How to Create a Shortcode for an HTML Form in WordPress
As a WordPress developer, one of the most common tasks you may encounter is creating custom forms for your clients' websites. While there are numerous form plugins available, sometimes you need a more tailored solution that fits the specific needs of your project. This is where creating a shortcode for an HTML form can be incredibly useful.
In this blog post, we'll walk through the process of creating a shortcode for an HTML form in WordPress, step by step. By the end, you'll have a reusable, easy-to-implement solution that can help improve the user experience and conversion rates on your website.
Understanding Shortcodes in WordPress
Shortcodes in WordPress are a powerful feature that allows you to embed dynamic content within your posts and pages. They are written in a specific format, typically enclosed in square brackets, like this: [my_shortcode]
. When the WordPress engine encounters a shortcode, it executes the associated function and replaces the shortcode with the resulting content.
Using shortcodes for your custom HTML forms has several benefits:
- Ease of Integration: By wrapping your form code in a shortcode, you can easily add it to any page or post on your WordPress site without having to manually copy and paste the HTML.
- Flexibility: Shortcodes can accept parameters, allowing you to customize the form's behavior and appearance based on the specific needs of each page or post.
- Maintainability: If you need to update the form code, you only need to modify the shortcode function, and the changes will be reflected across all instances of the form on your website.
Creating a Shortcode for an HTML Form
Let's dive into the process of creating a shortcode for an HTML form in WordPress. In this example, we'll be using the code you provided:
function my_shortcode() {
$pagelink = get_page_link(2599);
return '<form action="' . $pagelink . '" method="POST">
<input type="hidden" name="page_id" value="2599">
<div class="row">
<div class="form-group col-sm-3 col-md-2" id="bgform_text2">
<h4>SEARCH</h4>
<p>For Your Favourite Place</p>
</div>
<div class="form-group col-sm-5 col-md-2">
<label>Where to ? </label>
<input type="text" name="names" class="input-text full-width" placeholder="start typing here....">
</div>
<div class="form-group col-sm-5 col-md-4">
<div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-6">
<label>Arrive </label>
<div class="controls">
<input type="text" name="arive_time" id="departing">
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-xs-6">
<label>Departs </label>
<div class="controls">
<input type="text" name="depart_time" id="returning">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="form-group col-sm-9 col-md-2">
<label>Sleeps </label>
<div class="controls">
<i class="fa fa-sort"></i>
<select name="sleeps">
<option value="" disabled="" selected=""></option>
<option value="1">1</option>
<option value="2">2</option>
<option value="3">3</option>
<option value="4">4</option>
<option value="5">5</option>
</select>
</div>
</div>
<div class="form-group col-sm-3 col-md-2">
<input type="submit" value="submit" name="submit_btn" class="button">
</div>
</div>
</form>';
}
add_shortcode('my_shortcode_name', 'my_shortcode');
Here's a breakdown of what's happening:
- The
my_shortcode()
function returns the HTML form code, including dynamic values like the $pagelink
variable.
- The
add_shortcode()
function associates the 'my_shortcode_name'
shortcode with the my_shortcode()
function, so that whenever the shortcode is used, the function is executed, and the form is displayed.
To use the shortcode, simply add the following line of code wherever you want the form to appear:
<?php echo do_shortcode('[my_shortcode_name]'); ?>
This will render the HTML form on the page or post.
Customizing the Shortcode
One of the benefits of using shortcodes is the ability to customize them based on the specific needs of each page or post. You can achieve this by adding parameters to the shortcode and passing them to the my_shortcode()
function.
For example, let's say you want to allow the user to specify the page ID to which the form should be submitted. You can modify the shortcode and the function like this:
function my_shortcode($atts) {
$atts = shortcode_atts(
array(
'page_id' => 2599
),
$atts
);
$pagelink = get_page_link($atts['page_id']);
return '<form action="' . $pagelink . '" method="POST">
<input type="hidden" name="page_id" value="' . $atts['page_id'] . '">
<!-- Rest of the form code -->
</form>';
}
add_shortcode('my_shortcode_name', 'my_shortcode');
Now, you can use the shortcode with a custom page ID like this:
<?php echo do_shortcode('[my_shortcode_name page_id="3456"]'); ?>
This will render the form with the specified page ID, allowing you to reuse the same shortcode across different pages or posts with different submission targets.
Conclusion
Creating a shortcode for an HTML form in WordPress is a powerful technique that can save you time, improve maintainability, and enhance the user experience on your website. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can easily create a custom shortcode that can be added to any page or post on your WordPress site.
Remember, the possibilities for customization and optimization are endless. You can continue to expand on this shortcode by adding more parameters, validating user input, and integrating it with your website's backend functionality.
For more information on how Flowpoint.ai can help you identify and fix technical errors that impact your website's conversion rates, be sure to check out our website
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