Getting Started

Install the plugin

From your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins → Add New, search for "ChargeForms", and click Install then Activate. You can also upload the plugin zip directly from Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.

Activation creates ChargeForms's own database tables (forms, entries, and their indexes) and grants the chargeforms_manage_forms capability to the Administrator role — a dedicated capability, not a reuse of the built-in manage_options, so you can later grant form-management access to an Editor or Author without giving them full site administration.

Create your first form

1. In the sidebar, go to ChargeForms → New Form.
2. Choose Blank Form, or pick a starting point from Templates.
3. You'll land in the builder — a live, drag-and-drop canvas on the left and a field settings panel on the right.
4. Drag fields from the palette onto the canvas, or use the persistent + buttons to insert a field at an exact position.

Every field preview in the builder renders exactly as it will on the front end — there's no separate "preview mode" to switch into.

Publish it

Copy the form's shortcode from the builder's toolbar ([chargeforms id="1"]) and paste it into any post, page, or widget area. If your theme or another plugin supports blocks, you can also add a ChargeForms block directly in the block editor.

Where entries go

Every submission lands in ChargeForms → Entries, searchable and filterable by form, date range, and read/unread status. Entries are never emailed as the only copy of the data — email notification is a configurable convenience alongside the durable Entries record.

Next: Conditional Logic to make your form adapt based on what a visitor has already answered.