How to send email to post author using contact form 7

WordPress, with its myriad of plugins, offers endless possibilities for website customization. One such powerful tool is Contact Form 7 (CF7), a versatile and widely used plugin for creating forms. In this tech guide, we’ll explore a practical application of CF7: sending emails to post authors dynamically.

Install and Activate Contact Form 7

If you haven’t already, head to your WordPress dashboard, navigate to “Plugins,” and install/activate Contact Form 7. This plugin seamlessly integrates with your site and provides an intuitive form-building interface.

Crafting Your Contact Form

Create a new form by going to the “Contact” section in your dashboard and selecting “Add New.” Design your form, adding fields according to your requirements. For this guide, we want users to be able to contact the post author.

Adding the Author’s Email Field

To dynamically include the post author’s email in the form, head to the “Form” tab. In the “Additional Settings” section, add the following line:

additional_settings: _post_author_email

This creates a hidden field that will capture the post author’s email.

Configuring Mail Settings

In the “Mail” tab, set the recipient email address in the “To” field. To dynamically set this based on user input, use the following mail tag:

[your-email]

This tag will pull in the email entered by the user.

Enhancing Email Headers

For more dynamic communication, consider adding the following to the “Additional Headers” section. This sets the “Reply-To” address to the user’s email:

Reply-To: [your-email]

Save and Embed the Form

Save your changes, and copy the shortcode provided by CF7. Paste this shortcode into the post or page where you want the form to appear.

By following these steps, you’ve empowered your WordPress site with a dynamic communication channel. Visitors can now seamlessly contact post authors through a custom form, enhancing user engagement and interaction.

In conclusion, the Contact Form 7 plugin proves once again to be an invaluable asset for WordPress users. Its flexibility and ease of use make it a go-to solution for implementing custom forms and expanding the functionality of your website. Upgrade your site’s communication capabilities today by integrating Contact Form 7 and enabling users to connect with post authors effortlessly.