Where Does WPForms Data Go? [Beginner's Guide] (2024)

Where does WPForms data go? What happens when a user fills out a form?

These 2 questions arethe most common queries that customers send to us.

If you’re in the same boat, rest assured that the answer is simpler than you might think!

WPForms Lite sends your form entries via email.

That might leave you asking: what happens if an email goes missing? What if you need to look back at previous entries?

This guide will shed light on how WPForms handles data, using tools like:

• WP Mail SMTP for email delivery
• Lite Connect for secure backups
• WPForms Pro for a powerful way of viewing and managing your entries inside WordPress.

First, let’s start with the basics.

Where is WordPress Form Data Stored?

Wondering where WPForms data goes? The place where it’s stored depends on the version you’re using.

• In WPForms Lite, your form data is sent via email as soon as your form is submitted.
• In any paid version of WPForms, form data is stored in your WordPress database.

If you’re worried that notification emails might not get through, it’s important to mention that:

• WPForms Lite customers can optionally back up entries in the cloud too. In a second, I’ll explain how this works and how to see entries when you back them up.
• WPForms Pro users get additional options for secure storage, efficient handling, and seamless management of their essential form data.

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Form Notifications Not Arriving? Check Your Settings

Wondering how to see entries in WPForms Lite? First, an important point:

WPForms Lite entries are sent via email. This is completely free!

I know it’s frustrating when you don’t get those emails. It might look like they’ve disappeared. You might even think WPForms Lite collected your form entries and threw them away.

So where does WPForms data go in WPForms Lite? Your form submission data is not discarded. What’s probably happening is that your email notifications are landing in the spam mailbox.

To prevent this, we use a friendly postman, WP Mail SMTP. It ensures your form notification emails are delivered every time! Either the free or Pro version will solve this problem for you.

You can choose between a variety of email providers when you set up WP Mail SMTP. I recommend using WP Mail SMTP with a service like SendLayer to deliver your WPForm entries reliably.

Remember: The free version of WP Mail SMTP works great with WPForms Lite. Most of my sites are running the free version. It solved my email deliverability issues just fine.

If SMTP is new to you, it might be confusing. I understand! That’s why you can purchase WP Mail SMTP Pro with an additional White Glove Setup service. White Glove Setup just means an expert from the WP Mail SMTP team will set everything up for you.

With any paid version of WP Mail SMTP, you’ll also unlock additional features like WordPress email logging. Logs act as an additional safety net against email deliverability problems, storing a copy of every email sent from your site.

So, remember, if your contact form email notifications aren’t showing up, the problem isn’t with your WPForms Lite or Pro plugin. It’s happening because email providers arevery tough on spam – much more so than they used to be.

With WP Mail SMTP and the right settings, you’ll get around those spam filters. It will ensure your important notifications land in your inbox, not your spam folder.

For more information, check out this article on how to configure WordPress SMTP settings.

Backing Up Form Entries and Data with Lite Connect

While WPForms Lite doesn’t store your entries locally, you can back up new form entries with Lite Connect for free, then retrieve them when you upgrade to Pro.

Lite Connect is an easy way to get reassurance that your entries won’t be lost, even if your emails stop working. Form entries and relevant data are safely stored and retrievable whenever needed.

Wondering how it works? Lite Connect captures entries, encrypts them, and stores them securely in the cloud. (Even the WPForms team won’t be able to see them.)

This means that even if your form notification emails don’t work, a backup will always be accessible for retrieval.

Wondering how to see entries? After you upgrade to Pro, they’ll be restored automatically for you!

Upgrading to WPForms Pro

The WPForms Pro subscription provides you with the best form entry management features for WordPress.

You won’t need to ask: where is my WPForms data? WPForms Pro stores form entries in your WordPress database and then shows you a handy chart so you can keep an eye on response rates.

To make data retrieval hassle-free, WPForms Pro also offers advanced options such asallowing you to export form entries for further analysis.

For example, you can export your data as a CSV file, which is great if you want to store a backup, or analyze your entries in another tool.

Even better, WPForms Pro lets you automatically save form entries to Google Sheets.

At WPForms, we use the Google Sheets integration for all kinds of forms.It allows us to avoid the repetitive task of manual data input while ensuring the latest entries are always stored in Drive.

We find this integration helpful if we want to share form entries with someone who doesn’t use WordPress, for example.

In a nutshell, upgrading to WPForms Pro is a worthy consideration for anyone seeking enhanced control and flexibility over their data management. The entry management features are the best you can get.

Choosing the Right WPForms Version

You can get an unlimited free trial of WPForms: WPForms Lite. You can get entries via email totally free with this version.

As a reminder, we recommend that you use WPForms Lite with either the free or Pro version of WP Mail SMTP. If your needs are simple and focused on simple backups of form entries, WPForms Lite, coupled with WP Mail SMTP and Lite Connect, is a great combination.

WPForms Pro offers enhanced form management capabilities that can make a significant difference in handling form entries so you can be successful in running your site. Having entries stored inside WordPress also provides some insurance against lost form notification emails.

So if you require a robust, full-fledged form solution with diverse data handling options, WPForms Pro might be your best bet.

We hope this article helped to explain where WPForms data goes. Now you can choose the best notification or backup option for your entries.

• Still having trouble with WPForms emails? Check out this guide to fix WPForms not sending email.
• If you’d like to know more about the differences between difference WPForms licenses, check out this article on WPForms Lite vs Pro.

FAQs About WPForms Entries and Notifications

Want to know a bit more about where your WPForms data is stored? Here are the most commonly asked questions.

What Email Do WPForms Entries Go To?

By default, WPForms entries are sent to the site administrator email. If you’d like to change that, edit the notifications for the form and type a different email address in theSend To Email Address field.

How Do I Add an Email to WPForms?

You can add an email to your WPForms notification settings in the form builder. Just head to theNotifications panel inside the form builder. The notification will be sent to the email address in theSend To Email Address field.

You can also use a Smart Tag to send the email notification to the WordPress admin email address, or the person who filled out the form.

Why Am I Not Getting Emails From WPForms?

If you’re not getting emails from WPForms, first make sure that your email notifications are enabled.

If they are enabled, but the emails aren’t getting through, it’s likely because your form notification emails are being marked as spam. This is a common problem with all form builder plugins. It happens because emails sent from a website are not authenticated properly.

You should always get emails from WPForms if you set up email notifications. This applies to both WPForms Pro and WPForms Lite. If the emails are not getting through, check out our article on how to fix email delivery failures in WordPress.

Does WPForms Have a Database?

No, WPForms doesn’t have its own database.

If you’re using WPForms Lite, you can choose to enable Lite Connect Entry Backups. This will securely store your form entries in the cloud. When you upgrade to WPForms Pro, you can restore the entries to your database.

In WPForms Pro, entries are stored in your WordPress database by default. You can disable this feature if you don’t want to store form entries in WordPress.

How Do I Print Entries in WPForms?

You can print entries from your WordPress dashboard if you’re using WPForms Pro. Check out our article on how to print entries to PDF. Once you’ve generated the PDF, you can print the entries on paper.

Does WPForms Need an SMTP Plugin?

Every WordPress site should have an SMTP plugin. It’s not essential, but it is very highly recommended. All contact form plugins are vulnerable to email delivery issues because of the way WordPress sends emails.

How Long Does WPForms Store Entries For?

WPForms stores entries indefinitely, assuming you have enough space in your database. The only exception is partial entries. If someone uses Save and Resume to save their form, they have 30 days to come back and submit it before the entry is discarded.

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Next, Security Tips and Tricks for Your Online Forms

When managing your WPForms, it’s not just about how you handle data but also how you protect it. Here are some essential tips and tricks to enhance the security of your online forms and optimize your overall WPForms experience.

Ready to build your form and explore more features? Get started today with the easiest drag-and-drop WordPress form builder plugin. WPForms Pro includes lots of free templates and offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.

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