How to Create a File Upload Form in WordPress?

On average, 68% of website owners experience a higher rate of form abandonment, and therefore, their websites do not yield maximum revenue as they are capable. One of the main reasons you experience this abandonment is due to a lack of or poorly built file upload form. In this article, I will show you how to create a file upload form in your WordPress.

A File upload field is essential when you need to correct some information from your web visitors. Here are some of the most common reasons why you need file upload field

Receive job application forms – when you use your website for advertising job vacancies, your web visitors will need an area where they can submit their applications and resumes.
Receive service forms – when you need some services from your traffic, the clients or contractors may attach files of service specifications.
Receive audio and video clips– when you offer services on events such as weddings, your clients can send clips that they may like you play during the occasions.
Customer support forms – your traffic may want you to improve or add some services on which you offer. Therefore, they can attach forms indicating specific information.

Let’s now dive in to step by step guide to creating a file upload form in WordPress

Step 1: Install and Activate a WordPress Contact Form.

There are hundreds of contact forms for WordPress on WordPress.org. However, WPForms is the best contact form plugin for the WordPress website. The WPForms plugin is easy to use as it has essential features that you require while creating WordPress forms. Features such as form templates enable you to build WordPress forms without starting from scratch. Make sure you have activated the form template pack addon to use form templates.

After installing WPForms plugin, on the WordPress dashboard, click on “WPForms” then “add new” to create a new form. You will see a setup screen where you choose a form template and name it.

You can scroll down to additional templates field and type “file upload form” and open the templates, or you can select one of the pre-made templates.

If you scroll down to additional file and open file upload form, you will be directed to pre-build file upload form where you can add other fields to your WPForm by just dragging and dropping them from right-hand panel to left-hand panel. The file upload form has; name, email, phone, file upload, and additional comments fields. You can click on any form field to change or rearrange the order on your contact form.

If you select one of the pre-made templates, you will be directed to the form builder where you can add new or customized existing fields.

You can customize your file upload field by clicking on it and changing;

Label – tells your traffic the purpose of the form field.
Description – explain the purposes of the field. Tell your visitors the type of files they can upload.
Allowed file extensions – here, you restrict the type of files that can be uploaded. Indicate the forms that your visitors can upload, use comma to separate file types.
Max file size – specify the size of the file your visitors can upload.
Require – check required on the checkbox if you want your visitors to upload a file before submitting their forms.
Style – you can choose to remain in default modern style or classic style. Default is the most recommendable style.

Step 2: Customize File Upload Form Settings

Click on settings then general.

On general settings, you can configure;

Form name – change the form name (optional).
Form description – describe your form.
Submit button text – configure the submit button copy.
Spam prevention – enable or disable anti-spam pot feature. The feature is always enabled on the default setting. You can disable it if using a different anti-spam form.
GDPR enhancements – disable the storage of user details such as IP address to comply with the GDPR terms.

Remember to save changes if you made any.

Step 3: Configure Your Form’s Notifications

You have to enable notification feature to receive emails notifying you when a user submits a form on your website.

Click on settings, then notifications, and provide your email address.

You can also use smart tags to send notifications to site visitors who submit forms to your website, notifying them that you have received their forms. To customize smart tags, click on settings, notifications, and then “show smart tags” option.

Step 4: Set Up Confirmations for Your File Upload Form

Form confirmation tells site visitors who send their forms whether the forms were successfully submitted. They are automatic actions. WPForms contact form contains three confirmation types:

Messages – it is the message confirming the successful processing of the sent forms. It is the default confirmation type.
Display page – it is an automatic URL that sends your visitors to a thank you page.
Redirect URL – it is a link that redirects the site visitors to a different website.

To customize confirmation type, click on setting then confirmation. Select the confirmation type you wish to use and customize it. Save changes when done.

Step 5: Submit Your File Upload Form to Four Website

After creating a file upload form with WPForms, publishing it to your WordPress website is simple. WPForms allows you to add your file upload form in multiple places on your website, including your web pages, blog post pages, sidebar widgets, and footer areas. Webpages are the most common areas for the placement of file upload form.

To add the upload form on your web pages, click on “update settings” on the existing post, you have to create content if you do not have one on your WordPress. Click the “add form” button on your editor, and then select the file upload form you created and click on the “add form” button.

Publish or update your post on your website after adding the form.

Step 6: View Submitted Files

After adding your file upload form to your favorite placement areas on your website, wait for your site visitors to upload files.

To view uploaded files, click on WPForms, entries and click on the right folder you want to see. You can also download the file by clicking on the download button if you want to save the file on your computer for offline view.

WPForms provides it’s users options to automatically save the uploaded files on the cloud storage such as Google Drive, Dropbox, among others.

By following this guide, you can create and add a file upload form in your WordPress and be sure of a lower abandonment rate.