Form Notifications

Form notifications allow Gravity Forms to send emails when a form is submitted. Notifications ensure that the right people are informed when a submission is received and can help automate communication with both administrators and users.

For example:

• A department inbox receives a notification when a contact form is submitted.
• An event organizer receives a registration notification.
• A visitor receives a confirmation email after registering for an event.

Properly configured notifications help ensure submissions are not missed and provide timely communication to everyone involved.

Understanding Notifications

Most forms use two types of notifications:

Administrator Notifications

Sent to the person or team responsible for reviewing submissions.

Examples:

• Contact form submissions
• Support requests
• Event registrations
• Feedback form responses

User Notifications

Sent to the individual who completed the form.

These often include:

• Confirmation messages
• Registration details
• Next steps
• Copies of submitted information

A single form may use one or both types of notification.

Accessing Notifications

To manage notifications:

1. Open the form.
2. Select Settings.
3. Click Notifications.
4. Edit an existing notification or select Add New.

Notifications can be created, modified, activated, or deactivated at any time.

Creating a Notification

To create a notification:

1. Select Add New.
2. Enter a notification name.
3. Configure the notification settings.
4. Save the notification.

Use descriptive names such as:

• Admin Notification
• Event Registration Notification
• User Confirmation Email

This becomes helpful when managing forms with multiple notifications.

Who Should Receive the Notification?

Administrator Notifications

Typically send to:

• Department email addresses
• Shared mailboxes
• Individual staff members
• Event organizers

The recipient should be someone responsible for monitoring and responding to submissions.

User Notifications

To send a notification to the person completing the form:

1. Choose Select a Field under Send To.
2. Select the email field from your form.

This allows Gravity Forms to use the email address entered by the visitor.

From Email

The From Email setting determines the sender address that appears in notification emails.

Depending on your organization’s requirements, this may be:

• A departmental email address
• A shared mailbox
• A website notification address

Using a recognizable sender address helps reduce confusion and improves email deliverability.

Subject Lines

The subject line should clearly identify the purpose of the notification.

Administrator Examples

• New Contact Form Submission
• New Event Registration

User Examples

• Registration Confirmation
• Thank You for Contacting Us

Clear subject lines help recipients identify and prioritize messages.

Notification Messages

The notification message contains the content of the email.

For administrators, this often includes:

• Submission details
• Contact information
• Responses to form fields

For users, it may include:

• Confirmation details
• Event information
• Next steps
• Contact information

A simple user notification might look like:

Thank you for registering for our event.

Your registration has been received successfully.

If you have questions, please contact our team.

Activating Notifications

Notifications can be turned on or off.

From the notifications screen:

• Active = notification will be sent.
• Inactive = notification will not be sent.

Always verify that required notifications are active before publishing a form.

Common Notification Setup

A typical form often includes:

Admin Notification

• Sent To: Department email
• Subject: New Form Submission
• Content: All submitted form fields

User Notification

• Sent To: Submitter’s email address
• Subject: Submission Confirmation
• Content: Thank-you message and next steps

This approach ensures both the site administrator and the visitor receive appropriate communication.

Best Practices

Use Shared Mailboxes When Appropriate
For departmental forms, consider using a monitored shared email address rather than an individual’s account.

Write Meaningful Subject Lines
Recipients should immediately understand the purpose of the email.

Test Notifications
Always submit a test entry before publishing.

Verify:

• Emails are delivered
• Information is accurate
• Merge Tags are working correctly

Keep User Emails Concise
Confirmation emails should be clear and action-oriented.

Review Notifications Periodically
Ensure recipient addresses remain current and staff changes are reflected.

Try it Out!

1. Create a new notification.
2. Configure it to send to your email address.
3. Add a custom message above the submitted form data.
4. Experiment with Merge Tags.
5. Save the notification.
6. Ensure it is marked Active.
7. Submit a test entry and verify the email is received.