Ever wondered how to collect information or feedback from your website visitors quickly and easily? Forms are essential tools for connecting with your audience, but setting them up can feel overwhelming.
If you’re using Hostinger, knowing how to create forms is crucial for running effective newsletters, contact pages, or surveys. Mastering this skill helps you engage users, automate tasks, and grow your online presence.
In this article, we’ll show you exactly how forms work on Hostinger, walk you through simple steps to create them, and share practical tips for the best results.
How to Add and Manage Forms with Hostinger
If you’re building a website with Hostinger, adding forms is a crucial way to connect with your visitors. Whether you need a contact form, order form, or login form, Hostinger offers several user-friendly options to create, manage, and customize forms on your website. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how Hostinger forms work, steps to set them up, and best practices to ensure effective and secure communication with your audience.
Understanding Forms with Hostinger
Forms serve as bridges between you and your website visitors. On Hostinger platforms, you can easily integrate forms for a variety of purposes, such as:
- Contact forms for customer inquiries
- Order forms for product or service requests
- Login and registration forms for user accounts
- Feedback and survey forms
Hostinger provides both native solutions (especially in its Website Builder and via integrated WordPress plugins) and supports external form builders. The process is streamlined and caters to both beginners and advanced users.
Step-by-Step: Adding a Form on Hostinger
1. Using Hostinger Website Builder
If you’re using Hostinger’s Website Builder, adding a form is remarkably straightforward:
-
Open Your Project
Log in to your Hostinger dashboard and select the website project you want to edit. -
Choose Where to Add the Form
Navigate to the page and specific section where you want the form to appear. -
Add the Form Block
Click on the “Add” (+) button, typically found in the left or top menu toolset. Select “Contact Form” or “Form” from the available widgets.
-
Customize the Form
Edit the fields as needed. You can add or remove fields like Name, Email, Message, Phone, etc., depending on what information you require. -
Set Up Notifications
Enter the email address (or addresses) where form submissions should be delivered. -
Adjust Design and Settings
Customize the form’s appearance to match your branding, and configure settings such as required fields, confirmation messages, and GDPR compliance options. -
Publish
Once the form looks good, publish the changes to make it live on your site.
2. Adding Forms in WordPress with Hostinger
If you manage a WordPress site hosted on Hostinger, follow these steps:
-
Choose a Form Plugin
Popular choices include Contact Form 7, WPForms, and Ninja Forms. These plugins are free to install and widely supported. -
Install the Plugin
- From your dashboard, go to ‘Plugins’ > ‘Add New’
- Search for your chosen form plugin.
-
Click “Install Now” and then “Activate.”
-
Create Your Form
- Use the plugin’s built-in wizard to create a new form.
-
Drag and drop desired fields (Name, Email, Subject, Message, etc.).
-
Configure Email Integration
- Enter your receiver email settings.
-
For best results, use an email hosted by Hostinger to ensure reliable delivery.
-
Add the Form to a Page
- Copy the form’s shortcode.
-
Paste it into any page, post, or widget where you want the form to appear.
-
Test the Form
- Fill out and submit the form to verify it works as expected.
3. Integrating Third-Party Form Builders
Hostinger is compatible with external form builder solutions like Commoninja. These tools often offer advanced capabilities such as conditional logic, payment integration, and analytics.
- Register on the form builder platform and design your form.
- Copy the generated HTML or iframe embed code.
- Insert the code into your Hostinger site using an ‘Embed’ or ‘HTML’ widget.
Benefits of Using Forms on Your Hostinger Site
Implementing forms brings multiple advantages for your website and user experience:
- Lead Collection: Forms help gather potential customer information.
- Better Communication: Forms channel inquiries, feedback, or orders straight to your inbox.
- Automation: Automate responses, confirmations, or support requests.
- Professionalism: Improve trust and credibility with a user-friendly interface.
- Customizability: Tailor forms to fit your brand and specific needs.
Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them
While Hostinger makes forms easy to set up, users may run into some common issues:
1. Email Deliverability
- Symptom: Not receiving form submissions to your email.
- Solution: Make sure your notification email matches your website’s domain (i.e., [email protected]). If you use WordPress, consider setting up SMTP with your Hostinger email account for reliable delivery.
2. Spam and Bots
- Symptom: Receiving spam or bot-filled submissions.
- Solution: Enable CAPTCHA or anti-spam measures in your form settings. Most plugins and Hostinger’s native builder support this.
3. Limited Customization
- Symptom: Wanting more complex logic or design.
- Solution: Utilize advanced plugins or external form builders like Commoninja or WPForms Pro for more detailed features.
4. Form Not Displaying Correctly
- Symptom: The form layout appears broken.
- Solution: Double-check your theme compatibility and ensure you’re not embedding the code within incompatible content blocks.
Best Practices for Effective Forms
To maximize conversion and user experience, follow these form-building tips:
- Keep It Simple: Only request necessary information. Shorter forms have higher completion rates.
- Use Clear Labels: Each field should be clearly labeled so users understand what to enter.
- Enable Error Messages: Help users correct mistakes (like invalid email addresses) with clear and immediate feedback.
- Mobile Optimization: Ensure your form fields and buttons work well on small screens.
- Privacy Compliance: Add a privacy notice or checkbox if you’re collecting personal data—especially for visitors from regions with privacy regulations (like GDPR).
Tips for Managing Costs and Shipping Forms
While setting up general forms is typically free, there are some cost-related considerations:
- Plugin Upgrades: Advanced WordPress form plugins may offer premium features for a fee.
- Transactional Emails: Using external transactional email services may incur additional costs.
- Order Forms (Shipping-Related):
- If you plan to accept orders or process shipping requests, clarify shipping charges directly within your order form.
- Use field logic to auto-calculate and display shipping costs for greater transparency.
- Offer free shipping thresholds or coupon fields to encourage conversions.
Hostinger’s own solutions are generally included within your hosting plan, avoiding hidden charges for basic forms.
Summary
Hostinger makes it easy to add, customize, and manage forms on your website—whether you use their website builder, a WordPress site, or an external form builder. With just a few clicks or plugin installations, you can launch powerful contact, order, or login forms. Stick to best practices to maximize form effectiveness and ensure secure, reliable communication with every visitor.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How do I add a contact form to my website with Hostinger?
You can add a contact form by using Hostinger’s Website Builder (via the form block or widget), installing a WordPress form plugin, or embedding a third-party form builder. Login to your dashboard, choose your page, and follow the step-by-step wizard to place your form where you want.
2. Can I customize the fields on my Hostinger form?
Absolutely! You can add, edit, or remove fields to match the information you need. Both the Website Builder and most WordPress plugins offer full customization, including required fields, dropdowns, checkboxes, and more.
3. How do I make sure I receive emails from my website form?
Ensure the recipient email is correctly set up and matches your domain for the best deliverability. For WordPress, it’s advisable to configure SMTP with your Hostinger email. Always test your form after publishing to confirm that messages are delivered to your inbox.
4. What if my form is receiving spam submissions?
Enable anti-spam features like Google reCAPTCHA, use honeypot fields, or install dedicated anti-spam plugins. These measures block most bots and reduce spam submissions.
5. Does adding a form cost extra on Hostinger?
Adding basic forms through Hostinger’s Website Builder or free WordPress plugins is usually included in your hosting plan. However, advanced features, premium plugins, or using third-party (external) services may incur extra costs—so always check your requirements and potential upgrade fees.
With these insights and steps, you’re well-equipped to make the most of forms on your Hostinger website, building trust, efficiency, and great communication channels with your online audience.