How to Set Contact Form 7 Input Default Value from URL

Contact Form 7 is a fantastic plugin for creating forms in WordPress, but did you know you can customize it to make it even more dynamic? One handy trick is setting the default value of a form field using URL parameters. This is incredibly useful for pre-filling fields like names, emails, or any custom data you want to pass through a link. Here’s how you can achieve this simply and straightforwardly.

Why Set Default Values from the URL?

Imagine you’re running a promotion and want to streamline the process for customers by pre-filling a form with specific product details, like a product ID or the client’s name. Passing these values through the URL not only saves users time but also creates a more personalized and efficient experience. For example, you could share a link like this:

https://yourwebsite.com/contact?product_id=12345&client_name=Alice

This way, the form can automatically display the product ID and client name when the link is accessed.

Steps to Implement

1. Add a Query Parameter-Enabled Field
   In your Contact Form 7 shortcode, you can define a field with the default keyword using a dynamic placeholder. For example:

   [text your-name default:get name]
   [email your-email default:get email]
   

   Here, default:get name tells the form to pull the default value for the your-name field from the name query parameter in the URL.

2. Test Your URL
   Visit the form page and append the desired parameters to the URL, like this:
   https://yourwebsite.com/contact?name=John&email=john@example.com
   You should see the your-name field pre-filled with “John” and the your-email field with “john@example.com.”
3. Customize Further
   If you’re passing more complex data, ensure the query parameters match the field names in the form for seamless functionality.

Using URL parameters to set default values in Contact Form 7 is a small tweak that makes a big difference in user experience. It’s simple to set up and can be a game-changer for targeted campaigns, surveys, or support requests.

Ready to try it out? Add this feature today and watch your form interactions improve!