1. Helpcenter - Cloud86
  2. Plesk: Control Panel
  3. WordPress
  4. WordPress Plugins

WordPress: Contact Form

A contact form is an essential part of almost any website. It allows visitors to easily ask questions, request quotes, or get in touch with you directly without publicly providing your email. In this article, we’ll show you how to add a contact form to your WordPress website using the free plugins Forminator and FluentSMTP. Forminator lets you create and customize the form itself, while FluentSMTP ensures that all messages are delivered reliably via email.

Keep in mind that there are many alternative plugins available for both form creation and email delivery. Forminator and FluentSMTP are just examples, feel free to choose the solutions that best fit your needs.

Forminator - Install and Create

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard, see WordPress: Login and Dashboard.
  2. In the left menu go to Plugins > Add New, and search for Forminator (link)
  3. Click Install Now, and then Activate.
  4. After activation, you will see Forminator appear in your WordPress menu.
  5. In the left menu go to Forminator> Forms
  6. Click on the Add new and select the template that you want to use.
  7. Adjust the fields (such as name, email, message) as desired.
  8. In the settings, you can also configure:
    • Email notifications: which email address the submissions are sent to.
    • Appearance: colors, layout, and styling.
  9. Publish the form by clicking Publish in the right top and copy the shortcode (for example [forminator_form id="123"]).
  10. Paste this shortcode into a page or post where you want the form to appear.

FluentSMTP - Install and Setup

  1. In the left menu go to Plugins > Add New, and search for FluentSMTP (link)
  2. Click Install Now, and then Activate.
  3. In the left menu go to Settings > FluentSMTP.
  4. When using the mailserver from Cloud86, choose Other SMTP and go to step 6.
  5. If the email is not handled by Cloud86, pick the correct one and follow that guide instead:
    1. Gmail / Google Workspace: Connect Gmail or Google Workspace With FluentSMTP
    2. Outlook / Office365: Configure FluentSMTP with Microsoft Outlook/Office Email
    3. Other? See their Delivery Connections for the correct guide
  6. When using the mailserver from Cloud86 use the following settings:
    • SMTP Host: enter the mail server, in our example cloud86example.com, replace it with your own domain, or in case of an external website with the Plesk server address (see: How to use the Cloud86 mail server with an external website).
    • SMTP Port: for SSL (Port 465), for TLS (587)
    • Encryption: SSL or TLS (depending on the chosen port)
    • Authentication: Enabled
    • Username: your Cloud86 email address
    • Password: the password for your email account
  7. Click Save Settings.
  8. Send a test email to confirm everything works.

Once FluentSMTP is configured, all emails sent through Forminator will automatically be delivered via FluentSMTP. This makes your contact form emails more reliable and less likely to be marked as spam.

If you need some help, you can always reach our support desk by email support@cloud86.io and on weekdays from 9:00 to 16:00 (CET) you can also reach us by phone and via the chat in My Cloud86.