Title: HTML Forms & Contact Form for WordPress: Narrative Forms
Author: narrativecode
Published: 8. juuni 2026
Last modified: 8. juuni 2026
---
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# HTML Forms & Contact Form for WordPress: Narrative Forms
By [narrativecode](https://profiles.wordpress.org/narrativecode/)
[Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/narrative-forms.1.0.2.zip)
* [Details](https://et.wordpress.org/plugins/narrative-forms/#description)
* [Reviews](https://et.wordpress.org/plugins/narrative-forms/#reviews)
* [Installation](https://et.wordpress.org/plugins/narrative-forms/#installation)
* [Development](https://et.wordpress.org/plugins/narrative-forms/#developers)
[Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/narrative-forms/)
## Description
Narrative Forms is a WordPress form plugin built on plain HTML. Instead of dragging
boxes around a builder, you write semantic HTML, or paste it straight from an AI
like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, and Narrative Forms turns it into a real form with
fast AJAX submissions and stored, exportable data. Any input with a `name` attribute
is saved. That is the whole idea: forms are just HTML, so there is no field type
registry, nothing proprietary to lock you in, and no ceiling on what your form can
be. It stays lightweight, loads its assets only on pages that actually contain a
form, and is built to scale to millions of submissions. If you want a clean, fast,
developer friendly contact form or custom HTML form without the bloat of a heavy
form builder, this is it.
#### Why Narrative Forms is different
Most WordPress form plugins lock you into a drag and drop builder and a fixed list
of field types. If the builder does not offer a field, you cannot have it. Narrative
Forms has no field registry: a field is simply an HTML element with a `name`. Need
a layout with multiple steps, an unusual input, a custom widget, or markup your
designer already wrote? Paste it in and it works. You keep full control of the markup,
the classes, and the look. Dragging boxes made sense years ago; today you describe
what you want or paste what you already have. No builder, no bloat, and no fighting
a clunky UI to recreate a form you can already picture.
#### Bring your own AI
Because forms are just HTML, any large language model can write one for you. Ask
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or your favourite AI for “a contact form with a name, email,
a dropdown, and a file upload,” copy the HTML it returns, and paste it into Narrative
Forms. There is no proprietary field format to satisfy, so whatever the AI generates
simply works. The free plugin works with any AI: bring your own model, paste the
markup, ship the form. (Prefer it built in? AI form generation is on the Narrative
Forms Pro roadmap. For now, bring any model you like.)
#### Everything in the free plugin
The free plugin is a complete forms solution, not a teaser. You get:
* **Fast AJAX submissions.** Forms submit without a page reload, with a graceful
fallback when JavaScript is off, so nothing ever breaks for your visitors.
* **A built in editor.** One click field buttons generate the markup for common
fields, and a live preview shows the form as you type. Write HTML by hand or
scaffold it fast.
* **Email notifications.** Send clean, readable submission emails to yourself or
any address, in plain text or HTML, with tidy formatting for every field.
* **Webhook actions.** Send form data to any URL on submission, connecting submissions
to Zapier, Make, a CRM, or your own endpoint without writing code. Add multiple
actions per form.
* **File uploads.** Accept file upload fields with a maximum file size and a maximum
number of files per field; uploads are stored safely in the WordPress media folder.
* **Stored submissions and CSV export.** Optionally keep every submission in a
fast, indexed database table, then export to CSV in batches that stream without
timing out, even on large datasets.
* **Layered spam protection.** Stop bots with a honeypot, a time trap, a same origin
referrer check, a limit on the number of links, an optional rate limit per IP,
and optional Cloudflare Turnstile, with no third party tracking added.
* **Custom messages and redirects.** Set your own success and error messages, redirect
after submit, and use template tags so the form behaves exactly how you want.
* **Clean, optional styling.** A calm, minimal stylesheet you can keep or drop,
with semantic wrapper classes so your theme stays in charge of the look.
Every output is escaped and every input is sanitised, following WordPress coding
and security standards.
#### Developer friendly by design
Narrative Forms is built for people who like control. Prefill fields with template
variables such as `{{ user.email }}`, `{{ get.utm_source | default:'direct' }}`,
or `{{ site.name }}`, using providers like user, URL parameters, post, site, and
date, each with filters such as default, upper, lower, date, and truncate. On the
front end, public JavaScript events (`nrfm-submit`, `nrfm-submitted`, `nrfm-success`,`
nrfm-error`) let you push conversions to Google Tag Manager or your dataLayer, show
a toast, or run any custom logic with a tiny `nrfm.on()` helper. Filters and actions
sit at every decision point, including form HTML, validation, and webhook request
arguments, so you can extend behaviour without forking the plugin.
#### Built to scale to millions
Narrative Forms is engineered for sites that collect a lot of data. Submissions
live in a dedicated, indexed database table rather than bloated post meta, so lookups
stay fast as the table grows. Repeated reads are cached, queries are paginated and
bounded, CSV export streams in batches, and heavy work can run in the background
so the front end stays quick. Whether you collect ten submissions a month or millions
over time, the plugin is designed to stay lightweight and responsive.
#### Who it is for
* Developers and agencies who want a contact form or custom HTML form they fully
control, without a heavy builder.
* Anyone who uses an AI assistant: generate the HTML, paste it, and you are done.
* Site owners who need reliable form submissions, email notifications, file uploads,
and CSV export without the bloat.
* Teams building directories, job boards, testimonial walls, or event listings
from form data (see Frontend Submissions below).
Common uses include contact forms, lead capture, support requests, job applications,
RSVPs, surveys, file submissions, registrations, and custom forms with many fields
that a drag and drop builder cannot easily produce.
#### Upgrade to Narrative Forms Pro
Narrative Forms Pro keeps the same lightweight core and adds the power features
that busy sites and agencies need:
* **Conditional logic:** show or hide fields, and trigger actions, based on what
the visitor enters.
* **Save and resume:** let visitors save a long form as a draft and finish it later
from where they left off.
* **Submission notifications:** a badge for unread submissions in the admin so
a new entry never slips by.
* **Require login:** restrict any form to logged in users only.
* **Schedule windows:** open and close a form automatically on the date and time
you set.
* **Advanced webhooks:** reusable webhook templates, automatic retries with backoff,
and a delivery log for every call.
* **REST API:** read submissions programmatically and connect your forms to anything.
* **Share links:** generate a hosted, shareable link to any form.
AI form generation, which lets you describe a form in plain language and have the
HTML built for you inside WordPress, is on the Pro roadmap. Today, the free plugin
already works with any AI you bring (see above). Learn more at https://narrative-
forms.com/?utm_source=wordpress.org&utm_medium=readme&utm_campaign=free
#### Publish submissions with Frontend Submissions (Views)
Most form plugins keep submissions locked in the admin. The Narrative Forms Frontend
Submissions extension turns the data you collect into front end content with reusable
Views that display any form’s submissions as a public directory, a testimonial wall,
a photo gallery, a job board, an event timeline, product reviews, and more:
* **Multiple layouts:** ready made table, grid, and calendar Views, plus fully
custom templates written in your own HTML and CSS.
* **Starter design library:** one click designs (Cards, Testimonials, Gallery,
Profiles, Compact list, Timeline) that fill in with your fields.
* **Instant search and pagination:** fast filtering and browsing, built to handle
large datasets.
* **Single pages:** a clean, SEO friendly page for every entry, with a pretty permalink.
* **Public and private control for every field:** publish only the fields that
are safe to show; nothing is public unless you choose it.
* **Approval moderation:** approve or reject submissions, individually or in bulk,
so nothing appears publicly until you say so.
* **Theme proof rendering:** each View has isolated styles, so your theme cannot
break its layout.
Collect with the form, publish with a View. Learn more at https://narrative-forms.
com/?utm_source=wordpress.org&utm_medium=readme&utm_campaign=free
### Privacy
Narrative Forms uses the [Appsero](https://appsero.com) SDK to collect some telemetry
data, but only after you confirm it. This helps us troubleshoot problems faster
and make product improvements.
The Appsero SDK **does not gather any data by default.** It only starts collecting
basic telemetry **when you allow it through the admin notice**. We collect the data
to ensure a great experience for all of our users.
Integrating the Appsero SDK **DOES NOT IMMEDIATELY** start gathering data, and never**
without your confirmation.**
Learn more about how [Appsero collects and uses this data](https://appsero.com/privacy-policy/).
### External services
This plugin may connect to external services in the following situations:
* Cloudflare Turnstile (optional CAPTCHA)
- What it is and why: A free, privacy friendly CAPTCHA by Cloudflare used to
protect forms from automated spam.
- When data is sent: Only when a page with a Narrative Forms form is viewed (
the Turnstile JS is loaded) and when a form is submitted (server verifies
the token).
- What data is sent:
- To the JS endpoint: the browser requests `https://challenges.cloudflare.com/
turnstile/v0/api.js` to render the widget.
- To the verify endpoint: the server sends the Turnstile response token, your
site’s secret key, and the requester’s IP address to `https://challenges.cloudflare.
com/turnstile/v0/siteverify` to validate the submission.
- Policies: Terms `https://www.cloudflare.com/website-terms/` and Privacy `https://
www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/`
* Webhooks (optional, configured by you)
- What it is and why: If you add a Webhook action, Narrative Forms will send
the submitted form fields to the URL you specify to integrate with external
systems (for example marketing automation, CRMs, or servers you control).
- When data is sent: After a successful submission, for each configured Webhook
action.
- What data is sent: Submitted form fields and limited metadata (timestamp,
IP address, user agent, referrer). Data is sent as JSON or as URL encoded
form data depending on your configuration.
- Where it is sent: To the exact URL you configure in the action, on a domain
you choose. Any example like `https://example.com/webhook` in the UI or docs
is a placeholder; no data is sent there unless you explicitly configure it.
- Policies: The destination service is chosen by you. Please consult that service’s
terms of use and privacy policy.
* Appsero (optional usage analytics, off until you allow it)
- What it is and why: Narrative Forms uses the Appsero SDK to understand how
the plugin is used so we can fix problems and improve it. See the Privacy
section above.
- When data is sent: Only after you explicitly allow it through the admin notice.
Nothing is sent until then. A short, optional survey may be offered if you
deactivate the plugin.
- What data is sent: Basic environment and usage details such as the site URL,
WordPress and PHP versions, active theme and plugins, your locale, and the
admin email used to confirm your choice. No form submissions or visitor data
are ever sent.
- Where it is sent: To Appsero at `https://api.appsero.com`.
- Policies: Privacy `https://appsero.com/privacy-policy/`
## Screenshots
[⌊Forms are just HTML: paste your markup, even an AI's, and it becomes a real form.
Here a custom RSVP card with pill buttons and a star rating.⌉⌊Forms are just HTML:
paste your markup, even an AI's, and it becomes a real form. Here a custom RSVP
card with pill buttons and a star rating.⌉[
Forms are just HTML: paste your markup, even an AI’s, and it becomes a real form.
Here a custom RSVP card with pill buttons and a star rating.
[⌊No field type limits. A table booking form with a seating switcher, a guest stepper,
and native date and time pickers.⌉⌊No field type limits. A table booking form with
a seating switcher, a guest stepper, and native date and time pickers.⌉[
No field type limits. A table booking form with a seating switcher, a guest stepper,
and native date and time pickers.
[⌊Build anything: an instant quote form with selectable option cards and range sliders
that update a live price.⌉⌊Build anything: an instant quote form with selectable
option cards and range sliders that update a live price.⌉[
Build anything: an instant quote form with selectable option cards and range sliders
that update a live price.
[⌊The built in editor. One click field buttons scaffold the HTML (here a file upload
field with size and count limits), or write your own.⌉⌊The built in editor. One
click field buttons scaffold the HTML (here a file upload field with size and count
limits), or write your own.⌉[
The built in editor. One click field buttons scaffold the HTML (here a file upload
field with size and count limits), or write your own.
[⌊Decide what happens after a submission: store it, hide the form, or redirect,
with tokens like [NAME] and [NRFM_IP_ADDRESS].⌉⌊Decide what happens after a submission:
store it, hide the form, or redirect, with tokens like [NAME] and [NRFM_IP_ADDRESS]
.⌉[
Decide what happens after a submission: store it, hide the form, or redirect, with
tokens like [NAME] and [NRFM_IP_ADDRESS].
[⌊Email notifications: send each submission to any address, in plain text or HTML,
with a token for every field.⌉⌊Email notifications: send each submission to any
address, in plain text or HTML, with a token for every field.⌉[
Email notifications: send each submission to any address, in plain text or HTML,
with a token for every field.
[⌊Actions run after every submission: send email and POST the data to any webhook
URL.⌉⌊Actions run after every submission: send email and POST the data to any webhook
URL.⌉[
Actions run after every submission: send email and POST the data to any webhook
URL.
[⌊Settings: an optional stylesheet, honeypot, and Cloudflare Turnstile, privacy
friendly with no third party tracking.⌉⌊Settings: an optional stylesheet, honeypot,
and Cloudflare Turnstile, privacy friendly with no third party tracking.⌉[
Settings: an optional stylesheet, honeypot, and Cloudflare Turnstile, privacy friendly
with no third party tracking.
[⌊Layered spam protection: a time trap, same origin check, link limit, and rate
limiting per IP, plus a clean uninstall.⌉⌊Layered spam protection: a time trap,
same origin check, link limit, and rate limiting per IP, plus a clean uninstall.⌉[
Layered spam protection: a time trap, same origin check, link limit, and rate limiting
per IP, plus a clean uninstall.
## Installation
1. Install Narrative Forms from Plugins, then Add New in your WordPress dashboard,
or upload the plugin folder to `/wp-content/plugins/` and activate it.
2. Go to Narrative Forms, then Add New, then write or paste your form’s HTML, or use
the one click field buttons to scaffold it. You can also paste markup generated
by an AI such as ChatGPT or Gemini. Make sure every input, select, and textarea
has a `name` attribute so its data is saved.
3. Copy the form’s shortcode and paste it into any post, page, or block where you
want the form to appear.
4. Optional: enable stored submissions, set up email or webhook actions, configure
spam protection, and customise the success message and redirect under the form’s
tabs.
That is it. Your HTML form is live with fast AJAX submissions and stored, exportable
data.
## FAQ
### How do I create an HTML form in WordPress?
Go to Narrative Forms, then Add New, and write or paste your form’s HTML, or use
the field buttons to scaffold it. Any valid HTML works; just give every input, select,
and textarea a `name` attribute so its value is saved. Copy the generated shortcode
into any post, page, or block, and the form is live with AJAX submissions and optional
stored data.
### Can I paste a form from ChatGPT or another AI?
Yes. Ask ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any AI for the form markup, then paste it straight
into the editor. Because Narrative Forms saves any named HTML field and has no proprietary
field format, whatever the model generates works as is. If you would like the AI
built into WordPress so you can generate forms from a single sentence, that is Narrative
Forms Pro.
### Is there a drag and drop builder?
No, and that is on purpose. Drag and drop form builders are slow and limit you to
their field types. With Narrative Forms you write or paste plain HTML, or generate
it with AI, and keep full control of the markup and styling. For anyone comfortable
with HTML, or with an AI assistant, it is dramatically faster.
### Where are form submissions stored, and can I export them to CSV?
You can optionally store every submission in a dedicated, indexed database table
that you view in the admin. Export them to CSV at any time; the export streams in
batches, so it works even with very large numbers of submissions. You can also forward
submissions by email or webhook instead of, or in addition to, storing them.
### Does it support file uploads?
Yes. Add a file upload field to your HTML and Narrative Forms handles it, with a
configurable maximum file size and a maximum number of files per field. Uploaded
files are stored safely in the WordPress media folder and recorded with the submission.
### How do I send form data to a webhook?
Open the form’s Actions tab and add a webhook action with your endpoint URL. On
each submission the field data is sent to that URL, so you can connect Narrative
Forms to Zapier, Make, a CRM, or your own service without writing any code.
### How do I track form conversions in Google Tag Manager or analytics?
Narrative Forms fires public JavaScript events on submit; `nrfm-success` is the
one you usually want. Listen for it with the `nrfm.on('success', ...)` helper or
a standard event listener, then push a custom event to your dataLayer for Google
Tag Manager, fire a Google Analytics event, or show a confirmation. You can also
read the submitted values with `FormData`.
### How does Narrative Forms block spam?
It layers several lightweight, privacy friendly checks: a honeypot field, a time
trap that rejects instant bot submissions, a same origin referrer check, a limit
on the number of links in a submission, and an optional rate limit per IP. You can
also enable Cloudflare Turnstile for a privacy respecting CAPTCHA. No third party
tracking is added to your site.
### Is it lightweight, and does it work with caching and at scale?
Yes. The plugin loads its CSS and JavaScript only on pages that actually contain
a form, the admin UI is intentionally minimal, and submissions use a fast indexed
table with cached reads and bounded, paginated queries. It is built to stay quick
from your first submission to your millionth, and it works with page caching because
submissions go through AJAX.
### Can I display submissions on the front end, or generate forms with AI?
Yes to displaying submissions: the Narrative Forms Frontend Submissions extension
publishes them as public Views such as directories, testimonials, galleries, and
listings, with instant search, single pages, privacy controls for every field, and
approval moderation. For AI, the free plugin already works with any model you paste
in; built in AI generation is on the Pro roadmap, alongside Pro’s conditional logic,
advanced webhooks, save and resume, REST API, require login, schedule windows, and
share links.
## Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
## Contributors & Developers
“HTML Forms & Contact Form for WordPress: Narrative Forms” is open source software.
The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
* [ narrativecode ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/narrativecode/)
[Translate “HTML Forms & Contact Form for WordPress: Narrative Forms” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/narrative-forms)
### Interested in development?
[Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/narrative-forms/),
check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/narrative-forms/),
or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/narrative-forms/)
by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/narrative-forms/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss).
## Changelog
#### 1.0.2
* New installs now include a ready to use Contact Form with a dropdown, so you
do not start from a blank screen.
* The basic Narrative Forms stylesheet is now enabled by default on new installs.
* Simplified the field setup panel by removing a nested box.
* Removed the redirect after error option. Form errors now always show inline,
the same way in AJAX and non JavaScript submissions.
* Forms whose template includes its own form tag now render and submit correctly;
the plugin always provides the form wrapper.
#### 1.0.1
* Added optional usage analytics through the Appsero SDK. Nothing is collected
unless you allow it in the admin notice. See the Privacy section.
* Readme updated.
#### 1.0.0
* Initial release of Narrative Forms, a WordPress form plugin built on plain HTML.
* Build contact forms and custom forms by writing or pasting any semantic HTML.
* Built in editor with one click field buttons and a live preview.
* Fast AJAX submissions with a fallback when JavaScript is off.
* Stored submissions in a dedicated, indexed table with batched CSV export.
* Email notifications and webhook actions for every submission.
* File upload fields with a size limit and a file count limit for every field.
* Layered spam protection: honeypot, time trap, referrer check, link limit, rate
limit per IP, and optional Cloudflare Turnstile.
* Template variables for prefilling fields, public JavaScript events, and developer
hooks.
* Customisable success and error messages, redirects, and template tags.
## Meta
* Version **1.0.2**
* Last updated **5 tundi ago**
* Active installations **Fewer than 10**
* WordPress version ** 6.2 or higher **
* Tested up to **7.0**
* PHP version ** 7.2 or higher **
* Language
* [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/narrative-forms/)
* Tags
* [contact form](https://et.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/contact-form/)[form builder](https://et.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/form-builder/)
[forms](https://et.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/forms/)[frontend submission](https://et.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/frontend-submission/)
[HTML forms](https://et.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/html-forms/)
* [Advanced View](https://et.wordpress.org/plugins/narrative-forms/advanced/)
## Ratings
No reviews have been submitted yet.
[Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/narrative-forms/reviews/#new-post)
[See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/narrative-forms/reviews/)
## Contributors
* [ narrativecode ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/narrativecode/)
## Support
Got something to say? Need help?
[View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/narrative-forms/)