WordPress Plugin: Contact Coldform
![[ Image: Coldform Icon ]](https://perishablepress.com/wp/wp-content/images/2008/wp-coldform/coldform-icon.png "Contact Coldform"){kind=icon}
Welcome to the homepage for Contact Coldform, a secure, lightweight, flexible contact form with plenty of options and squeaky clean markup. Coldform blocks spam while making it easy for your visitors to contact you from your WordPress-powered website. The comprehensive Settings Page makes it easy to take full control with plenty of options and several built-in themes for styling the form. Coldform delivers everything you need and nothing you don’t — no frills, no gimmicks, just pure contact-form satisfaction. Now available at the WP Plugin Directory!
Update!
Contact Coldform had a good run (10 years!), but it’s time for something far better: Contact Form X. CFX is superior to Contact Coldform in every way. Contact Form X gives you all the same features of Contact Coldform, plus you also get a recent-email dashboard widget, GDPR options, inline docs, Google reCaptcha, and of course the contact form itself is all Ajax-powered and super awesome.
Contact Coldform = 2008–2018.
Contact Form X = 2018 & beyond..
I encourage all users of Contact Coldform to upgrade Contact Coldform to Contact Form X. You can learn more and download the plugin at the WP Plugin Directory. And yes, I use Contact Form X for my own contact form here at Perishable Press. </update>
Overview
- Plug-&-play: display Coldform anywhere
- Sweet emails: Coldform sends descriptive, well-formatted messages
- Safe and secure: Coldform blocks spam and filters malicious content
- Ultra-clean code: lightweight, standards-compliant, semantic, valid
- Fully customizable: easy to configure and style via Coldform Settings
Features
- Slick, toggle settings panels make it easy to customize Coldform
- Style Coldform using built-in coldskins or upload some custom CSS
- Provides template tag to display Coldform anywhere in your theme
- Provides shortcode to display Coldform on any post or page
- Displays customizable confirmation message to the sender
Anti-spam & Security
- Captcha: Coldform includes challenge question/answer
- Bot trap: hidden input field further reduces automated spam
- Secure form processing protects against bad bots and malicious input
- User-friendly error messages help users complete all required fields
Customize Everything
- Includes option to enable users to receive carbon copies
- Coldform message includes IP, host, agent, and other user details
- Customize form-field captions, error messages, and success message
- Includes three built-in themes “coldskins” to style, or
- Style the Coldform with your own custom CSS
- Option to add a custom prefix to the subject line
- Option to disable the captcha for registered users
Clean Codes
Coldform brings delicious code on every front:
- Squeaky-clean PHP: every line like a fine wine
- Crispy-clean markup: valid, semantic source code with proper formatting
- Shiny-clean emails: Coldform delivers descriptive, well-formatted content
- Better performance: conditional loading of stylesheet only when needed
More Features
- Works perfectly without JavaScript.
- Option to load CSS only when Coldform is displayed
- Option to reset default settings
- Options to customize many aspects of the form
- Options to customize success, error, and spam messages
- Option to enable and disable CSS styles
Installation and Usage:
Typical plugin install: upload, activate, and customize in the WP Admin.
- Unzip and upload the entire directory to your “plugins” folder and activate
- Use the shortcode to display Coldform on any post or page, or:
- Use the template tag to display the Coldform anywhere in your theme.
- Visit the Coldform Settings to configure your options and more info.
Shortcode
[coldform]Template tag
<?php if (function_exists('contact_coldform_public')) contact_coldform_public(); ?>For more information, visit the Coldform Settings page and readme.txt file.
Coldform Screenshots
- Coldform Settings Page (panels toggled closed)
- Coldform Settings Page (panels toggled open w/ default settings)
- Screenshot of the contact form (using default WP theme)
- Screenshot of the “success” message (using default WP theme)
- Alternate “coldskin” styles for the Coldform (default settings)
- Well-formatted plan-text email messages
- Squeaky clean HTML markup
Download
As explained at the beginning of this post, I am retiring Contact Coldform. The plugin will be updated through 2018 or so, and will encourage all Coldform users to upgrade to the far superior Contact Form X. Check it out and download via the WordPress.org Plugin Directory:
160 responses to “WordPress Plugin: Contact Coldform”
@CherryPie: Very nice! I will add it to the list of examples! :)
Thanks for the compliment :-)
Hey there-
Just installed Coldform and a custom skin. Looks great but all my email tests have failed so far. I receive the thanks for submitting message, but that’s it.
Any ideas? I’m a bit new to customizing my blog but I can find my way around ok.
Many thanks
@LuAnn Arena: It sounds as if your server is not sending the emails. A couple of things to try:
1) Switch the contact form plugin for one or more alternateives. If you experience the same issue regardless of which contact-form plugin you use, then your server may the culprit — in which case..
2) Contact your host and ask them if there is any reason why emails aren’t getting sent through your contact form plugin. They should be able to diagnose any issues and/or configurational discrepancies from their end.
I hope that helps!
There is a new version of Contact Coldform available for download. The plugin has been updated to work properly with WordPress version 2.8.1. To download the plugin, hit the download link above (you will see the new version number listed beneath the download link,
0.88.1). Note: translated versions of the plugin also have been updated and are available for download beneath the main download link. Thanks :)Hey there,
Tried to upload and install — install was successful, but when I try to activate it says that there is no valid header! I’m on the latest version of wordpress — 2.8.3 I believe. Any ideas?
@MommyGeek: Hmmm, that’s a new one. I’m not sure what the issue could be other than a missing file somewhere. Perhaps try downloading a fresh copy of the latest version (
0.88.1) and retrying the installation?Just found this plugin and installed it on a virgin wordpress-mu 2.8.4a
I uploaded plugin to plugins folder, and activated it.
The problem I am having is in the admin, when I click the coldforum link it returns me to the admin homepage with a link http://www.mysite.com/wp-admin/?c=1
ideas?
Hey Jeff,
It appears the old HeadSpace2 bug is back again.
Using newest version of Contact Coldform and Headspace2 on WP 2.8.4.
Check it out on our Coldform “contact us” page:
http://www.marathonalliance.com/contact-us/The Coldform output gets echo’d again in the [title] tag.
-Ray
Hey Jeff,
The form displays fine; but when you do a successful submission, the success message gets duplicated in the [title] tag.
So the problem still exists…
-Ray
@shawn: not sure about that, I’ve never tried the plugin on mu.
@Marathon Alliance: Just checked the page.. looks like you have resolved the issue, yes?
Thanks Ray, I’ll look into it.