Pre-requisites:
- Basic knowledge of WordPress
- A modern version of WordPress installed locally or hosted remotely
What is Ninja Forms?
Ninja Forms is a plugin for WordPress that allows you to create any number of web forms using its drag-and-drop editor. Forms are your gateway to the customer. In my opinion, Ninja Forms is one of the best tools on the market to utilize that gateway. With the free Ninja Forms plugin you get basic form layouts, automated emails, anti-spam protection, and unlimited submission storage.
However, Ninja Forms also has a suite of add-ons that, as you might guess, add on functionality. These add-ons integrate seamlessly with payment gateways, CRMs, and other services. Those services are where the real action can happen!
Not only can the add-ons integrate data from your client's sites to any number of services the add-ons communicate well together. I have a few favorite add-ons/features. Conditional Logic, Calculations, Merge Tags, and Multi-Step Forms are add-ons/features you can use to create robust forms.
Installing and Activating Ninja Forms
There are many ways to install a plugin in WordPress. For the sake of simplicity, we will cover two ways to install Ninja Forms.
Installing from a ZIP file
- Go to the NinjaForms.com.
- Click the Download link on the footer of the page. Wait for the plugin to download onto your computer.
- Go into your WordPress install and go to Plugins -> Add New.
- On this page is a button that says “Upload Plugin”. Click it.
- Click Install.
- Click Activate.
Installing from the SVN repo
- Log into your WordPress website from your Admin account.
- Go to Plugins -> Add New from the WordPress sidebar.
- In the search field, type “Ninja Forms” and wait for the results.
- The plugin that says it is by Saturday Drive is the one you want.
- Click Install.
- Click Activate.
You now have a copy of Ninja Forms installed and active on your WordPress site. Have fun making all the forms your business(es) desires!
