How do I return a user to a partial Gravity Forms entry in WordPress using the Partial Entry addon?
As a WordPress developer, one of the most common user experience challenges I've encountered is when users start filling out a long form, only to get distracted or need to step away before completing it. The dreaded "lost form" scenario can be incredibly frustrating for users and negatively impact your conversion rates.
Luckily, the Gravity Forms plugin for WordPress has a solution to this problem in the form of its Partial Entries addon. This powerful tool allows users to save their partially completed form entries and return to them later. But implementing it properly can be tricky, which is why I'm going to walk you through the entire process step-by-step.
Understanding Partial Entries in Gravity Forms
The Gravity Forms Partial Entries addon is an extension that allows users to save their form progress and come back to it later. When a user starts filling out a form but doesn't complete it, they'll see a "Save and Continue Later" button. Clicking this will generate a unique URL that the user can use to return to their partially completed form.
This is an incredibly useful feature, as it reduces form abandonment and improves the overall user experience. However, simply enabling the Partial Entries addon isn't enough – you also need to configure it properly to ensure a seamless experience for your users.
Step 1: Install the Required Plugins
To use the Partial Entries functionality in Gravity Forms, you'll need to install a few key plugins:
- Gravity Forms Partial Entries Addon: This is the core plugin that enables the partial entries feature.
- Save and Continue Link Recovery for Gravity Forms: This plugin helps recover and restore partially completed form entries, even if the user loses their unique URL.
- Gravity Forms Edit Entries: This plugin allows users to edit their previously submitted form entries, which is crucial for the Partial Entries functionality.
Once you've installed and activated all three plugins, you can start configuring them to work together seamlessly.
Step 2: Configure the Partial Entries Addon
In the Gravity Forms settings, you'll find a new "Partial Entries" tab. Here, you can configure the various options for how partial entries are handled:
- Enable Partial Entries: Make sure this is turned on to activate the feature.
- Partial Entry Expiration: This setting determines how long a partial entry will be saved before it expires. The default is 30 days, but you can increase this if needed.
- Partial Entry Save Frequency: This sets how often the form progress is automatically saved as the user is filling it out. The default is every 60 seconds, but you can adjust this to suit your needs.
- Partial Entry Save Trigger: You can choose to have the form saved when the user clicks the "Save and Continue Later" button, or automatically as they fill out the form.
For most use cases, the default settings will work well. But you may want to experiment with the expiration and save frequency to find the optimal balance between user experience and server load.
Step 3: Customize the "Save and Continue" Button
By default, the "Save and Continue Later" button will appear on your form, but you can customize its appearance and behavior. You can change the button text, add your own CSS styles, and even trigger custom actions when the button is clicked.
To do this, go to the form settings and look for the "Save and Continue" section. Here, you can:
- Change the Button Text: Replace the default "Save and Continue Later" text with something more fitting for your form.
- Add Custom CSS: Use this to style the button to match your website's branding and design.
- Add Custom JavaScript: This allows you to trigger additional actions when the button is clicked, such as sending an email or updating your CRM.
One common customization is to add a message or tooltip to explain to users what will happen when they click the "Save and Continue" button. This can help reduce confusion and increase the chances of them successfully saving their partial entry.
Step 4: Recover Partial Entries with the "Save and Continue Link Recovery" Plugin
Even with the Partial Entries addon enabled, users may still lose their unique "save and continue" link. That's where the "Save and Continue Link Recovery for Gravity Forms" plugin comes in.
This plugin adds a new section to the Gravity Forms settings called "Save and Continue Link Recovery". Here, you can configure how the recovery process works:
- Enable Link Recovery: Turn this on to activate the recovery functionality.
- Recovery Page: Specify the page where the user will be taken to recover their partial entry.
- Recovery Link Text: Customize the text that will be displayed on the recovery page.
- Recovery Link Instructions: Add instructions to guide users through the recovery process.
When a user loses their "save and continue" link, they can visit the recovery page and enter the email address they used to start the form. The plugin will then display a list of any partial entries associated with that email, and allow the user to continue from where they left off.
This feature is crucial for ensuring a smooth user experience and reducing form abandonment. By making it easy for users to pick up where they left off, you'll see a significant boost in your form completion rates.
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Step 5: Allow Users to Edit Submitted Entries
The final piece of the puzzle is the Gravity Forms Edit Entries plugin. This addon allows users to edit their previously submitted form entries, which is essential for the Partial Entries functionality.
Without the Edit Entries plugin, users would only be able to view their partial entries, but not make any changes to them. This could be frustrating if they need to update information or correct errors in their partially completed form.
To enable the Edit Entries feature, go to the Gravity Forms settings and look for the "Edit Entries" tab. Here, you can configure various options, such as:
- Allow Users to Edit Entries: Turn this on to enable the edit functionality.
- Edit Page: Specify the page where users will be taken to edit their entries.
- Edit Link Text: Customize the text that will be displayed to allow users to access the edit page.
Once you've set this up, users will be able to access and make changes to their partial entries, further improving the overall user experience.
Changing the Expiration Period for Partial Entries
One final tip: by default, Gravity Forms will delete partial entries after 30 days. However, you may want to extend this expiration period to give users more time to return and complete their forms.
To do this, you can add the following code to your functions.php file:
add_filter( 'gform_incomplete_submissions_expiration_days', 'your_function_name', 10, 1 );
function your_function_name( $expiration_days ) {
$expiration_days = 90; // Change this value to the number of days you want
return $expiration_days;
}
This code will change the expiration period for partial entries from 30 days to 90 days (or whatever value you specify). Adjust the $expiration_days
variable to suit your specific requirements.
Conclusion
Ensuring a seamless partial entry experience for your users is crucial for improving form completion rates and overall user satisfaction. By leveraging the Gravity Forms Partial Entries addon, the Save and Continue Link Recovery plugin, and the Gravity Forms Edit Entries plugin, you can create a robust and user-friendly form experience that keeps users engaged and coming back to finish what they started.
Remember, the key to success is proper configuration and customization. Take the time to fine-tune the various settings and options to find the perfect balance for your website and your users. With a little effort, you can transform your forms from a source of frustration to a valuable tool that drives conversions and engagement.
If you're looking for a way to take your form optimization efforts even further, be sure to check out Flowpoint.ai. Our powerful web analytics platform can help you identify and fix technical issues, optimize your user experience, and generate targeted recommendations to boost your conversion rates.