In this short post, I’m going to show you what Gravity Forms can do.
Forms
Web forms are the ‘data capture containers’ that users interact with by completing via writing or clicking to create a submission.
Once a submission has been created, the related data input (i.e. text typed or choices selected) are stored in the database as an entry.
Every form and every entry is unique and labelled as such.
Fields
Fields are the interactive units that comprise a web form.
Fields have the role of capturing data submission from the form user.
Although every instance of a field within a form is unique, field types can be repeatedly used within the same form.
There are 32 field types:
- Address
- Calculation (Product)
- CAPTCHA
- Checkboxes
- Consent
- Credit Card (deprecated)
- Date
- File Upload
- Hidden
- Hidden (Product)
- HTML
- Image Choice
- List
- Multi Select
- Multiple Choice
- Name
- Number
- Page
- Password
- Phone
- Radio
- Section
- Select (Drop Down)
- Single Product
- Single Shipping
- Text
- Textarea (Paragraph)
- Time
- Total
- User Defined Price
- Website
Each field type adds an element of constraint to the data input. The fields force the form user to perform a particular action to satisfy the submission criteria.
Fields have a variety of settings that allow for granular control of the field behaviour e.g. conditional logic, making fields visible if entry conditions within the form are satisfied.
Gravity Forms Core Functions
Notifications
Notifications are automated emails that are sent to nominated recipients of a specific form.
Rules are set for notifications to trigger only when certain criteria is met according to conditional logic.
The content of the notification emails is customisable. Either static content or dynamically populated via Gravity Forms merge tags.
Confirmations
Confirmations are the instant actions performed after a successful form submission has taken place.
Typically, there are 2 confirmation types:
- page redirect
- confirmation message
Settings
Form settings allow for customised form behaviour.
There are 6 form settings:
Form basics: set the identity of the form, it’s how you recognise it in the back end
Form layout: labels, indicators and CSS features that affect the positioning of fields and markers within forms
Form button: type of button e.g. image or text and how it displays inc. conditional logic
Save and continue: allow users to place a partial submission on ‘hold’ with a view to completing the submission later
Restrictions: limit submissions, or perhaps having the form show up on a certain schedule or according to log-in credentials
Form options: security, animation transitions or legacy markup – this affords a final layer of finesse
Entries
Entries are the sets of recorded form submission data. Each data set relates to a specific submission created by a specific user (although not necessarily logged-in, nor identifiable user).
Gravity Flow
Gravity Flow is a Gravity Forms-owned add-on that enables business process automations within a WordPress website.
Great for digitally routing out your form-based business workflows via automated triggers from submissions.
Using Gravity Flow gives you the ability to develop automation apps using the Gravity Forms pluing and ecosystem of add-ons.
Gravity SMTP
Gravity SMTP is a plugin that handles the email deliverability of your WordPress website incl. (of course) your Gravity Forms notification emails.
It is the control centre that ensures your WordPress-generated emails are sent reliably.
Integrations
Gravity Forms has a comprehensive and well-documented API that allows for intricate integrations with a solid lineup of 3rd-party softwares incl.
- CRM
- Email marketing
- Document storage
- Customer support
- Payment gateways
- Productivity tools
…and more.
Gravity Forms Add-Ons
Certified
Gravity Forms certified add-ons are plugins developed by affiliated teams (often previous RocketGenius employees and engineers) for to extend the functionality of the core Gravity Forms plugin.
GravityKit
GravityKit is a collection of add-ons that extend the data management possibilities with Gravity Forms incl.
- frontend entry display,
- creating charts with entry data
- advanced maths calculations
With GravityKit you can build a WordPress directory site, an online calendar or perhaps WordPress database site…plus, much more.
GravityPDF
GravityPDF converts Gravity Forms entries into customisable PDF documents. This add-on transforms Gravity Forms into a WordPress-powered PDF fillable form app.
GravityPerks
GravityPerks is a suite of 49 Gravity Forms add-ons that perform a wide range of specialist functions vastly extending core Gravity Forms.
Extended functionality includes: dynamic form population, nested forms and even QR code entries.
GravityConnect
Gravity Connect is a -subcollection of 7 add-on plugins that allow for API integration of Gravity Forms with ANY other external API.
Gravity Shop
Gravity Shop integrates Gravity Forms as a product configurator within Woocommerce. This adds sophistication for custom product purchasing via Woocommerce.
JetSloth
JetSloth is a development outfit that offers a suite of Gravity Forms add ons that help customise the appearance and layout of Gravity Forms.
CosmicGiant
CosmicGiant is a add on plugin development team that provide a suite of specialist document management enhancements incl. legally binding signatures and more.
GFChart
GravityChart is an add-on for presenting Gravity Forms entries as mathematical charts incl. barcharts, pie charts etc.
Community
Gravity Forms community add-ons are developed by unaffiliated contributors and submitted to RocketGenius.
Community add-ons incl. address validation, referral entry tracking and more.
Snippets
Snippets are hand-coded hooks that add custom functionality to Gravity Forms.
PHP
If you are proficient with PHP code, you can write custom code to add to the hooks and filters for enhancing what Gravity Forms can do.