e.g., admin@yoursite.com). You can also use the {admin_email} shortcode.
4. Set the Subject and Message. The message can include field shortcodes like {field:name} – you can insert them by clicking the field shortcode dropdown.
5. Click Done to save the email settings.

Publishing the Form

1. Copy the shortcode for your form. You’ll find it on the Forms list page – each form has a shortcode like [ninja_form id=3].
2. Create a new page or edit an existing one where you want the form to appear.
3. In the WordPress block editor, add a Shortcode block (or use the Classic editor and paste the shortcode directly).
4. Paste the shortcode into the block.
5. Publish or update the page.
6. Visit the page on the front end to see your form live.

Viewing Submissions

1. In the WordPress admin, go to Ninja Forms > Submissions.
2. You’ll see a list of all form entries. Click any entry to view the full data.
3. You can also export submissions to CSV by clicking the Export button.

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting to set the “To” email – The default notification email goes to the admin email, but if you change it, make sure it’s correct.
• Using the wrong shortcode – Copy the shortcode from the Forms list, not from a random place.
• Not saving changes – Always click Done in the builder, then update the page.
• Ignoring required fields – If a field is marked required, users can’t submit without filling it. Test this.
• Publishing the form but not the page – Make sure the page itself is published, not just saved as draft.

Tips

• Use the Preview button in the builder to see how the form looks before publishing.
• Add a Honeypot field (under “Spam Protection”) to reduce spam submissions.
• Use conditional logic (available in paid add-ons) to show/hide fields based on user answers.
• Test your form after any change – submit a test entry and check you receive the email.
• Use the Success Message setting to show a custom thank-you message after submission.

Troubleshooting

Form Not Submitting or Page Shows “Cannot Compute”

This usually means a JavaScript error or a conflict with another plugin. Try these steps:

1. Deactivate all other plugins except Ninja Forms and see if the problem persists.
2. If it works, reactivate plugins one by one to find the culprit.
3. Switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four) to rule out theme conflicts.

Emails Not Being Sent

1. Check your WordPress admin email under Settings > General – Ninja Forms uses that as the default sender.
2. Install a SMTP plugin (like WP Mail SMTP) to send emails via your hosting provider’s SMTP server – many shared hosts block PHP mail.
3. Check your spam folder – emails may be flagged as spam.

Submissions Not Saving

1. Make sure you have the Submissions add-on enabled (it’s free and usually active by default).
2. Check your database – if you have a lot of submissions, the table might be full. Optimize it via phpMyAdmin.

Form Layout Looks Broken

1. Clear your browser cache.
2. Check the page with a different browser.
3. If using a page builder, try the shortcode block instead of the builder’s own form element.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Ninja Forms without a page builder?

Yes, the shortcode works in the classic editor, the block editor, and most page builders. Just paste the shortcode wherever you want the form.

How do I add a file upload field?

Drag the File Upload field from the list into your form. You can set allowed file types and max size in the field settings.

Why are my form submissions going to spam?

This is often an email deliverability issue. Use an SMTP plugin and ensure your domain’s SPF/DKIM records are set up correctly.

Can I redirect users to a thank-you page after submitting?

Yes, in the Emails & Actions tab, add a new action called Redirect, then enter the URL.

How do I stop spam submissions?

Enable the honeypot field, add a Google reCAPTCHA (available in the paid add-on), or use a third-party spam filter like Akismet.

Can I export my form submissions?

Yes, go to Ninja Forms > Submissions, click the Export button, and choose CSV or Excel format.

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