FRAMEWORK

Add a form backend to WordPress

Formstork receives submissions from any HTML form on your WordPress site, emails you each one, and keeps every entry in a searchable dashboard. No form plugin, no SMTP setup, no backend code.

How it works

A form in WordPress is just HTML, whether you add it with the Custom HTML block or write it into a theme template. On its own it cannot deliver anything, and WordPress's built-in mail often lands in spam or fails silently on shared hosting. Formstork is the backend that receives the POST: your form sends its fields to a Formstork endpoint with your access key, and Formstork emails you each submission, sets the visitor's email as the reply-to, and saves it to a searchable dashboard. You never install a form plugin or a mail plugin, because delivery and storage happen on Formstork. Turn on spam filtering, a redirect to a thank-you page, or an integration like Slack or Google Sheets whenever you need it.

html

<!-- Paste into a WordPress "Custom HTML" block, or a page/theme template -->
<form action="https://api.formstork.com/submit" method="POST">
  <input type="hidden" name="access_key" value="YOUR_ACCESS_KEY">

  <p>
    <label for="name">Name</label>
    <input id="name" type="text" name="name" required>
  </p>
  <p>
    <label for="email">Email</label>
    <input id="email" type="email" name="email" required>
  </p>
  <p>
    <label for="message">Message</label>
    <textarea id="message" name="message" rows="5" required></textarea>
  </p>

  <!-- Honeypot: bots fill this in, real visitors never see it -->
  <input type="text" name="botcheck" tabindex="-1" autocomplete="off" style="display:none">

  <button type="submit">Send message</button>
</form>

No form plugin, no SMTP plugin

WordPress mail often lands in spam or fails silently on shared hosting, which is why sites stack a contact form plugin on top of an SMTP plugin. A plain HTML form that POSTs to Formstork skips all of it: Formstork receives the submission and handles delivery, so there is nothing to configure in WordPress.

Leads kept outside WordPress

Every submission is emailed to you and stored in a searchable, taggable dashboard, separate from your WordPress database. A theme swap, a migration, or a compromised site does not take your form entries with it, and you can export them to CSV or JSON anytime.

Spam stopped before your inbox

A hidden honeypot, a server-side content filter, and optional Turnstile, hCaptcha, or reCAPTCHA keep bots out with no anti-spam plugin installed. Flagged submissions go to your Spam tab and never email you.

Set it up

1Add your form to a page as plain HTML, for example with the Custom HTML block or inside a block or classic theme template, using fields like name, email, and message.
2Point the form's action at https://api.formstork.com/submit and add your access key as a hidden access_key field (or use the short /f/YOUR_ACCESS_KEY URL).
3Publish the page and submit once to test. The entry lands in your inbox and your Formstork dashboard, with the visitor's email set as the reply-to.
4Optional: add a hidden redirect field to send visitors to a thank-you page, turn on spam filtering or an integration like Slack or Google Sheets, or add file uploads and an autoresponder on a paid plan.

Frequently asked questions

How do I handle form submissions in WordPress without a plugin?

Add a plain HTML form to a page, a Custom HTML block works well, and point its action at a Formstork endpoint with your access key as a hidden field. Formstork receives the POST, emails you the submission, and stores it in a searchable dashboard. No form plugin or SMTP plugin needed.

Can I send visitors to a thank-you page after they submit?

Yes. Add a hidden redirect field with your thank-you page URL, and Formstork sends the visitor there after it stores and emails the submission. Without it, the visitor sees a simple success response.

Is it free?

Yes, the free plan includes 250 submissions a month with a full dashboard and 90-day retention. Paid plans add more volume, forever retention, autoresponders, and file uploads or attachments.

Try Formstork free

250 submissions a month with a full dashboard. No credit card required.

Get your access key Read the docs