How to Create WordPress Forms With Dropdown Fields
Add a little shine to your forms with WordPress Dropdown Fields.
Forms are a force of nature for user-friendly websites. From information requests to transactions, forms simplify our jobs as designers and developers. However, what if you desired to work more organised and interactively? This is where dropdown fields can be beneficial; they simplify the process for the form filler by providing them with predetermined options, which will reduce errors and make their experience more fluid. In this guide, we will demonstrate just how easy it is to make WordPress forms with dropdown fields, which are essential for enhancing user experience and data aggregation.
When should you use Dropdown fields in your WordPress forms?
Form Dropdown fields tooltip: Dropdown fields in a form limit users to selecting only from the options listed and do not let them type their own answers. This will help prevent confusion for the user, maintain uniform data from entry to another page, and speed up form submission time. Whether you run an eCommerce site, gather feedback, or take event RSVPs, dropdown fields can keep your forms less cluttered and easier to use.
Today, we are going to list down a few reasons why you should use dropdown fields in your WordPress forms:
Enhanced User Experience: They reduce the number of options for users and make it quicker to fill out a form.
Fewer Input Errors: As the users pick from a list of values, human error and inconsistencies are significantly less. REQUEST A DEMO NOW
Consistent data collection means you have clean, systematic data to aggregate, such as countries, states, or a dropdown list for products.
How to Add a Form in WordPress for Free?
Step 1: Select the Right Form Builder Plugin
To make WordPress forms with dropdown fields, we need to choose a good form builder plugin. You can find some nice plugins to do this without coding. A few of the most common options are:
WPForms: Highly user-friendly plugins with drag-and-drop functionality and dropdown fields built-in walk you through minimum hedge vitamins accompanying the process. It was sort of.. but it ended its copyright. Incoming data do not scan.
Gravity Forms This is a very popular plugin which comes with plenty of customization options combined with solid conditional logic that works great for complex form requirements.
Free and lightweight: This plugin is great for building basic forms (dropdown fields included).
Contact Form: Installation and activation of form builder plugins make you go ahead and build your first-ever forms.
Step Two: Create a New Form Outline And Add Basic Fields
Download and install your favourite plugin. Go to the form builder on your WordPress dashboard. Next Step : New Form *—————————————————————————*/ Here’s how you can do it:
You will go to WPForms (or the installed plugin) in the WordPress dashboard.
Create New to Add a Form
You can use one of the existing form templates or build a new one from scratch. WPForms provides templates for contact, payment, registration, and more forms.
After you choose or create your form template, you will be shown different fields, such as name, email, phone number, etc. Next, we will add a dropdown.
Step 3: Include Dropdown Fields on Your Form
With your basic form set, you can now enter some dropdown fields. Here’s how to do it:
Go into the form editor and search for the Dropdown field in the list of available fields
Add the Dropdown field to the form by dragging it.
Any dropdown or option can be customised. For example, if you are creating a form for event registration, your dropdown options could be “Workshop A,” “Workshop B,” and “Workshop C.”
You are welcome to change the dropdown label, such as “Select Your Workshop” or “Choose a Service.”
Step 4 — Add Your Dropdown Field and Style It
Once you have created your dropdown field, make sure that you modify the field to work in accordance with your settings. Some things you could adjust:
Default Option – Add a default option e.g. “Select an option” so that users know to make a choice.
Dropdown Required Field—Force the user to select an option in the dropdown before submitting the form (it will only work if a selection is made in the dropdown).
Conditional logic: As a more advanced feature, conditional logic lets you show or hide specific fields depending on what has been selected by the user before.
Step 5: Configure the form settings
However, before publishing the form, remember to set your form settings as well:
Notifications: Create email notifications so that you or your team can be notified every time someone completes the form.
Confirmations: Set up the confirmation message that will get displayed after someone submits a form You can reply with thank you or direct them to another page.
Spam Protection — Prevent spam form submissions by utilizing built-in tools such as reCAPTCHA or honeypot methods.
Step 6: Publish Your Form
When everything is prepared, publish the form with a dropdown field. Here’s how to do it:
Click on the page or post you wish to place the form
Now, click on the “Add Block” button (Gutenberg Editor) or paste the shortcode in the Classic editor.
Select the WPForms block (or whatever block your plugin will have), and then pick the form you made.
There you have it — just publish the page and test your live form to make sure that everything works properly.
Now, your WordPress form with a dropdown field is up and running.
Dropdown field optimisation pro tips
Less is More: Do not bombard users with an array of properties in the dropdown! Keep the text clear and understandable to all users.
Placeholder Text: Insert placeholder text such as “Select an option” to guide the user on what they should do.
Reduce Choices: If your dropdown has more than 10–15 options, opt for a search or filter to make it easier for the user.
Common Use Cases for Dropdown Fields in WordPress Forms
Some common use cases of this forms are as follows:
Events Registration Forms: Allow users to select sessions or ticket types
Contact Forms: Give them a drop-down (Sales, Support, General) to choose the reason why they are reaching out.
Order Forms: Support your purchase form, select colours, product variations or sizing.
Close: Dropdown Fields for Better Forms
Dropdown fields can be a lifesaver in several cases, and they have enough flexibility to flatter any WordPress form like a pro. When you provide predefined options, form submissions are streamlined, mistakes are avoided, and the data will be more useful in any analysis done. Building a WordPress form with dropdown fields is simple by using the right form builder plugin and applying some customisation. Use this guide as a reference to build better forms that make your website more usable and help you accomplish those goals.