Perplexing Ways to Save Form Data in WordPress Database

As a WordPress user, you may ponder over the task of collecting data from site visitors. This information could be pivotal for comprehension and targeting audiences, tracking sales, and generating leads. Fortunately, WordPress offers an array of ways to save form data in its database. Read on to unravel a perplexing step-by-step guide.

Why Save Form Data in WordPress Database?

Saving form data in WordPress allows you to retrieve it at any time and analyze it with different tools. By collecting visitor data, you can gain insight into your audience’s preferences and provide them with targeted content. For example, if you are a real estate agent, you can collect data through a form to know the buyer’s property preference, location choice, preferred price range, and contact information.

If you receive payments through your WordPress site, capturing and storing customer data becomes vital to provide personalized services in the future.

Options to Save Form Data in WordPress Database

Option 1: Using WordPress Plugins

WordPress has numerous plugins that can help you save form data. We recommend the Gravity Forms plugin for its powerful form builder that also features data analytics tools.

Steps to Install Gravity Forms Plugin:

1. Log in to your WordPress site’s dashboard.
2. Select the ‘Plugins’ tab on the left and choose ‘Add New’.
3. In the search bar, type ‘Gravity Forms’.
4. Once the plugin appears, click ‘Install Now’.
5. Activate the plugin once it finishes installing.

The Gravity Forms plugin saves data right into your WordPress database, making it easy to retrieve and analyze it.

Option 2: Code Solutions

If you’re proficient in PHP programming, you can save form data by creating a custom script. Here is a step-by-step guide to saving form data from scratch:

1. Set up a form

First, create an HTML form with a name attribute, and add an action attribute with the URL of the PHP script to which the information will be submitted.

2. Code Database Connection

Next, you need to open a connection to your WordPress database by declaring your database credentials within your script:

<?php
    $servername ="localhost";
    $username ="database_username”;
    $password ="database_password”;
    $dbname ="database_name";
    $conn = mysqli_connect($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);
    if (!$conn) {
    die("Connection failed: " . mysqli_connect_error());
    }
    ?> 
    

3. Collect data from forms

You need to collect data submitted from the form by declaring variables that will store the data input.

<?php
    if(isset($_POST['submit'])){
    $email = $_POST['email'];
    $message = $_POST['message'];
    }
    ?> 
    

The code above verifies whether the form’s submit button has been clicked. If clicked, it stores the email and message inputs as variables.

4. Insert the Data into the Database

Insert the data gathered from the form into the WordPress database using the SQL ‘INSERT INTO’ statement.

<?php
    $sql = "INSERT INTO wp_form_data (email, message) VALUES ('$email', '$message')";
    if (mysqli_query($conn, $sql)) {
    echo "New record created successfully";
    } else {
    echo "Error: " . $sql . " " . mysqli_error($conn);
    }
    ?>
    

5. Verify Data Saved

To confirm that the data has been saved successfully in the WordPress database, you can create another PHP code that retrieves the data from the database and displays it on a WordPress page.

<?php
    $result = mysqli_query($conn, "SELECT email, message FROM wp_form_data");
    if(mysqli_num_rows($result) > 0){
    while($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($result)){
    echo $row['email'] . “submitted: “ .$row['message'] . “
"; 
    }
    } else {
    echo "No results";
    }
    ?>
    

Conclusion

Saving form data in the WordPress database is a straightforward process with various options available. However, it is essential to maintain your site’s customer privacy policy and store data securely, regardless of the approach you choose. Hoping these perplexing yet bursting tips come to your aid to save form data in the WordPress database.