Gravity Forms is one of the most popular plugins for WordPress when it comes to creating and managing forms. But what about email automation? Can Gravity Forms be set up to send emails automatically? The answer is yes, and it’s easier than you might think. In this article, we’ll explain how it works and highlight its benefits.
How Does Automated Email Sending Work with Gravity Forms?
Gravity Forms includes a built-in feature that allows emails to be sent automatically. As soon as a user fills out and submits a form, an email notification can be sent to one or more recipients. This feature is perfect for various scenarios, such as:
- Confirmation Emails to Users
- Notifications for the Internal Team
- Follow-Up Emails or Additional Information
To use this feature, you simply need to configure the “Notifications” settings in the Gravity Forms editor.
Step-by-Step Guide: Automating Email Sending
1. Create or Open a Form
Log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Gravity Forms. Create a new form or open an existing one.
2. Configure Notification Settings
In the form editor, go to Settings and select Notifications. Here, you can create a new notification or edit an existing one.
3. Define Recipients
Enter the email address to which the message should be sent. You can also use dynamic fields to personalize the recipient’s email address based on user input.
4. Customize the Message
Adjust the subject and body of the email. Use placeholders to dynamically include content from the form in the email.
5. Save and Test
Save your settings and test the form to ensure that emails are sent automatically as intended.
Benefits of Automated Email Sending
Automating email sending with Gravity Forms offers numerous advantages:
- Time Savings: Manual processes are eliminated as emails are triggered automatically.
- Improved Communication: Users receive immediate confirmations or relevant information.
- Professional Impression: Automated emails ensure a smooth workflow and increase user satisfaction.
- Scalability: Whether you receive a few or hundreds of submissions, the system works just as efficiently.
Advanced Features Through Add-Ons
Gravity Forms offers various add-ons to enhance automated email sending, such as:
- Zapier Add-On: Integrate with other tools like CRM systems or newsletter platforms.
- MailerLite or Mailchimp Add-Ons: Add users directly to email marketing lists.
- Conditional Logic: Send emails based on specific conditions or user input.
Functions of the Notification Scheduler
- Delayed notifications: You can specify that an email is only sent after a certain period of time (e.g. 24 hours after submitting a form). This is particularly suitable for follow-up messages or reminders.
- Recurring notifications: The scheduler supports recurring emails that are sent at regular intervals. This is ideal for campaigns or ongoing communication series.
- Individual scheduling: You can use dynamic values such as the submission date of the form or a user-defined date as the basis for sending.
- Conditional sending: Combine the Notification Scheduler with Gravity Forms’ Conditional Logic to schedule emails based on specific inputs or criteria.
Advantages of the Notification Scheduler
- Greater flexibility: You can optimize your communication plan by scheduling emails to have the greatest impact.
- Improved user engagement: Targeted follow-ups such as reminders or updates keep your users engaged.
- Automated workflows: The scheduler saves time and resources by automating recurring tasks while ensuring quality communication.
- Integration with other add-ons: The Notification Scheduler can be seamlessly combined with other Gravity Forms add-ons such as Zapier or Mailchimp to support complex processes.
Further information and instructions on how to use the Gravity Forms Notification Scheduler can be found in the official documentation.
Conclusion
Gravity Forms offers a comprehensive platform to automate email notifications and optimize workflows. The standard notification function can be used to set up simple confirmations and internal messages. For even more flexibility and efficiency, the Gravity Forms Notification Scheduler is an indispensable tool. Scheduled and recurring notifications allow companies to strategically plan their communications and improve the user experience in the long term.
From automated follow-ups to conditional messages and complex campaigns, Gravity Forms is a powerful solution that can be further customized and extended with add-ons such as the Notification Scheduler. Use these options to optimize your processes and offer your users a first-class service.