Email sections are one of the most common ways to use forms on your website. These sections allow visitors to contact your organization directly through your website pages. By integrating form groups with email sections, you can collect exactly the information you need while providing a professional contact experience for your visitors.
This article will guide you through the process of adding form groups to email sections, configuring recipients and routing, and customizing the form experience for your website visitors.
Understanding Email Form Integration
What Are Email Sections?
Email sections are components you can add to any page on your website that provide:
- Contact Forms - Allow visitors to send messages directly to your organization
- Recipient Selection - Route messages to appropriate staff members or departments
- Custom Fields - Collect specific information beyond basic contact details
- Professional Appearance - Seamlessly integrate with your website design
How Form Groups Enhance Email Sections
By attaching form groups to email sections, you can:
- Collect Specific Information - Gather details relevant to different types of inquiries
- Organize Data Collection - Use consistent fields across multiple contact forms
- Streamline Communication - Get the information you need in the initial contact
- Improve Response Quality - Provide context that helps you respond appropriately
Accessing Email Section Configuration
Finding Email Sections
- Log into your Site Manager admin panel
- Navigate to Pages in the main menu
- Select the page containing the email form you want to configure
- Click Edit to open the page editor
- Find the email section within the page components
Opening Email Section Settings
- Locate the email section on your page
- Click the Edit or Configure button for that section
- The "Components: Email Form" configuration page will open
- Look for the Form Groups or Custom Fields section
Attaching Form Groups to Email Sections
Adding a Form Group
- In the email section configuration, find the Form Groups field
- Enter the form group number you want to attach
- The form group's fields will be displayed on the email form
- Click Save to apply the changes
Form Group Integration
When you attach a form group to an email section:
- All active fields from the form group appear on the email form
- Field validation rules from the form group are applied
- Form group fields appear along with standard email form fields (name, email, subject, comments)
- Submitted data from form group fields is captured with the email submission
Configuring Email Section Settings
Recipient Configuration
Set up who receives messages from your email form:
Single Recipient Mode
- Messages go to a default contact from your contact list
- Simple setup for basic contact forms
Recipient Selection Mode
- Contact List Integration - Visitors can choose from your organization's contact list
- Dropdown Selection - Recipients appear as selectable options
- Staff Directory - Route messages to appropriate staff members or departments
- Ministry Contacts - Allow selection of specific ministry leaders
Basic Email Settings
Configure the fundamental settings for your email form:
Field Display Options
- Show To Field - Display recipient selection dropdown
- Show Subject Field - Let visitors enter their own subject lines
- Show Phone Field - Include phone number collection
- Show Comments Field - Include the main message area
- Field Requirements - Make specific fields required or optional
Custom Field Labels
Customize the text that appears with standard fields:
- From Field Label - Text for the name field
- Email Field Label - Text for the email address field
- Subject Field Label - Text for the subject line field
- Comments Field Label - Text for the message area
- Phone Field Label - Text for phone number field
Placeholder Text
Set helpful placeholder text that appears inside empty fields:
- Name Placeholder - Example: "Your full name"
- Email Placeholder - Example: "your.email@example.com"
- Subject Placeholder - Example: "Brief description of your inquiry"
- Comments Placeholder - Example: "Please provide details about your question"
Form Appearance and Behavior
Visual Customization
Control how your form appears to visitors:
Form Layout
- Label Position - Labels above or beside fields
- Field Width - How wide form fields appear
- Spacing - Padding around form elements
- Table Style - Striped, bordered, or hover effects
Submit Button
- Button Text - Custom text for the submit button
- Button Style - Color scheme and appearance
- Button Icon - Optional icon to include with button text
Form Validation
Configure how the form validates visitor input:
- Required Field Checking - Prevent submission without required information
- Email Format Validation - Ensure valid email addresses
- Custom Validation - Field-specific validation rules from your form groups
- Error Messages - Clear feedback when validation fails
Completion Actions and Responses
Setting Up Completion Actions
Choose what happens after successful form submission:
Display Message
- Thank You Text - Custom message confirming submission
- Professional Tone - Appropriate messaging for your organization
- Next Steps - Information about response timeframes
Show Section
- Additional Information - Display another section with relevant content
- Related Resources - Show helpful links or information
- Contact Details - Provide additional contact methods
Redirect to URL
- External Pages - Send visitors to another website
- Internal Pages - Direct to other pages on your site
- Confirmation Pages - Dedicated thank-you or confirmation pages
Completion Message Best Practices
Create effective confirmation messages:
- Acknowledge Receipt - Confirm the message was received
- Set Expectations - Indicate when they can expect a response
- Provide Alternatives - Offer other ways to get help if urgent
- Professional Tone - Match your organization's communication style
Example: "Thank you for contacting St. Mary Orthodox Church. We have received your message and will respond within 24 hours. For urgent matters, please call us at (555) 123-4567."
Advanced Configuration Options
Spam Protection Integration
Email sections work with your Site Manager's spam protection:
- Automatic Filtering - Blocked emails and terms are filtered
- Honeypot Integration - Invisible spam traps are included
- Manual Review - Suspicious submissions can be flagged
Form Field Integration
Your attached form groups integrate seamlessly:
- Field Validation - Required fields from form groups are enforced
- Data Collection - All form group data is captured with submissions
- Field Organization - Form groups maintain their internal organization
- Custom Field Types - All field types from form groups are supported
Responsive Design
Email forms automatically adapt to different devices:
- Mobile Optimization - Forms work well on smartphones and tablets
- Field Sizing - Input fields resize appropriately for screen size
- Button Placement - Submit buttons remain easily accessible
- Layout Adjustment - Form layout adapts to available space
Testing Your Email Forms
Before Going Live
Always test your email forms before making them public:
- Submit Test Data - Use real email addresses to test delivery
- Check All Fields - Verify every form group field appears correctly
- Test Validation - Try submitting incomplete forms to test error handling
- Verify Recipients - Confirm messages reach the intended recipients
- Test Completion Actions - Ensure thank-you messages or redirects work
Mobile Testing
Test your forms on different devices:
- Smartphone Testing - Check appearance and functionality on phones
- Tablet Testing - Verify forms work well on tablets
- Different Browsers - Test with various web browsers
- Touch Interface - Ensure touch interactions work properly
Submission Testing
Verify the complete submission process:
- Data Capture - Check that all submitted data is recorded
- Email Delivery - Confirm messages reach recipients
- Form Reset - Verify forms clear after successful submission
- Error Handling - Test behavior when submission fails
Managing Multiple Email Forms
Organizing Multiple Forms
If you have several email forms on different pages:
- Consistent Form Groups - Use the same groups for similar purposes
- Clear Naming - Use descriptive names for different form purposes
- Standardized Settings - Maintain consistent behavior across forms
- Regular Review - Periodically audit all email forms for consistency
Form-Specific Customization
Different pages may need different form configurations:
- Department-Specific Forms - Route messages to appropriate staff
- Purpose-Specific Fields - Collect information relevant to each form's purpose
- Customized Messaging - Tailor confirmation messages to context
- Appropriate Recipients - Set up correct contact routing for each form
Troubleshooting Email Form Issues
Forms Not Displaying
If your email form isn't appearing on the page:
- Check Section Configuration - Verify the email section is properly set up
- Form Group Attachment - Ensure form groups are correctly specified
- Field Configuration - Check that form groups contain active fields
- Page Publishing - Confirm the page changes have been published
Submissions Not Received
If form submissions aren't reaching recipients:
- Recipient Configuration - Verify email addresses are correct
- Spam Filter Check - Check if messages are being filtered as spam
- Server Settings - Confirm email server configuration is working
- Test Submissions - Send test messages to verify delivery
Field Display Issues
If form fields aren't appearing correctly:
- Form Group Setup - Check that form groups are properly configured
- Field Types - Verify field types are supported in email sections
- Field Requirements - Ensure required fields are properly marked
- Browser Compatibility - Test with different web browsers
Best Practices for Email Form Integration
User Experience Guidelines
- Keep Forms Concise - Only ask for information you truly need
- Clear Instructions - Provide helpful guidance for completing forms
- Logical Flow - Organize fields in a sensible order
- Professional Appearance - Maintain consistency with your website design
Data Collection Efficiency
- Purpose-Specific Forms - Tailor forms to their intended use
- Consistent Field Names - Use similar names for the same data across forms
- Regular Maintenance - Update forms as your needs change
- Monitor Performance - Track which forms are most effective
Communication Management
- Response Procedures - Establish clear processes for responding to submissions
- Staff Training - Ensure staff know how to handle different types of inquiries
- Follow-Up Systems - Track responses to ensure no inquiries are missed
- Quality Control - Regularly review and improve your response quality