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  • How to Create Advanced Search Form in WordPress for Custom Post Types

    Do you want to create an advanced search form in WordPress for custom post types?

    If you use custom post types, then you may want to create a form that allows visitors to search only that content. This can help people find what they are looking for and keep them on your site for longer.

    In this article, we will show you how to create an advanced search form for custom post types in WordPress, step-by-step.

    How to create advanced search form in WordPress for custom oost types

    Why Create an Advanced Search Form for Custom Post Types?

    Custom post types allow you to go beyond posts and pages and make different content types for your website. For example, we use custom post types here at WPBeginner to organize our Deals and Glossary sections.

    However, WordPress doesn’t include custom post types in its search results by default. As a result, visitors may miss out on important content, and you will miss out on pageviews.

    Thankfully, you can include custom post types in your search results using a WordPress search plugin. You can even go one step further and create an advanced form that searches custom post types only.

    For instance, at WPBeginner, we have created custom post type search forms on our Deals and Glossary pages.

    An example of a custom search form on the WPBeginner website

    Often, this kind of advanced search form will help visitors find what they are looking for faster, which will improve the visitor experience and reduce the bounce rate.

    First, you can see our guide on how to make custom post types in WordPress. Then, you can jump into our tutorial on how to create an advanced WordPress search form for custom post types.

    Create a New WordPress Search Algorithm With a WordPress Plugin

    The easiest way to create an advanced search form for custom post types is by using the SearchWP plugin. It’s the best search plugin and allows you to search content that WordPress ignores by default.

    For example, you can make blog comments searchable and add PDF indexing and searching to your website.

    How to Set up SearchWP

    The first thing you need to do is install and activate the SearchWP plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

    Upon activation, you must go to SearchWP » Settings and click on the ‘General’ tab.

    Activating the SearchWP search plugin

    You now need to enter your license in the ‘License Key’ box. You can find this information in your account on the SearchWP site.

    Once you are done, make sure to click the ‘Verify Key’ button.

    Creating a Custom Search Algorithm

    Your next task is creating a custom search algorithm. It allows you to specify the content that SearchWP includes in its search results, like pages, posts, media, and any custom post types.

    To get started, you need to go to SearchWP Â» Algorithm in your WordPress admin dashboard.

    Creating a search algorithm using SearchWP

    Here, you will see a section for every content type that SearchWP includes in its search results.

    To add your custom post type, just click the ‘Sources & Settings’ button.

    How to add custom post types to a WordPress search engine

    In the popup that appears, check the box next to each custom post type that you want to include in the search results.

    After that, click on ‘Done’.

    Creating a WordPress search form for custom post types

    SearchWP will add a new section for each custom post type. Each section shows all the attributes that SearchWP will include in its searches, such as the title, slug, and excerpt.

    If you want to add or remove attributes, then simply click on ‘Add/Remove Attributes’.

    Creating a search form for custom post types

    In the popup, check the box next to each attribute you want to include in the search results.

    To remove an attribute, you can uncheck its box instead.

    Adding attributes to the SearchWP search algorithm

    In this popup, you can also make custom fields searchable in WordPress.

    When you are happy with the changes you have made, go ahead and click on ‘Done’.

    You will notice that each attribute also has an Application Attribute Relevance slider. This controls how SearchWP ranks the content when building its search results page in WordPress.

    If an attribute has high relevancy, then it will have a bigger impact on the search results. By contrast, content that matches an attribute that has less relevancy will appear lower in the search results.

    For example, if you move the ‘Title’ slider to the right and the ‘Content’ slider to the left, then a post’s title will carry more weight than the content.

    Creating a custom search form for your WordPress blog or website

    Every WordPress website is unique, so you may want to try different relevancy settings to see what gives you the most accurate and helpful search results.

    For example, if you have created a ‘customer reviews’ custom post type for your online store, then this is important content, so you may want to give it a high relevance.

    When you are happy with how the search feature is set up, just scroll to the top of the screen and click the ‘Save’ button.

    Saving the custom post type search algorithm

    SearchWP will now rebuild the index automatically. Depending on the speed of your Internet connection and your WordPress hosting provider, this may take a few minutes.

    As soon as you see ‘Index Status 100%’, you will know that SearchWP has added your custom post types to its search index.

    Adding custom post types to the WordPress search index

    Your WordPress blog, website, or online marketplace will now include custom post types in its search results.

    Create an Advanced Search Form for Custom Post Types

    With that done, you are ready to make an advanced form that searches your custom post types only.

    To get started, head over to SearchWP » Search Forms and click the ‘Add New’ button.

    Creating a new custom search form

    This creates a new form, ready for you to customize.

    To give this form a unique name, click on the small pencil icon next to ‘Search Form 1’.

    Renaming the custom search form using SearchWP

    You can now type in a name for the custom search form.

    This is just for your reference, so you can use anything that helps you identify the form in your WordPress dashboard. This is particularly important if you plan to create multiple search forms in WordPress.

    Creating an advanced search form using SearchWP

    After that, you can choose the layout you want to use using the ‘Layout Theme’ thumbnails.

    Simply click on the different themes to see a preview of how this style will look on your WordPress website.

    Choosing a theme for the custom search form

    To create a search form for custom post types, you will typically want to use either ‘Basic’ or ‘Quick Search’.

    These styles don’t allow visitors to search by category, which helps to keep them focused on custom post types.

    Creating a quick search form for your WordPress website or blog

    After making your decision, scroll to the ‘Custom Styling’ section.

    The settings you see may vary depending on your theme layout. For example, if you selected ‘Quick Search’, then the ‘Quick Search’ setting will be enabled by default.

    Adding custom styling to a search bar in WordPress

    You can disable and enable the different options using their toggles.

    The live preview will update automatically as you make changes, so you can try different settings to see what works the best.

    By default, the form will search media, pages, and posts and ignore custom post types. To include custom post types, you need to find the ‘Type of search’ field and give it a click.

    Searching posts, pages, media, and more using SearchWP

    You can now type in the name of each custom post type.

    When the right post type appears, give it a click to add it to the search.

    Adding custom types to a WordPress search bar or form

    Do you want to search custom post types only and ignore all other content?

    Then just click the small ‘X’ next to ‘Media’, ‘Pages’, and ‘Posts’.

    Removing post types from a custom search algorithm

    With that done, the form will search your custom post types only.

    When you are happy with how the form is set up, scroll to the ‘Form Style’ section. Here, you can choose between different form styles, add a border, change the font size, and more.

    Changing the WordPress form style

    Under ‘Button Style’, you can customize the ‘Search’ button that appears in the form.

    When you are happy with how the form is set up, scroll to the top of the screen and click on ‘Save’ to store your settings.

    Saving the custom search settings on your website or blog

    How to Add the Custom Post Types to WordPress

    Now, you are ready to add the search form to WordPress using either a shortcode or block.

    The easiest method is to use a block, so head over to the page or post where you want to add the custom post type form.

    You can then click on the ‘+’ icon and type in ‘Search Form’.

    Adding a search block to your WordPress blog or website

    When the right block appears, give it a click.

    Next, open the ‘Select a Form’ dropdown menu and choose the search form you made during this tutorial.

    Showing a custom search from in WordPress

    When you are ready to make the search form live, simply click on either ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’. Now, you can visit your website to see the search form in action.

    Another option is to add the search form using a shortcode.

    To get the shortcode, you need to head over to SearchWP » Search Forms. Here, find the search form that you want to show and copy the value in the ‘Shortcode’ column.

    Getting the shortcode for a custom search form

    You can now add the shortcode to any page, post, or widget-ready area. For step-by-step instructions on how to do this, please see our guide on how to add a shortcode in WordPress.

    We hope this article helped you learn how to create an advanced search form in WordPress for custom post types. You may also want to see our custom post types tutorials and our expert picks for the best WordPress plugins to grow your website.

    If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

    The post How to Create Advanced Search Form in WordPress for Custom Post Types first appeared on WPBeginner.

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  • How to Add Custom Post Status for Blog Posts in WordPress

    Do you want to add a custom post status for your blog posts in WordPress?

    Post statuses organize your articles based on where they are in the editorial workflow, such as ‘Drafts’, ‘Pending Review’, or ‘Published’. With the right statuses, you can easily manage your own posts or even blogs submitted by other authors.

    In this article, we will show you how to add custom post statuses to blog posts in WordPress.

    How to add custom post status for blog posts in WordPress

    What Are Post Statuses in WordPress?

    Post status allows users to add a workflow status to a blog post. For example, when you are writing a post, you will typically set the status to ‘Draft’. When you publish the post, the status changes to ‘Published’.

    You can see the post status of all your blogs by going to Posts » All Posts in your WordPress admin dashboard.

    The default WordPress post statuses

    By default, WordPress comes with the following post statuses:

    • Draft. The post is saved but not yet published.
    • Auto draft. As you write a new post, WordPress automatically saves a draft as a temporary revision. This allows you to easily undo changes in WordPress.
    • Pending review. A post that’s complete and submitted for review but not yet published. Typically, ‘pending review’ posts need to be reviewed by an editor.
    • Future. The post is scheduled to be published later.
    • Private. A blog post that’s not visible to the public. By default, only admins and editors can see private posts created by other users.
    • Trash. The post is in the trash.
    • Inherit. Occasionally used when a post inherits the status of its parent page. This is most commonly used for post attachments such as images and videos.

    Why Add Custom Post Status for Blog Posts in WordPress?

    Sometimes, you may need to add your own custom statuses to WordPress. For example, if you accept guest posts on your WordPress blog, then you might create a ‘User Submitted’ status or a ‘Not suitable’ status for guest blogs that don’t quite fit your website.

    This can help you manage all the posts on your WordPress website, even when you are working with dozens of bloggers.

    Even if you are a solo blogger, you can use custom statuses to organize your own posts and ideas. For example, you might create a ‘Brainstorm’ status where you record all your ideas directly in the WordPress dashboard.

    With that in mind, let’s see how you can add custom post status for blog posts in WordPress.

    How to Add Custom Post Status for Blog Posts in WordPress

    The easiest way to create custom post statuses in WordPress is by using PublishPress Planner. This free plugin allows you to create as many custom statuses as you want. You can also assign a color and icon to each status and then see this information in the PublishPress editorial calendar.

    First, you will need to install and activate the plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

    Upon activation, you need to go to Planner » Settings. Here, select the ‘Statuses’ tab to get started.

    How to add custom post status for blog posts in WordPress

    How to Configure the PublishPress Planner Plugin

    First, there are a few settings you need to configure.

    By default, PublishPress allows you to use the same statuses on pages and posts. However, you may want to use these custom post statuses on only pages or only posts.

    To make this change, simply uncheck the box next to ‘Pages’ or ‘Posts’.

    Creating a custom status for WordPress pages and posts

    If it isn’t already enabled, then you will need to open the ‘Show the status dropdown menu on the post editing screen’ dropdown. Then, select ‘Enabled’. This allows users to change the post status inside the WordPress block editor.

    With that done, just click on ‘Save Changes.’

    Adding the post status settings to the WordPress content editor

    With that out of the way, you are ready to create some custom post statuses.

    Customize the Default Post Status for Blog Posts

    PublishPress Planner comes with a few built-in statuses that you can add to your WordPress blog posts.

    A list of custom post statuses in WordPress

    These statuses already have colors and icons assigned.

    PublishPress Planner shows this information in its content calendar, as you can see in the following image.

    The PublishPress content calendar

    To edit any of these default statuses, simply hover your mouse over it.

    Then, click on the ‘Edit’ link when it appears.

    Editing a default WordPress page or post status

    This opens an editor where you can change the status name, slug, icon, and color.

    When you are happy with your changes, just click on the ‘Update Status’ button.

    Editing a default page or post status in WordPress

    Do you want to delete a custom post status instead?

    Simply hover over it and click ‘Delete’ when it appears.

    Deleting page or post statuses on a website or blog

    Create Custom Post Statuses in WordPress

    PublishPress also allows you to create your own custom statuses.

    To get started, click on the ‘Add New’ tab.

    Improving the editorial workflow with custom page and post statuses

    This opens a form where you can type in a name for the status.

    This will appear in the page or post editor and also in the ‘Quick Edit’ menu, so it’s a good idea to use something descriptive. This is particularly important if you run a multi-author WordPress blog, as it will help other users understand how to use each status.

    In this way, you can avoid confusion and improve the editorial workflow.

    Adding a title to a custom page status

    Next, you can type in a description, which will appear on the Planner » Content Calendar screen. If you are creating lots of new statuses, then the description can be a helpful reminder for yourself and other users.

    If you share your WordPress dashboard with other writers and guest bloggers, then this can also be a good way to share more information about the new workflow.

    Adding descriptions in PublishPress

    After that, you can add a color and icon that will represent the status in your content calendar. This can help you plan your content and schedule posts in WordPress.

    Simply click on ‘Select Color’ or ‘Select Icon’ and then make your choice in the popup.

    Creating a color-coded content calendar for a blog or website

    When you are happy with how the custom post status is set up, click on ‘Add New Status’.

    To create more custom statuses, simply repeat these steps.

    How to Add a Custom Status to any Page or Post

    After creating one more custom statuses, you can add them to any page or post. If you are inside the content editor, simply open the ‘Post Status’ dropdown in the right-hand menu.

    Changing the status of a WordPress page or post

    You can then choose the custom post status that you want to use for the WordPress blog post.

    Another option is to use the Quick Edit setting. This is a great choice for editors or admins who need to quickly change the status of multiple pages or posts.

    To do this, go to either Pages » All Pages, or Posts » All Posts. Then, simply hover your mouse over the item you want to change, and click on ‘Quick Edit’ when it appears.

    Changing a post's publication status using the Quick Edit settings

    You can now open the ‘Status’ dropdown and choose the status you want to use.

    With that done, click on ‘Update’ to save your settings.

    Changing a page or post status using the Quick Edit settings

    Planning Your Content with Custom Post Statuses

    As we already mentioned, PublishPress shows post status icons and color labels in its content calendar. This can help you bulk schedule posts in WordPress and even plan effective content-dripping campaigns on your WordPress site.

    To see the calendar, you need to go to Planner » Content Calendar in the WordPress dashboard.

    An example of a WordPress content calendar

    Here, you will see all your pages and posts. To learn more about a particular blog post, simply give it a click.

    This opens a popup where you can see the post type, categories and tags, author, and other important information.

    How to see more information about a page or post in a content calendar

    To see all the pages and posts that have a specific status, open the dropdown that shows ‘All statuses’ by default.

    You can then choose any post status from the list.

    Filtering pages and posts based on status

    This is a great way to find posts that haven’t been scheduled yet or blog posts that you still need to edit or assign.

    We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to add custom post status for blog posts in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to make money online blogging with WordPress or check out our list of the best WordPress SEO plugins and tools.

    If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

    The post How to Add Custom Post Status for Blog Posts in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

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  • Make WordPress PDFing Simple, Easy, Fast & Flexible With Forminator’s New PDF Generator Addon

    Meet Forminator’s powerful PDF Generator Addon…the simplest, easiest and most automated way to create, edit, and send out form-submitted PDFs without leaving your WordPress dashboard!

    Forminator plugin users spoke to us about the challenges they face creating and sending out form-generated PDFs on the fly that seamlessly integrate with their business processes.

    For example:

    • “I would like to send a PDF of our forms with email notifications using Forminator. But I don’t want to use the E2PDF method because it’s too limited for us.”
    • “We need to create a form for our user, and generate a PDF after they write on it, and give them the possibility to pay.”
    • “Does anyone know how I can generate a PDF from a form submission like Gravity PDF?”

    Forminator users, we heard you!

    Forminator Pro now gives you the ability to integrate, create, generate, and automate PDFs using our nifty new PDF generator addon!

    Install with just one click and say goodbye to limited free 3rd-party plugins, costly upgrades, and unnecessary integrations!

    In this post, we’ll cover the following areas:

    PDF Generator Addon – Key Features

    Built to make it easy for any user to create and customize a PDF file from form submission regardless of their technical level, here are some of the key features of Forminator’s PDF Generator Addon:

    Easier PDF Generation

    “I am working on a free course for artists who want to start their own websites. They fill out a form and then get a PDF download of their answers. This will serve as a ‘Scope of Work’ for their project.”

    Forminator’s PDF Builder uses the same intuitively easy-to-use drag and drop visual interface as the Form builder, providing a seamless user experience with no additional learning curve required.

    In fact, the PDF creation option is part of the Form Builder, so it only takes a couple of clicks to create a PDF file.

    Customizable PDFs

    Forminator gives users high flexibility by not only making it easy to customize the PDF form structure and layout using its form builder, but also customize PDF content using the Rich Text field, add additional form fields, and insert field tags (see “How to Use” section below).

    Autogenerated PDFs

    PDFs can be autogenerated from your existing form structure and form fields, so you don’t need to create your PDF from scratch.

    However, Forminator is flexible enough so that if you want to design your PDF fom scratch, you can.

    Attach Emails to PDFs

    “It would be great if PDFs could be created of the form submissions and could be attached and sent over emails.”

    You can send customized email notifications to admins and visitors with PDF attachments automatically. (see “How to Use” section below.)

    Downloadable PDFs

    Download the PDFs of the form submissions on the Submissions page.

    Unlimited PDFs

    No limits on usage of fields, number of pages, or number of PDFs.

    PDFs and More PDFs

    Create multiple PDFs on the same form.

    PDF Templates

    Generate PDF files for payment receipts, invoices, and quotations in seconds with easy-to-use pre-designed templates. (Coming soon!)

    We also have loads more features coming soon (e.g. payment and quotation fields, more settings to customize PDF form appearance with colors and fonts, allowing form submitters to download PDFs after submission, etc.), so watch this space!

    How to Use Forminator’s PDF Generator Addon

    As mentioned earlier, one of the key features of Forminator’s PDF Generation Addon is that it works just like the plugin’s Form builder, so once you’ve installed it, configuring your PDF forms is so easy.

    Note: This is a Pro feature, so make sure you have Forminator Pro installed, or consider becoming a WPMU DEV member if you are currently using our free Forminator plugin.

    Creating PDFs

    To create PDFs, first make sure to install the addon. You can do this from your WPMU DEV Dashboard plugin, or by going to Forminator Pro > Add-ons .

    Forminator PDF Add-on Screen
    Install the PDF Generator from Forminator Pro’s Add-Ons section.

    Note: to use the PDF Generator Addon, make sure that you have created at least one form on your site. Remember too, that you can generate multiple PDF files for the same form.

    Once the add-on has been installed and activated, edit the form you want to attach a PDF to, and in the Edit Form > PDF section, click on Create New PDF.

    Forminator PDF Generation Screen
    Create a new PDF in Forminator’s Edit Form > PDF section.

    Give your new PDF a filename and click the + Create button.

    Forminator - PDF Filename Modal
    Give your PDF a name for internal identification purposes.

    Next, choose a template for your PDF. Note: As we develop this feature further, we’ll be adding all kinds of new templates to this section for generating PDF receipts, quotations, etc.

    After selecting your template, click the Continue button.

    Forminator PDF Templates
    Forminator Pro users can choose from a range of professionally designed PDF templates.

    The Preload PDF Content modal gives you the choice of preloading form fields into your new PDF file, or creating your PDF from scratch.

    Choose an option and click the Continue button to proceed.

    Forminator - Preload PDF Content
    Forminator gives you the choice of preloading form fields or starting with a blank file.

    Once your PDF file is created, you can edit it or continue the setup process.

    Forminator PDF Modal
    Once your PDF file is created, you can edit it or continue building your form.

    If you selected the Preload Form Fields in PDF File option, the fields in your form will load in your PDF file.

    Editing PDFs

    While the Page Header and Page Footer elements are static and cannot be moved, you can edit the settings and style for all fields by clicking on the gear icon to the right of the fields.

    You can also rearrange non-static fields using drag and drop to fully customize the layout of your PDF.

    Forminator - Edit PDF Fields
    Insert, edit, and preview your form fields.

    As well as preloading form fields, you can insert additional fields to add custom text and labels, add page breaks to create multipage PDFs, insert payment and quotation fields, and more.

    Forminator - Add PDF Fields
    There are many PDF form field options to choose from.

    Note: To add custom text in your forms, use the Rich Text field. Use either a label for the field, or hide the label and add your own text with formatting options like bold, italics, bullet points, and hyperlinks.

    You can also insert form fields into the text area to create a customized PDF template that will autopopulate your form details when generated.

    Forminator - Rich Text PDF Field
    Use the Rich Text field to format and style your form field content.

    Additionally, you can adjust the appearance of your PDFs using appearance options, which allow you to control how your PDFs will look and their layout.

    Forminator - Edit PDF Appearance

    The Page settings section lets you set the page size from a dropdown menu, with the recommended default being A4. The default page margin is 30 pixels, and you can change this under the Custom tab.

    You can also enable the RTL (Right-to-Left) option to output your PDF in languages like Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi, Urdu, etc., and if you’re familiar with CSS, you can use the Custom CSS option to further customize your PDF. Many selectors are included to help you, and if you need further assistance, make sure to contact our 24/7 Live Support team.

    After creating or editing your PDF, you can save it as a Draft to continue working on it at a later time. You can also preview, edit, or delete it, and publish or unpublish it.

    Forminator - Edit Form screen.
    A Forminator Form with a Forminator generated PDF.

    Emailing PDFs

    With Forminator’s PDF Generator Addon, attaching PDFs to emails is really simple and easy.

    After creating your PDF form, go to Forminator > Edit Form > Email Notifications and select the PDF file(s) to attach to the email notification you have set up.

    Forminator - Edit Form - Email Notifications
    Select one or more PDFs to attach to the email.

    Note: You can also set up conditional email rules to automatically send specific PDFs to specific users.

    Forminator - Add Email Notification - Conditions.
    Use the power of conditional emails to send PDFs to specific users.

    Downloading PDFs

    You can download PDFs on form submissions from the Submissions page for forms with PDF templates. There are no restrictions on the number of PDFs you can download.

    If you have more than one PDF template available for a single form, you can download the form submission PDF for each template separately or the PDFs of all the templates as a zip file.

    Download PDFs
    Download PDFs for all submission forms.

    For full details on using the PDF generator addon and all of its features refer to our Forminator documentation.

    With Forminator Pro, You Can’t Go PDF’ing Wrong!

    Forminator Pro’s new PDF generator allows you to generate an unlimited number of PDFs with your forms and form submissions, customize, edit, and style PDF templates, and a whole lot more.

    If you are a WPMU DEV member, there is nothing else you need to purchase to start generating professional PDFs. Simply install the addon in Forminator, tweak the appearance and settings in your forms, and you’re all good to go.

    If you’re not a member yet, consider choosing one of our risk-free membership options (Pro or Agency). You’ll not only get all of our Pro plugins, you’ll also get access to everything else you need to use PDFs effectively, including site management, client report, and client billing tools, white label and reseller options, 24/7 expert support on all areas related to WordPress, CSS, hosting, etc, and so much more!

    Start using Forminator’s PDF Generator Addon today…it’s PDF’ing great!

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  • Make WordPress PDFing Simple, Easy, Fast & Flexible With Forminator’s New PDF Generator Addon

    Meet Forminator’s powerful PDF Generator Addon…the simplest, easiest and most automated way to create, edit, and send out form-submitted PDFs without leaving your WordPress dashboard!

    Forminator plugin users spoke to us about the challenges they face creating and sending out form-generated PDFs on the fly that seamlessly integrate with their business processes.

    For example:

    • “I would like to send a PDF of our forms with email notifications using Forminator. But I don’t want to use the E2PDF method because it’s too limited for us.”
    • “We need to create a form for our user, and generate a PDF after they write on it, and give them the possibility to pay.”
    • “Does anyone know how I can generate a PDF from a form submission like Gravity PDF?”

    Forminator users, we heard you!

    Forminator Pro now gives you the ability to integrate, create, generate, and automate PDFs using our nifty new PDF generator addon!

    Install with just one click and say goodbye to limited free 3rd-party plugins, costly upgrades, and unnecessary integrations!

    In this post, we’ll cover the following areas:

    PDF Generator Addon – Key Features

    Built to make it easy for any user to create and customize a PDF file from form submission regardless of their technical level, here are some of the key features of Forminator’s PDF Generator Addon:

    Easier PDF Generation

    “I am working on a free course for artists who want to start their own websites. They fill out a form and then get a PDF download of their answers. This will serve as a ‘Scope of Work’ for their project.”

    Forminator’s PDF Builder uses the same intuitively easy-to-use drag and drop visual interface as the Form builder, providing a seamless user experience with no additional learning curve required.

    In fact, the PDF creation option is part of the Form Builder, so it only takes a couple of clicks to create a PDF file.

    Customizable PDFs

    Forminator gives users high flexibility by not only making it easy to customize the PDF form structure and layout using its form builder, but also customize PDF content using the Rich Text field, add additional form fields, and insert field tags (see “How to Use” section below).

    Autogenerated PDFs

    PDFs can be autogenerated from your existing form structure and form fields, so you don’t need to create your PDF from scratch.

    However, Forminator is flexible enough so that if you want to design your PDF fom scratch, you can.

    Attach PDFs to Emails

    “It would be great if PDFs could be created of the form submissions and could be attached and sent over emails.”

    You can send customized email notifications to admins and visitors with PDF attachments automatically. (see “How to Use” section below.)

    Downloadable PDFs

    Download the PDFs of the form submissions on the Submissions page.

    Unlimited PDFs

    No limits on usage of fields, number of pages, or number of PDFs.

    PDFs and More PDFs

    Create multiple PDFs on the same form.

    PDF Templates

    Generate PDF files for payment receipts, invoices, and quotations in seconds with easy-to-use pre-designed templates. (Coming soon!)

    We also have loads more features coming soon (e.g. payment and quotation fields, more settings to customize PDF form appearance with colors and fonts, allowing form submitters to download PDFs after submission, etc.), so watch this space!

    How to Use Forminator’s PDF Generator Addon

    As mentioned earlier, one of the key features of Forminator’s PDF Generation Addon is that it works just like the plugin’s Form builder, so once you’ve installed it, configuring your PDF forms is so easy.

    Note: This is a Pro feature, so make sure you have Forminator Pro installed, or consider becoming a WPMU DEV member if you are currently using our free Forminator plugin.

    Creating PDFs

    To create PDFs, first make sure to install the addon. You can do this from your WPMU DEV Dashboard plugin, or by going to Forminator Pro > Add-ons .

    Forminator PDF Add-on Screen
    Install the PDF Generator from Forminator Pro’s Add-Ons section.

    Note: to use the PDF Generator Addon, make sure that you have created at least one form on your site. Remember too, that you can generate multiple PDF files for the same form.

    Once the add-on has been installed and activated, edit the form you want to attach a PDF to, and in the Edit Form > PDF section, click on Create New PDF.

    Forminator PDF Generation Screen
    Create a new PDF in Forminator’s Edit Form > PDF section.

    Give your new PDF a filename and click the + Create button.

    Forminator - PDF Filename Modal
    Give your PDF a name for internal identification purposes.

    Next, choose a template for your PDF. Note: As we develop this feature further, we’ll be adding all kinds of new templates to this section for generating PDF receipts, quotations, etc.

    After selecting your template, click the Continue button.

    Forminator PDF Templates
    Forminator Pro users can choose from a range of professionally designed PDF templates.

    The Preload PDF Content modal gives you the choice of preloading form fields into your new PDF file, or creating your PDF from scratch.

    Choose an option and click the Continue button to proceed.

    Forminator - Preload PDF Content
    Forminator gives you the choice of preloading form fields or starting with a blank file.

    Once your PDF file is created, you can edit it or continue the setup process.

    Forminator PDF Modal
    Once your PDF file is created, you can edit it or continue building your form.

    If you selected the Preload Form Fields in PDF File option, the fields in your form will load in your PDF file.

    Editing PDFs

    While the Page Header and Page Footer elements are static and cannot be moved, you can edit the settings and style for all fields by clicking on the gear icon to the right of the fields.

    You can also rearrange non-static fields using drag and drop to fully customize the layout of your PDF.

    Forminator - Edit PDF Fields
    Insert, edit, and preview your form fields.

    As well as preloading form fields, you can insert additional fields to add custom text and labels, add page breaks to create multipage PDFs, insert payment and quotation fields, and more.

    Forminator - Add PDF Fields
    There are many PDF form field options to choose from.

    Note: To add custom text in your forms, use the Rich Text field. Use either a label for the field, or hide the label and add your own text with formatting options like bold, italics, bullet points, and hyperlinks.

    You can also insert form fields into the text area to create a customized PDF template that will autopopulate your form details when generated.

    Forminator - Rich Text PDF Field
    Use the Rich Text field to format and style your form field content.

    Additionally, you can adjust the appearance of your PDFs using appearance options, which allow you to control how your PDFs will look and their layout.

    Forminator - Edit PDF Appearance

    The Page settings section lets you set the page size from a dropdown menu, with the recommended default being A4. The default page margin is 30 pixels, and you can change this under the Custom tab.

    You can also enable the RTL (Right-to-Left) option to output your PDF in languages like Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi, Urdu, etc., and if you’re familiar with CSS, you can use the Custom CSS option to further customize your PDF. Many selectors are included to help you, and if you need further assistance, make sure to contact our 24/7 Live Support team.

    After creating or editing your PDF, you can save it as a Draft to continue working on it at a later time. You can also preview, edit, or delete it, and publish or unpublish it.

    Forminator - Edit Form screen.
    A Forminator Form with a Forminator generated PDF.

    Emailing PDFs

    With Forminator’s PDF Generator Addon, attaching PDFs to emails is really simple and easy.

    After creating your PDF form, go to Forminator > Edit Form > Email Notifications and select the PDF file(s) to attach to the email notification you have set up.

    Forminator - Edit Form - Email Notifications
    Select one or more PDFs to attach to the email.

    Note: You can also set up conditional email rules to automatically send specific PDFs to specific users.

    Forminator - Add Email Notification - Conditions.
    Use the power of conditional emails to send PDFs to specific users.

    Downloading PDFs

    You can download PDFs on form submissions from the Submissions page for forms with PDF templates. There are no restrictions on the number of PDFs you can download.

    If you have more than one PDF template available for a single form, you can download the form submission PDF for each template separately or the PDFs of all the templates as a zip file.

    Download PDFs
    Download PDFs for all submission forms.

    For full details on using the PDF generator addon and all of its features refer to our Forminator documentation.

    With Forminator Pro, You Can’t Go PDF’ing Wrong!

    Forminator Pro’s new PDF generator allows you to generate an unlimited number of PDFs with your forms and form submissions, customize, edit, and style PDF templates, and a whole lot more.

    If you are a WPMU DEV member, there is nothing else you need to purchase to start generating professional PDFs. Simply install the addon in Forminator, tweak the appearance and settings in your forms, and you’re all good to go.

    If you’re not a member yet, consider choosing one of our risk-free membership options (Pro or Agency). You’ll not only get all of our Pro plugins, you’ll also get access to everything else you need to use PDFs effectively, including site management, client report, and client billing tools, white label and reseller options, 24/7 expert support on all areas related to WordPress, CSS, hosting, etc, and so much more!

    Start using Forminator’s PDF Generator Addon today…it’s PDF’ing great!

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  • How to Use Multiple Search Forms In WordPress

    Do you want to make multiple search forms in WordPress?

    By default, a search form will look through all your pages, posts, and media on your website. However, you can often improve the visitor experience by creating multiple forms that search specific categories, content types, and more.

    In this article, we will show you how you can add and use multiple search forms on your WordPress site.

    How to use multiple search forms in WordPress

    Why Use Multiple Search Forms in WordPress?

    A search form can help visitors find what they are looking for, fast. However, if you have lots of content, then it might make sense to create multiple forms that search specific types of content.

    For example, if you run an online store, then you might create a smart WooCommerce product search that searches specifically for products.

    You can also create an advanced search form for custom post types. For example, at WPBeginner, we have created custom post type search forms for our Deals and Glossary pages.

    An example of a custom post search form

    By using different search forms in different locations across your site, you can help visitors get accurate and helpful search results, no matter how much content you have published. This will improve the visitor experience and reduce the bounce rate.

    That being said, let’s show you how to create multiple search forms in WordPress.

    Create a New WordPress Search Algorithm With a WordPress Plugin

    The easiest way to add multiple search forms to your WordPress website is by using the SearchWP plugin. It’s one of the best search plugins for WordPress, used by over 30,000 sites.

    SearchWP

    With SearchWP, you can search content that WordPress ignores by default, including custom post types, PDF files, WooCommerce products, and categories. You can also create multiple different search forms and then add those forms to any page, post, or widget-ready area.

    Setting Up SearchWP

    The first thing you need to do is install and activate the SearchWP plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

    Upon activation, go to SearchWP » Settings and then click on the ‘General’ tab.

    Activating the SearchWP search plugin

    Here, you need to enter your license in the ‘License Key’ box. You can find this information in your account on the SearchWP site.

    With that done, just click the ‘Verify Key’ button.

    Create a Custom Search Algorithm For WordPress

    After entering the license key, it’s a good idea to fine-tune how SearchWP indexes, searches, and displays your content. You can think of this as creating a custom Google search algorithm that’s just for your WordPress blog or website.

    These are the general settings that all search forms will use by default. You can override these settings for the individual search forms.

    To get started, head over to SearchWP Â» Algorithm.

    Creating a search algorithm using SearchWP in WordPress

    Here, you will see a section for the different content types that SearchWP searches by default, such as pages and posts.

    You will notice that each item has an ‘Applicable Attribute Relevance’ scale. This is the weight (importance) that SearchWP will give to each attribute.

    SearchWP's attribute relevance settings

    Content that matches an attribute with high relevancy will appear higher in the search results. By contrast, content that matches an attribute that has less relevancy will appear lower on the search results page.

    To change the relevancy, simply drag the different sliders. For example, if you move the ‘Title’ slider to the left and the ‘Content’ slider to the right, then the content will carry more weight than the title.

    An example of attributes with different relevancy settings in a custom search algorithm

    You can even tell SearchWP to search content that WordPress ignores by default.

    To do this, click on the ‘Sources & Settings’ button.

    How to make more content searchable in WordPress

    You can now check the box next to the different content types. For example, you may want to make blog comments searchable or add PDF indexing and searching in WordPress.

    When you are happy with your changes, simply click on the ‘Done’ button.

    How to add comments, media, and more to the WordPress search results

    This adds a new section for each content type. Once again, you can change the attribute relevance using the different sliders.

    When you are happy with how the search algorithm is set up, just scroll to the top of the screen and click the ‘Save’ button.

    Saving your improved WordPress search settings

    SearchWP will now rebuild the index automatically. Depending on the speed of your Internet connection and your WordPress hosting provider, this may take a few minutes.

    As soon as you see ‘Index Status 100%’, you will know that SearchWP has indexed all your content and settings.

    Rebuilding the WordPress search index

    Create Multiple Different Search Forms in WordPress

    Now, you can create as many different search forms as you want.

    To get started, head over to SearchWP » Search Forms and click the ‘Add New’ button.

    How to create a new search form using SearchWP

    This creates a new search form, ready for you to customize. For example, if you run a review website, then you might create a form that searches for product review posts and ignores other content like your blog posts and media.

    To start, you will need to give the form a unique name by clicking on the small pencil icon next to ‘Search Form 1’.

    Adding a name to the search form

    You now type in a name for the custom search form.

    Since you are going to make multiple search forms in WordPress, it’s important to use a name that helps you identify this form in the WordPress dashboard.

    Adding a title to a custom search form

    After that, you can choose a layout using the ‘Layout Theme’ thumbnails.

    Some of these layouts are designed for specific search forms. For example, if you are creating a form that searches by category in WordPress, then we recommend selecting ‘Category Search’, as it already has many of the settings you need.

    Choosing a layout for a custom search form

    Simply click on the different themes to see a preview of how this form will look on your website. After making your decision, scroll to the ‘Custom Styling’ section.

    The settings you see may vary depending on your theme layout. For example, if you selected ‘Quick Search’, then the ‘Quick Search’ setting will be enabled by default.

    The quick search SearchWP theme and settings

    You can disable and enable the different options using their toggles. The live preview will update automatically as you make changes, so you can try different settings to see what works the best.

    Depending on your layout and the kind of form you want to create, you may need to enable and disable some of the ‘Custom Styling’ settings.

    Do you want to create a form that searches by category? Then you will need to enable the ‘Category Search’ toggle.

    After that, find the ‘Select Category’ field and type in each category that you want to include in the search results. For example, if you run an online store, then you may want to create forms that search specific WooCommerce product categories.

    Creating multiple search forms for WordPress

    If you want to allow visitors to filter their search results using factors like the author, post type, and tag, then you will need to click to enable the ‘Advanced Search’ toggle.

    After that, scroll to the ‘Advanced Search Filter/s’ field. By default, SearchWP allows visitors to filter their results using Authors, Post Types, and Tags.

    Creating an advanced search form in WordPress

    To remove any of these filters, just click on its ‘X’ button. If you want to add more filters, then simply type their names into the field.

    Then, when the right option appears in the dropdown, give it a click.

    Adding filters to the WordPress search

    By default, the form will search media, pages, and posts. If you have created custom post types, then you may want to include these in the search results.

    To do this, find the ‘Type of search’ field and give it a click.

    Adding multiple search forms to a WordPress website

    You can now type in the name of each custom post type.

    When the right custom post type appears, click to add it to the search.

    How to search custom post types in WordPress

    Do you want to exclude media, pages, or posts from the search results?

    Then just click the small ‘X’ next to ‘Media’, ‘Pages’, or ‘Posts’.

    Removing content types from your WordPress search results

    When you are happy with the type of content that SearchWP will search, you may want to add some placeholder text to the search bar.

    Here, we recommend letting visitors know how the search form works and the results they should expect to get. For example, if you have an online marketplace, then you may want to use text such as ‘Search for products’ or ‘Start shopping’.

    By default, SearchWP will show a generic ‘Enter keyword and search’ message. You can replace this with your own messaging by typing into ‘Field Label’.

    Adding a label to a search form on your WordPress blog or website

    By default, the search form shows a magnifying glass and a blue ‘Search’ button.

    To remove the ‘Search’ button, simply click to deactivate the ‘Search Button’ toggle.

    Customizing a search form in WordPress

    When you are happy with these settings, scroll to the ‘Form Style’ section.

    Here, you can choose between different form styles, add a border, and change the font size.

    Changing the SearchWP for style

    Under ‘Button Style,’ you can customize the ‘Search’ button that appears in the form.

    Finally, when you are happy with how the form is set up, you can scroll to the top of the screen and click on ‘Save’ to store your settings.

    Saving your custom WordPress search form

    To create more custom search forms with unique settings, simply repeat the exact same process described above.

    Add Multiple Search Forms to Your WordPress Site

    You can add multiple search forms to any page, post, or widget-ready area using either a shortcode or the Search Form block.

    Since it’s the easiest, let’s start by looking at the block method.

    How to Add Search Forms to a Page or Post

    You may want to add a search form to a specific page or post or even show it inside the post content.

    For example, you might add a search form to your FAQ page, documentation, help desk, knowledge base, or similar. This can improve the customer experience by helping users find answers and useful resources.

    Search form in page example

    To get started, simply head over to the page or post where you want to add the form.

    You can then click on the ‘+’ icon and type in ‘Search Form’.

    Adding a search form to a page or post using a block

    When the right block appears, give it a click.

    You can now open the ‘Select a Form’ dropdown and choose the form you want to show on this page or post.

    Choosing a search form

    When you are ready to make the search form live, just click on either ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’. Now, simply visit this page or post to see the search form in action.

    How to Add Search Forms to a Widget-Ready Area

    Another option is to add a search form to a widget-ready area, such as the sidebar or similar section. This is an easy way to show the same search bar across multiple pages on your WordPress website.

    Go to Appearance » Widgets to see all the different areas where you can add widgets.

    Adding a search widget to a blog or website

    The options you see may vary depending on your WordPress theme. For example, if you are using the Astra theme, then the sidebar widget area is called ‘Main Sidebar’.

    Simply click the ‘+’ block icon in the area where you want to add a widget.

    Add new block widget

    Then, type in ‘Search Form’.

    When the right block appears, click to add it to your website.

    Adding a search form widget to your website

    You can now open the dropdown menu and choose the search form that you want to use.

    When you are finished, just click the ‘Update’ button to make the search form live.

    Adding a search form to a blog or website

    Now, you can visit your site to see the improved search form.

    For more on this topic, please see our guide on how to add and use widgets in WordPress.

    How to Add Search Forms Using the Full Site Editor

    If you are using a block WordPress theme, then you can add search forms using the full site editor. It includes areas that you can’t edit using the standard WordPress content editor. For example, you can add a search form to your 404 template in WordPress.

    To get started, head over to Appearance » Editor in the WordPress dashboard.

    Launching the full-site editor (FSE) in WordPress

    By default, the full site editor shows your theme’s home template, but you can add a search form to any template.

    In the left-hand menu, simply click on ‘Templates’ or Template Parts’ depending on where you want to add the search form.

    Editing a block-based template or template part

    You will now see a list of all the templates that make up your WordPress theme.

    Simply find the template or template part that you want to edit, and give it a click.

    Adding a custom search form to a website template or template part

    WordPress will now show a preview of this template.

    To go ahead and edit the template, click on the small pencil icon.

    Adding a search form to an archive template

    Now, click on the ‘+’ icon.

    In the panel that appears, type in ‘Search Form’.

    Adding the SearchWP search widget to WordPress

    When the right block shows up, drag and drop it into your layout.

    You can now open the dropdown menu and choose the search form that you want to use.

    Showing different search form widgets in WordPress

    With that done, just click on the ‘Save’ button to make your changes live.

    How to Add a Search Form to WordPress Using a Shortcode

    Another option is to add a search form using its shortcode. This may be an easier option if you want to add the same search form to multiple pages, posts, or widget-ready areas, as you can simply paste the same shortcode into multiple locations.

    To get a search form’s shortcode, head over to SearchWP » Search Forms. Here, find the search form that you want to show and copy the value in the ‘Shortcode’ column.

    How to add a search form to WordPress using shortcode

    You can now add the shortcode to any page, post, or widget-ready area. For step-by-step instructions, please see our guide on how to add a shortcode in WordPress.

    We hope this article helped you learn how to use multiple search forms in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to increase your blog traffic and our expert picks for the best WordPress form plugins.

    If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

    The post How to Use Multiple Search Forms In WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

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  • How to Add Web Push Notifications to Your WordPress Site

    Are you wondering how to add push notifications to your WordPress site?

    Push notifications let you send messages to users even when they are not on your website. This helps you bring back users to your website, increase traffic, and make more money.

    In this article, we will show you how to easily add web push notifications to your WordPress site.

    Add web push notifications to your WordPress site

    We will cover everything you need to know about sending push notifications in our tutorial, and you can use the quick links below to jump to different sections:

    What Are Push Notifications?

    Push notifications are short, clickable notification messages that appear as a popup on users’ desktop or mobile devices.

    They display on top of the desktop or in the notification area on a mobile device. The best thing is that they can be shown even when the user’s browser is not open.

    Here’s an example of a push notification.

    Web Push Notification desktop preview

    Push notifications let you reach users across devices with your latest updates and offers, making them an effective way to convert website visitors into loyal followers and customers.

    Why Add Web Push Notifications to Your WordPress Site?

    Did you know that 70% of people who leave your website will never come back? This is why you need to convert those WordPress website visitors into subscribers and customers.

    You can do this by using multiple channels at once. These can include email marketing, social media, mobile or SMS marketing, and web push notifications.

    Email lists are still the most powerful marketing tools available, with 51% of consumers preferring to be contacted by businesses via email. However, we are finding that push notifications are also very effective.

    On the WPBeginner site, push notifications are consistently one of the top 5 traffic sources.

    Here are just some of the reasons that make push notifications a great marketing tool:

    • Users need to give their explicit permission to receive push notifications. This means they are already interested in what you have to offer and are more likely to engage with notifications.
    • Push notifications are shorter and demand less attention than email or social media updates.
    • There is no algorithm like on social media to limit your reach. Nearly 100% of messages are delivered.
    • Users can control how their devices display notifications. They can snooze them or turn them off entirely.
    • Not as many companies are using push notifications.

    Popular sites, including Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and many others, understand the importance and are already using web push notifications as a marketing strategy.

    Push notifications have a 10X higher open rate than email and a 14X higher click rate. They are more engaging than SMS, email marketing, and social media platforms.

    Having said that, let’s take a look at how to easily add web push notifications to a WordPress website.

    Setting Up Web Push Notifications in WordPress With PushEngage

    PushEngage is the best push notification service on the market that allows you to easily add push notifications to your WordPress site.

    This helps you connect with visitors even after they leave your site with targeted push messages.

    Step 1: Creating Your PushEngage Account

    First, you need to go to the PushEngage website and click the ‘Get Started For Free Now’ button.

    PushEngage

    The free plan covers you for up to 200 subscribers and 30 notification campaigns each month. You will have to upgrade as you get more subscribers and need to send more campaigns.

    After selecting a pricing plan, you will need to create a PushEngage account. You can use your existing Google account to register or create a new account.

    Register for a PushEngage account

    Once you do that, you will be taken to the ‘Setup Your Account’ page, where you have to add your website domain, industry, and company size.

    Your subdomain will automatically be generated according to this information. After that, you will also need to provide your credit card details here.

    Provide website details to complete the signup process

    Upon signing up, you will be taken to your PushEngage dashboard.

    Keep in mind that if you signed up using your Google account, then this is where you will need to provide your website details.

    Once you have done that, just visit the Site Settings » Site Details page from the left column in the PushEngage dashboard.

    From here, you can edit your site name and URL if you want. After that, you myst upload an image that will be used as a site icon for your web push notifications.

    To do this, click the ‘Choose Image’ button.

    Choose an icon image for push notifications

    This will open up a prompt on your screen where you can upload an image from your computer.

    You can also add an image using its URL. Once you have selected an image, just click the ‘Use’ button.

    After that, don’t forget to click the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.

    Upload an image from the computer

    Remember that your image needs to be in PNG or JPG file format, and the recommended size is 192×192.

    You have now completed the key information for your PushEngage account.

    Step 2: Connecting Your WordPress Site With PushEngage

    The next step is to connect your WordPress website to PushEngage.

    To do this, you need to install and activate the PushEngage WordPress plugin. For more details, you can see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

    Upon activation, the ‘Welcome to PushEngage Setup Wizard!’ prompt will open up on your screen, where you have to click the ‘Connect Your Existing Account’ button.

    Click Connect to your existing account button

    This will open the ‘Add Your Site to PushEngage’ prompt in a new window. Here, you have to make sure that the site registered with PushEngage is the same one that you are using now.

    After that, just click the ‘Let’s Get Started’ button.

    Connect PushEngage account to WordPress

    Once your PushEngage account is connected with WordPress, a setup wizard will be launched on your screen that you can configure according to your liking.

    After you are done, just click the ‘PushEngage Dashboard’ button to be redirected to your WordPress dashboard.

    Click the PushEngage dashboard button in the setup wizard

    Now it’s time for you to start creating a web push notification for your WordPress blog or website.

    Step 3: Setting Up Your Push Notification Messages

    To create a push notification, head over to the PushEngage » Campaigns page and click the ‘Add New’ button.

    This will direct you to the ‘Create New Push Broadcast’ screen in your WordPress dashboard.

    Create a new push engage campaign by clicking the Add New button

    From here, you can start by typing a name for your push notification in the ‘Notification Title’ field. Then, type the message that you want to display in the push notification in the ‘Message’ field.

    Next, you need to add your website URL to the ‘Notification URL’ field.

    Upon adding the title and message, you will be able to see the preview of your push notification in the right corner of the screen.

    Type the title, message, and URL for the push notification

    Next, scroll down to the ‘Show Large Image’ section and toggle the switch to active if you want to add an image to your push notification.

    This image will be displayed at the top of your notification and will not disturb the alignment of the notification title and message.

    Add image to the push notification

    Next, you need to scroll down to the ‘Notification Duration’ section and toggle the switch to active.

    Once you do that, you can now check the ‘Keep notification open until interaction’ option. This means that the notification will be constantly displayed unless the user interacts with it.

    You can also customize your push notification duration from the dropdown menus. This setting controls how long the push notification will be displayed for.

    Keep in mind that these features only work for Chrome 47 and above versions and not other browsers.

    After configuring the settings, just click the ‘Save & Select Audience’ button at the top.

    Add duration for push notification

    This will direct you to the next step, where you must select the audience that you want to send push notifications to.

    Here, we will be choosing the ‘Send to All Subscribers’ option so that our push notification will be displayed to all our subscribers.

    Next, click the ‘Send/Schedule’ button at the top to move forward.

    Choose an audience to send push notifications

    In the next step, you need to schedule your web push notification timing.

    For example, if you want to start sending your push notifications immediately, then you can select the ‘Begin sending immediately’ option. However, you can also schedule your notification to be sent at a particular time or be turned into a recurring push notification.

    Although, keep in mind that you will need a paid plan from PushEngage to access these two features.

    Schedule and send your notification to your users

    Finally, click the ‘Send Notification Now’ button to save your campaign and start sending your web push notifications.

    Once you have set up push notifications, it’s best practice to check that they are working as you expected.

    To test your push notifications, open your website on your computer or phone. Here, you should immediately see the web push notification that you just created.

    Here’s ours on a desktop computer:

    Push notification preview

    However, keep in mind that this web push notification will only be displayed to users who are part of your PushEngage subscriber list.

    Create a Subscribers List With PushEngage

    If you don’t already have a subscribers list with PushEngage, then you must visit the PushEngage » Design page from the WordPress admin sidebar.

    Once you are there, simply toggle the switch to active for a popup template that you like. Then, click the ‘Edit Popup’ button.

    Choose popup template

    This will open the PushEngage website dashboard on a new page.

    From here, you can configure the layout, message, and subscription rules for your popup.

    Once you are done, don’t forget to click the ‘Save & Choose Display Options’ button at the top.

    Configure popup design

    This will now show you the display options, where you can choose the cookie duration, enable the subscription trigger, and more.

    Finally, click the ‘Save and Enable Popup’ button to store your settings and activate the popup.

    Save and enable popup

    Now, you need to visit your website using another Google account. Here, you will see a popup at the top of your website asking users to allow it to show notifications.

    Now once the users will click the ‘Allow’ button, they will automatically become a part of your PushEngage subscribers’ list.

    Allow notification preview

    Send Push Notifications to Subscribers Every Time You Publish a New Post on WordPress

    With PushEngage, you can also send push notifications to subscribers every time you publish a blog post in WordPress.

    To do this, visit the PushEngage » Settings page from the WordPress dashboard and switch to the ‘Auto Push Settings’ tab. From here, toggle the ‘Auto Push’ switch to active.

    After that, you need to choose if you want to display the post’s featured image in the push notification and enable multi-action buttons.

    Toggle auto push switch

    With multi-action buttons, you can allow users to interact with your push notifications in multiple ways, like visiting your blog post, subscribing to your YouTube channel, and signing up for your email newsletter.

    You can also use the blog post’s featured image or the site icon as the notification icon image.

    Finally, click the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.

    Now create a new post in the WordPress block editor and scroll down to the ‘PushEngage Push Notifications Settings’ section.

    From here, you can add a title and message for your web push notification and even select an audience for it.

    Add title and message for blog post push notification

    Once you are done, simply click the ‘Publish’ button to save your changes and make your post live.

    Now your subscribers will receive a notification for the new blog post on your website.

    Preview for push notifications for blog post publications

    We hope this article helped you learn how to add web push notifications to your WordPress site. You may also want to see our beginner’s guide on how to build an email list and our expert picks for the best email marketing services for small business.

    If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

    The post How to Add Web Push Notifications to Your WordPress Site first appeared on WPBeginner.

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  • How to Redirect Your 404 Page to the Home Page in WordPress

    Do you want to redirect your 404 page to your home page in WordPress?

    Redirecting the 404 ‘Not Found’ page to your website’s home page can help reduce your bounce rate and allow your users to discover other useful content on your website.

    In this article, we will show you how to redirect your 404 page to your home page in WordPress.

    How to Redirect Your 404 Page to the Home Page in WordPress

    Why Redirect Your 404 Page to Your WordPress Home Page?

    When a user tries to visit a page that doesn’t exist on your WordPress website, WordPress will show them a 404 error page instead.

    The wording and appearance of this page can vary depending on the theme you are using.

    Default WordPress 404 page

    Most users who land on the default 404 page will leave your site quickly. This can increase your overall bounce rate and negatively impact your search engine rankings.

    That’s why you should take the time to create a custom 404 page. However, until you do that, you can take the shortcut in this tutorial and redirect users to the homepage.

    In a perfect world, you would also redirect specific 404 error requests to the most relevant pages.

    That being said, let’s look at how to redirect all 404 errors to your home page. We will cover two methods and also show you how to create custom redirects for individual pages:

    1. Redirect All 404 Errors to the Home Page With AIOSEO (Easy)
    2. Redirect All 404 Errors to the Home Page Using Code (Advanced)
    3. Bonus: Set Up Custom 404 Page Redirects With AIOSEO (Recommended)

    Method 1: Redirect All 404 Errors to the Home Page in WordPress

    For this method, we will be using All in One SEO for WordPress (AIOSEO). It is the best WordPress SEO plugin that allows you to set up redirects, optimize your content for search engines, and more.

    The first thing you need to do is install and activate All in One SEO (AIOSEO). For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

    Note: There is a free version of All in One SEO, but we will be using the Pro version since Redirect is a Pro addon.

    Once the plugin is activated, you need to go to All in One SEO » Redirects.

    If you haven’t set up redirects yet, then you must click the ‘Activate Redirects’ button.

    Activating Redirects in All in One SEO

    This will install All in One SEO’s Redirects module.

    Next, you will need to click on the ‘Settings’ tab at the top of the page. This page allows you to configure redirects in AIOSEO.

    The AIOSEO Redirects Settings Page

    You need to scroll down the page until you find the ‘Advanced 404 Settings’ section. Enable this section by simply clicking the toggle button so that it turns blue.

    Now you will be able to see some more settings. You should toggle the ‘Enable default 404 redirect’ button to the on position. After that, make sure that the ‘Home Page’ option is selected.

    Enabling Default 404 Redirect in AIOSEO

    Notice that there’s also a ‘Custom URL’ option. This allows you to redirect 404 errors to any post or page. Don’t forget to click the ‘Save Changes’ button at the top or bottom of the page to store your settings.

    Now when your visitors try to visit a URL on your website that doesn’t exist, they will be taken to the home page instead of seeing the default 404 page.

    Method 2: Redirect All 404 Errors to the Home Page Using Code

    If you prefer not to use a plugin, then you can use a simple code snippet to redirect all 404 pages to the homepage.

    In this method, you need to add code to your WordPress files. If you haven’t done this before, then see our beginner’s guide on pasting snippets from the web into WordPress. You may also like to see our guide to the WordPress theme template hierarchy.

    First, you will need to create a new file in your WordPress theme folder and name it 404.php. If your theme already has a 404.php file, then you must edit that file instead.

    To edit this file, you need to connect to your WordPress hosting account with an FTP client or their file manager tool.

    FTP 404 php file

    Once you are connected to your website, you will be able to see the 404.php file in your WordPress themes folder.

    You need to add the following code as the first line in your 404.php file:

    <?php
header("HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently");
header("Location: ".get_bloginfo('url'));
exit();
?>
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    Next, save the 404.php file and reupload it to your theme directory using FTP or your hosting control panel.

    Now, when a page is not found, instead of seeing a 404 page, visitors will be redirected to your WordPress home page.

    Bonus: Set Up Custom 404 Page Redirects With AIOSEO

    The best and most SEO-friendly way of handling 404 errors is to redirect visitors to the most relevant page, not just your homepage.

    The All in One SEO plugin’s Redirects feature can also track all 404-page errors and let you set up smart 404-page redirects in WordPress.

    If you installed and activated AIOSEO when you followed Method 1, then all you need to do is navigate back to the All in One SEO » Redirects page and click on the ‘Settings’ tab.

    Next, scroll down until you see the ‘Logs’ section. Your 404 logs are a record of URLs that your visitors have tried to use to visit pages that no longer exist on your site.

    Make sure the ‘404 Logs’ is toggled on so that it looks blue. You can also choose how long you want the plugin to record your logs by selecting the time period from the dropdown menu.

    Enable 404 logs

    Don’t forget to click ‘Save Changes’ before moving on.

    After that, you can click the ‘404 Logs’ menu option to see the last accessed 404 page.

    Remember, since you just enabled logging, it may not display anything right away. You might need to wait up to 24 hours before you see any useful insights there.

    Click 404 logs menu option

    The ‘URL’ column will show you the pages users tried to visit but don’t exist.

    You can redirect any of these URLs to an existing page by clicking the ‘Add Redirect’ link in the ‘Redirect’ column. This will open a dropdown where you can enter your redirect information.

    For best results, you need to enter the most relevant page for the original query in the ‘Target URL’ box and then click ‘Add Redirect’.

    Add home page redirect

    For example, if you deleted a tutorial on how to start a WordPress blog and then wrote a new one, then it’s best to redirect that old URL to the new blog post rather than your homepage.

    To add multiple 404-page redirects, simply follow the same steps as above.

    Remember, generally, you don’t want to redirect your 404 page to your home page forever. It’s a great temporary solution until you create a custom 404 page design that will convert better or set up individual redirects that take users to a relevant page that does exist.

    We hope this article helped you learn how to redirect your 404 page in WordPress. You may also want to see our ultimate WordPress SEO guide and the best drag-and-drop WordPress page builders to create custom 404 pages.

    If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

    The post How to Redirect Your 404 Page to the Home Page in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

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  • How to Host a Virtual Event in WordPress

    Are you looking for the best way to host and manage a virtual event?

    Maybe you’d like to hold your next conference online or run a webinar about your products and services. You may be worried that it will be too expensive, or you won’t have the technical knowledge to pull it off.

    In this article, we’ll list all of the equipment on online services you’ll need, and teach you everything you need to host a virtual event in WordPress. Plus, if your business doesn’t have a website, then we will cover that too.

    How to Host a Virtual Event in WordPress

    Why Host Virtual Events?

    Are you looking to host a conference to build your authority in your niche, or invite users to a webinar where you can demonstrate your products and services? You can use your WordPress website as a launchpad for virtual events.

    A virtual event is an online gathering where people connect using computers and mobile devices instead of meeting in the same physical location. These events can range from small gatherings to full-scale conferences with thousands of attendees.

    They are a good way to generate leads, boost user engagement, and even make money through sponsorship opportunities, selling premium tickets, and offering paid membership.

    There are many benefits to running these events online. You won’t need to worry about paying for a venue, and your users won’t have to worry about transport. You also won’t be so affected by time zone differences.

    These benefits mean that you’ll likely have a larger attendance at the event. However, virtual events are also more prone to technical problems and difficulties. Organizing an event will always require effort, planning, and the right resources, even when you hold it online.

    Are you ready to learn how to host a virtual event using your WordPress website? We’ll walk you through each step.

    Here’s a quick outline that you can use to easily browse the article:

    1. Setting Up Your Event Website
    2. Choosing and Installing a WordPress Event Plugin
    3. Creating a Landing Page for Your Event
    4. Getting the Right Audio and Video Equipment
    5. Choosing and Integrating a Video Conferencing Service
    6. Running the Event
    7. Event Follow Up

    Setting Up Your Event Website

    If you already have a WordPress website set up, then you can click skip this section. If you like, you can simply use your business website. For big events, you might like to create a landing page on a separate website.

    You can watch this video tutorial, or read our step-by-step guide on how to create a WordPress website to get started.

    If you are on a budget, then you’ll find some ideas on how to keep the cost down in our guide on how much it really costs to build a WordPress website, such as free alternatives to popular plugins.

    If you’re just getting started, we highly recommend using Bluehost to host your website.

    They are offering WPBeginner readers a free domain name and a 60% discount on web hosting. Basically, you can get started for $2.75 per month.

    → Click Here to Claim This Exclusive Bluehost Offer ←

    You might also want to see our roundup of the best WordPress themes for events and conferences so you can customize your site design.

    Once your website is set up, the next step is to choose and install an event plugin.

    Choosing and Installing a WordPress Event Plugin

    You can add the features you need to host an event to your WordPress site by installing a WordPress event plugin. The plugin you choose will depend on your needs, such as whether your users need to purchase a ticket or simply register or RSVP to attend the event.

    You should start by deciding whether you want to display an RSVP form, event calendar, or event registration page on your website.

    Create an RSVP Form in WordPress

    If you simply want your users to RSVP to your event, you can use the free plugin WPForms Lite to create a simple RSVP form on your website.

    This will let you keep track of who will be attending and give you an idea of the number of participants you will have.

    We show you how to use WPForms to create the form, add it to your website, and check for responses in our guide on how to create an RSVP form in WordPress.

    Choose one of the RSVP form templates

    For other options, see our list of the best WordPress RSVP plugins for your website.

    Create a Simple Event Calendar in WordPress

    An event calendar is an easy way to let your users know about the events you are running. Depending on the plugin you choose, you will be able to display your events, let users RSVP to events, sell tickets, add and manage venues, and much more.

    For example, The Events Calendar is a feature-rich event management system that makes it easy to add all your event details, including a separate page for venues and organizers.

    You have multiple different views for displaying your event calendar on the front end, including day, week, or month. You can even spotlight events to increase engagement on the events you want the most attention on. 

    The Events Calendar example

    Plus, you can add filtering, so your users can find the exact events they’re looking for, and they offer several addons for selling tickets.

    Create an Event Registration Page in WordPress

    If you decide to sell tickets to your event, you will quickly discover that many third-party event registration and ticketing services will charge a small fee for each ticket you sell.

    You can avoid some of these issues by creating your own event registration page in WordPress. This will allow you to collect online payments directly, store attendee information on your website, and use your own brand name when promoting the event.

    You can easily create an event registration page using WPForms.

    The free Lite version supports Stripe credit card payments, and you can unlock additional payment methods such as PayPal, Square, and Authorize.net by upgrading to the Pro plan.

    The Free WPForms Lite Plugin Now Offers Stripe Payment Processing

    To get started, see our guide on how to create an event registration page in WordPress.

    Creating a Landing Page for Your Event

    Now that you have a way that users can let you know they will attend your event, you should create a landing page. This is a carefully designed page that lets your visitors know about your event and encourages them to sign up.

    It should contain a clear call to action that is linked to the RSVP form, event calendar, or event registration page that you created.

    There are many WordPress landing page plugins available. If you are looking for a free option, then we recommend the free version of SeedProd. As your needs grow, you can upgrade to the much more powerful SeedProd Pro to have many more options.

    SeedProd Landing Page Builder

    In our guide on how to create a landing page with WordPress, we show you how to use the top three solutions for creating landing pages in WordPress. These landing page builders are easy to use, optimized for speed, and affordable for small businesses. You can pick the solution that best fits your needs.

    You’ll also find helpful tips on making your landing page more effective in our guide on how to increase your landing page conversions by 300%.

    Once you have a landing page for your event, you can start to promote it. You can start by linking to your event landing page in your email newsletter and social media.

    Getting the Right Audio and Video Equipment

    Unless you’re getting started on a really tight budget, you and the speakers at the event shouldn’t use the built-in webcam and microphone on your computer. Your users will instantly notice the low audio and video quality and may decide not to attend future events.

    Your most important choice of equipment will be your microphone. We recommend you choose a USB mic so you can plug it straight into your computer without the need for extra gear. Here are three popular microphone choices:

    • The Samson C01U is a good entry-level USB microphone.
    • The Rode NT-USB is a high-quality USB microphone that comes with a desktop mount and pop filter.
    • The Heil PR-40 is what the pros use. It has the standard XLR connection instead of USB, so you’ll need to buy a 3.5mm to XLR Cable, audio interface, or mixer as well.
    The Rode NT-USB Is a Quality USB Microphone

    Your microphone will sound best if you purchase a few more items, such as a microphone arm, shock mount, and pop filter. For example, if you are using the Rode NT-USB microphone, you will need the Rode SM6 shock mount with a built-in pop filter and Rode PSA1 boom arm.

    The Rode Podcaster kit is good value and comes with a mic arm and shock mount, and we use this at WPBeginner.

    The Rode Podcaster Is a Quality USB Microphone

    If you don’t want to buy all of your equipment at once, then you could use your built-in webcam while you get started, but you will likely get better video quality out of your smartphone’s camera.

    You will need to mount your phone on a tripod, and the GripTight GorillaPod Stand PRO is a good option for any type of phone. It has adjustable legs that can be attached to any surface.

    Eventually, you can upgrade to a 4K webcam like the Logitech BRIO Webcam. This camera is perfect for video conferencing and easily clips onto any computer. It has excellent video quality even in low light.

    You’ll also need decent headphones so that the audio from your speakers isn’t picked up by your microphone. Headphones that plug in are more reliable than Bluetooth headphones. A good option is the Sony MDR7506.

    Choosing and Integrating a Video Conferencing Service

    You will need to choose an online service that allows you to run virtual events. You can check our list of the best webinar software platforms and compare their features so you can choose the best webinar platform to fit your needs and budget.

    We believe that GoToWebinar, LiveStorm, and EasyWebinar are good options because they offer all the powerful webinar features that you need with high-quality video streaming and affordable pricing plans.

    If you’re just starting out, then we recommend Zoom because it is easy to use, well-known, and mobile-friendly. Zoom lets you schedule meetings in advance and provides a unique link for each event that you can share with the participants and include on your website.

    You Will Need the Pro Version of Zoom With the Zoom Webinars Addon

    It is also easy to integrate Zoom with WordPress but to do that you need at least the Pro version of Zoom and the Zoom webinar addon. There is a free version, but you’ll need to have a paid account in order to set up the integration.

    You will need to set up Zoom correctly and then connect your account with your WordPress website. Once you’ve done that, you can set up a workflow using Uncanny Automator to automatically register your users with Zoom once they sign up or purchase a ticket.

    To learn how to connect Zoom with your website step by step, see our detailed guide on how to easily integrate Zoom meetings and webinars in WordPress.

    Running the Event

    Before you know it, the time will arrive to run your event. If you’ve chosen the right webinar software platform, you will have all of the features you need, along with reliable, high-quality video and audio.

    You will be able to feature multiple presenters and hosts and share your screen with the participants for demonstrations.

    We recommend that you mute everyone by default. However, using your platform’s built-in chat feature, participants will be able to interact with you and one another during the event.

    They will also be able to ask and answer questions, and you can have them fill in polls to provide you with feedback. We recommend UserFeedback by MonsterInsights for this sort of interaction.

    Event Follow Up

    After the event is finished, you should follow up with your participants as soon as possible, while they are most interested and the event is still fresh in their minds.

    Because you have their contact details from when they registered, you can send them a follow-up email. In that email, you can ask for their feedback. You might like to follow our guide on how to create a survey form in WordPress.

    You can follow up with further emails to let them know about the events you have coming up and to gauge their interest in different topics by creating an interactive poll.

    Most webinar services will allow you to record the event, and some can even create transcripts. This will allow users who couldn’t attend the live event to see the content.

    Finally, most webinar services include actionable analytics so you can see what’s working and what’s not. They will show you who attended, gauge the audience’s interest, list the questions that were asked, and more. This will allow you to fine-tune your event in the future for maximum conversions.

    We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to host a virtual event in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to add keywords and meta descriptions, or our expert pick of the best social media plugins for WordPress.

    If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

    The post How to Host a Virtual Event in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

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  • How to Easily Add Smart App Banners in WordPress

    Do you want to add smart app banners in WordPress?

    Smart banners are an easy way to promote your mobile app and get visitors to download it. If an iOS user already has your app, then the banner will encourage them to open the app for a better user experience.

    In this article, we will show you how to add smart app banners to WordPress.

    How to add smart app banners in WordPress (easy)

    Why Add Smart App Banners in WordPress?

    Many website owners create a companion mobile app where visitors can browse their content in a way that’s optimized for mobile.

    Since these apps are designed for mobile devices, they often provide a better user experience. You can also show reminders, personalized content, offers, updates, and more using mobile push notifications. All of this means more engagement, conversions, and sales.

    If you don’t already have a mobile app, then you can see our complete guide on how to convert a WordPress website into a mobile app.

    You can encourage iPhone and iPad users to download your mobile app using a smart app banner. This is a banner that appears at the top of the screen when an iOS user visits your site using the Safari browser.

    An example of a smart app banner on a WordPress website

    Visitors can click the banner to download your app from the App Store. If the visitor already has your app, then the banner will ask them to open the app instead. In this way, you can get more downloads and engagement.

    If the visitor is using a non-Apple device or a different web browser, then WordPress will hide the banner from them automatically.

    For example, the following image shows the same website in the Chrome mobile browser.

    A hidden smart app banner.

    With that being said, let’s see how you can add smart app banners in WordPress. Simply use the quick links below to jump straight to the method you want to use:

    Method 1: Using WPCode (Show a Smart App Banner Across WordPress)

    The easiest way to add smart app banners to your WordPress website is by using WPCode. This free plugin allows you to show the same banner on every page and post using one line of code.

    With that in mind, WPCode is the perfect choice if you want to promote a single iOS application. However, if you want to show different banners on different pages, then we recommend using method 2 instead.

    When adding custom code to WordPress, some guides will ask you to edit your site’s functions.php file. We don’t recommend this, as even a small typo or mistake could cause common WordPress errors or even make your site inaccessible.

    By using WPCode, you can add custom code to WordPress without any risks. You can also enable and disable code snippets with the click of a button.

    First, you need to install and activate the free WPCode plugin. For more instructions, please see our beginners’ guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

    Upon activation, head over to Code Snippets » Add Snippet. Next, click the ‘Use Snippet’ button under the ‘Add Your Custom Code (New Snippet)’ option.

    Adding an iOS smart app banner to WordPress

    This will take you to the ‘Create Custom Snippet’ page, where you can type in a name for the code snippet. This is just for your reference, so you can use anything you want.

    After that, open the ‘Code Type’ dropdown and choose ‘HTML Snippet’.

    Creating an Apple app banner using WPCode

    For the next step, you will need to know your application’s ID.

    To get this information, open a new browser tab and head to the Apple Services Marketing Tools page. Here, type in the name of the application you want to promote and click on the ‘Search’ icon.

    The App Marketing Tools website

    To see all the iOS apps that match your search term, simply scroll to the ‘Apps’ section.

    Here, find the app you want to promote and give it a click.

    Getting the app ID for an iPhone or iPad iOS app

    At the bottom of the screen, you will see a ‘Content Link’.

    The app ID is the value between id and ?. You will need this information in the next step, so either leave this tab open or make a note of the app ID.

    An Apple App ID

    Now you have the app ID, switch back to the WordPress dashboard. You can now add the following snippet into the code editor, replacing the app ID with the information you got in the previous step:

    <meta name="apple-itunes-app" content="app-id=12345678">
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    With that done, you must scroll to the ‘Insertion’ box. If it isn’t already selected, click on ‘Auto Insert’ and then select ‘Site Wide Header’ from the dropdown menu.

    Adding custom code to the WordPress theme header

    When you are ready, scroll to the top of the page and toggle the ‘Inactive’ switch to ‘Active’.

    Finally, just click the ‘Save Snippet’ button to store your changes.

    Publishing a smart app banner to WordPress

    Now, the smart app banner will appear on your WordPress website.

    How to Test the Smart App Banner Code in WordPress

    The best way to test the smart app banner is by visiting your website on an iOS device using the Safari mobile app. In fact, the smart app banner won’t even appear if you try to view the mobile version of your WordPress site from desktop.

    If you need to quickly check whether the code snippet is working, then one workaround is to use your browser’s Inspect tool. It allows you to see whether the <meta name> code has been inserted into your site’s <head>section, which suggests it’s working as expected.

    To do this, go to any page or post on your WordPress blog. Then, right-click anywhere on the page and select ‘Inspect’.

    The Google Chrome Inspect tool

    A new panel will open, showing all the site’s code.

    Simply find the <head> section and click on its arrow to expand.

    Apple app code in the WordPress header

    Now, look for the <meta name="apple-itunes-app"> code you added in the previous step.

    If you see this code, then the smart app banner should be appearing on iOS devices.

    Testing the Apple smart app banner code

    Method 2: Using Smart App Banner (Add Banners to Specific Pages and Posts)

    Sometimes, you may want to only promote apps on specific pages and posts. For example, you typically won’t show a smart app banner on sales pages and landing pages as the banner might distract from the main call to action.

    You may even want to show different banners on different parts of your website. For instance, if you are an affiliate marketer, then you might have a list of apps you want to promote.

    In this case, we recommend using the Smart App Banner plugin. This plugin allows you to show different banners on different pages and include affiliate data in those banners. These features make it a great plugin for affiliate marketers.

    First, you will need to install and activate the Smart App Banner plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

    Upon activation, you can add an app banner to specific pages or posts, the WordPress homepage, or across your entire website.

    To start, let’s look at the app’s settings. Here, you can add a banner to every page and post or add a smart app banner to your homepage only.

    To start, go to Settings » Smart App Banner and type the application’s value into the ‘App ID’ field.

    Adding an app ID to a WordPress plugin

    You can get this information by following the same process described in Method 1.

    If you are using affiliate marketing to make money online blogging, then you can type your affiliate token into the ‘Affiliate data’ field. The information will vary, so you may need to log in to your affiliate portal or speak to your partners to get the right token.

    After that, you can either check the ‘Show on all pages’ box or leave it unchecked. If you leave the box unchecked, then the app banner will only appear on your homepage.

    Showing a smart app banner across your WordPress blog or website

    When you are happy with how the banner is set up, simply click on the ‘Save Changes’ button to make it live.

    Do you want to add a smart app banner to specific pages and posts instead? This allows you to control exactly where the banner appears on your website.

    For example, if you are an affiliate marketer, then you might promote different apps on different pages and then use Google Analytics to see which banners get the most conversions.

    To do this, simply open the page or post where you want to add the banner. Now, find the new ‘Smart App Banner’ section in the WordPress content editor.

    Adding a smart app banner to a WordPress page or post

    Here, just add the app ID and optional affiliate information by following the same process described above.

    When you are happy with the information you have entered, just click on ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ to make your changes live.

    An example of a smart app banner on a WordPress blog or website

    Then, you can simply repeat these steps to add a smart app banner to more WordPress posts and pages.

    FAQs About Adding Smart App Banners in WordPress

    In this guide, we showed you how to promote your mobile app on specific posts and pages or across your entire WordPress website.

    If you still have questions, then here are our top FAQs about how to add smart banners to your WordPress website.

    What is a smart app banner?

    Smart app banners appear at the top of the Safari web browser and give users the option to open an app or download it from the Apple App Store.

    Since they are created by Apple, smart app banners have a consistent design that many iOS users recognize. They only appear to people who are using iPhones and iPads running iOS 6 or higher.

    Why can’t I see my smart app banner on desktop?

    The smart app banner won’t appear on desktop computers, even if you view the mobile version of your site.

    To see the banner in action, you will need to visit your site on an iPhone or iPad using the Safari mobile app.

    Why can’t I see the smart app banner on my iPhone or iPad?

    Smart app banners only appear on devices running iOS 6 or higher when you are using the Safari mobile app. If you don’t see the smart app banner, then you should start by checking you have the latest versions of both iOS and the Safari mobile app.

    The smart app banner also detects whether the device can support the app and if the app is available in your location. If you don’t see the smart app banner, then it’s possible that your device has failed one of these checks.

    Why has the smart app banner disappeared in Safari?

    If you dismiss the banner by clicking the ‘x’ button, then it won’t appear again by default.

    Depending on your mobile device, you may need to open a private browser tab, clear your cache or cookies, or perform some other action to reset your settings.

    We hope that this article helped you learn how to add smart app banners in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to add web push notifications to your WordPress site or our expert picks for the best WordPress popup plugins.

    If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

    The post How to Easily Add Smart App Banners in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

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  • How to Create a Yes/No Optin for Your WordPress Site

    Are you looking for a way to create popups with Yes/No buttons on your website?

    Maybe you have seen these popups used as an email list optin or another special offer on a big website. Multi-step Yes/No campaigns can improve your conversion rate by encouraging users to click on your promotion.

    In this article, we will show you how to create a Yes/No optin for your WordPress site.

    How to create a yes no optin for your WordPress site

    What Is a Yes/No Optin, and Why Should You Use One?

    A Yes/No optin is a popup form that has 2 options, which are either buttons or links. You can click ‘Yes’ to opt in or ‘No’ to refuse the offer.

    Sometimes these are called 2-step optins or multi-step optins because they require the user to take 2 steps instead of 1.

    Here’s an example of a Yes/No optin from Advanced Coupons offering a discount deal. Users can either click on the ‘Claim Your Discount’ button or the ‘Maybe next time’ option.

    Discount offer on advanced coupons

    Note: The options don’t necessarily need ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ labels.

    It might seem strange to get users to go through an extra step before they can join your email newsletter or take some other action.

    However, Yes/No popups can be highly effective. This is because they use a psychological tactic called the Zeigarnik Effect.

    The Zeigarnik Effect says that when someone starts a process, they are likely to finish it. In this case, it means that someone who clicks ‘Yes’ will likely go ahead and put in their email address.

    Plus, a Yes/No optin gives your visitors a choice. That feeling of freedom is powerful. It makes it more likely that your visitors will make the positive choice to opt in to your email list.

    Even better, you can use the ‘No’ option effectively, too.

    For instance, you could create an optin like this one from WP Mail SMTP. It appears if a user looks like they are about to leave the WP Mail SMTP site’s pricing page.

    Yes no optin on WP mail smtp

    If the user clicks ‘Get WP Mail SMTP Now’, then they stay on the pricing page. Or if they click ‘I have a few questions first’, then they are directed to the Contact page. Here, they can easily contact your sales or support team, which may ultimately lead to a successful conversion.

    Creating a Yes/No Popup Using OptinMonster

    The easiest way to create a yes/no popup in WordPress is by using OptinMonster. It is the best lead-generation software that helps you convert website visitors into customers and subscribers.

    It allows you to create beautiful popups, countdown timers, slide-in forms, and more to nudge users in the right direction.

    OptinMonster is the best solution if you are looking for powerful display options for your popup. It offers multiple display rules that help detect user behavior and trigger your campaigns.

    For instance, you can show the yes/no optin when a user is about exit your site or when someone clicks a link or visits a specific page.

    That said, let’s create a yes/no optin using OptinMonster.

    Setting Up OptinMonster and Creating a New Campaign

    First, you will need to sign up on the OptinMonster website. Simply visit the website and click the ‘Get OptinMonster Now’ button.

    The OptinMonster lead generation tool

    For this tutorial, we will be using the OptinMonster Pro plan because it includes the Yes/No optins.

    You will need to install and activate the free OptinMonster WordPress plugin. For more details, please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

    This lets you connect your WordPress site with your OptinMonster account. If you don’t have a premium account with OptinMonster yet, go ahead and get it.

    Upon activation, you will see the OptinMonster welcome screen and a setup wizard. Go ahead and click the ‘Connect Your Existing Account’ button.

    Connecting an OptinMonster account to WordPress

    You will now see a small window where you can sign in to your account.

    Simply click the ‘Connect to WordPress’ button to add your WordPress website with OptinMonster.

    Connect OptinMonster to WordPress

    Now, go to the OptinMonster » Campaigns page in your WordPress admin.

    Simply click the ‘Create Your First Campaign’ button to make a new campaign.

    Create first OptinMonster campaign

    OptinMonster will now ask you to select a template or use a playbook. If you select the template option, then you can create your yes/no popup and customize it. OptinMonster also has ready-to-use campaigns inspired by successful brands.

    You can go ahead and select the ‘Templates’ option.

    Choose a template or playbook

    After that, OptinMonster will show you different campaign types to choose from.

    We will use a Popup campaign type and the Split template for this tutorial.

    Choose a campaign type and template

    Next, you will be asked to give your campaign a name.

    Once that’s done, simply click the ‘Start Building’ button.

    Enter a name for your campaign

    Your chosen template will now open in the OptinMonster drag-and-drop campaign editor.

    Here, you will find different options to customize your campaign. You can add different blocks like images, videos, buttons, progress bars, social media icons, and more from the menu on the left and drop them onto the template.

    Customize yes no campaign

    Editing Your Yes/No Optin in OptinMonster

    By default, OptinMonster will have the Yes/No optin option enabled.

    However, some templates will not have a built-in Yes/No view. With these, you will get a blank canvas to design your optin.

    To enable the optin, simply click on the ‘Yes/No’ tab near the bottom of your screen. From here, you need to click the ‘Enable Yes/No for This Campaign’ button.

    Enable yes no option

    Next, go ahead and edit the Yes/No view as you want.

    Simply click on the part of the template you want to change. For instance, you can change the text in the headline.

    Edit the text in the yes no campaign

    It’s also easy to edit the image in the campaign builder. Just click on it and then upload the image you want to use.

    You can upload an image from the WordPress media library or use a stock image.

    Add images to yes no campaign

    You may also want to change the Yes and No buttons. Simply click on them to edit the buttons. It’s super easy to change their text, color, and more.

    Just make your changes in the left-hand panel, and the preview of your optin will automatically update on the right.

    Edit the buttons in the campaign

    By default, clicking the ‘Yes’ button will take the user to the optin view of the campaign. Clicking the ‘No’ button will simply close the campaign.

    You can change these actions by selecting the button and then clicking the ‘Button Click Action’ dropdown.

    For example, you can redirect users to a URL, reload the page, open an email client, copy the text, click to call, and more.

    Change button click action

    Next, you now need to edit the optin view of your campaign. This is what your users will see upon clicking on the ‘Yes’ button.

    Simply click on the ‘Optin’ tab at the bottom of the screen to edit the optin view. Then, edit the text, image, and anything else you want to change.

    Edit the optin view

    Finally, you need to change the ‘Success’ view of the campaign. This is the screen users will see after entering their email addresses.

    First, click the ‘Success’ tab at the bottom of the screen. Then, go ahead and change the design until you are happy with it.

    Edit the success view

    Once you have finished creating your optin, make sure to click the ‘Save’ button at the top of the screen.

    Connecting Your Optin to Your Email List

    If you are using your optin to gather email addresses, then you need to connect it with your email marketing service.

    To do this, you must open the ‘Integrations’ tab at the top and then click the ‘Add a New Integration’ button.

    Add email integration

    Next, you can select your email provider from the list. You can also search for an email service using the search bar.

    OptinMonster will then give instructions for connecting your account to your preferred email provider.

    Select your email marketing tool

    Once you have connected your account, go ahead and click the ‘Display Rules’ tab for your campaign.

    Setting the Display Rules for Your Yes/No Campaign

    By default, your optin will appear after the user has been on any page for 5 seconds. However, you can use different types of display rules.

    For instance, you can show the yes/no optin on a specific page, after scroll distance, based on a user’s physical location, and more.

    For our optin, we will use the ‘Exit Intent’ display rule. This way, our yes/no popup will appear just as a user is about to leave our WordPress blog.

    Select exit intent display rule

    OptinMonster also lets you choose the sensitivity of the Exit Intent technology.

    Lastly, you can select where the campaign will appear on your website. OptinMonster will use the ‘current URL path is any page’ option by default. This way, the popup will appear on your entire website.

    Set exit intent sensitivity and page location

    When you have set your display rules, click the ‘Save’ button at the top of the screen.

    Making Your Yes/No Optin Live on Your Site

    Now, it’s time to make your optin live on your site.

    First, you need to click the ‘Publish’ tab at the top of the screen. Then, change the ‘Publish’ Status to ‘Publish’.

    Publish the yes no campaign

    Your Yes/No optin will not be live on your site yet. Simply click the ‘Save’ button at the top and exit the campaign builder.

    Next, you will see the WordPress Output Settings for your campaign.

    Just make sure that your campaign status is ‘Published’. If not, then you must click the dropdown menu and select the ‘Published’ option.

    Ensure the campaign is published

    Your campaign will now be live on your website.

    Here is how ours looked on our demo site.

    Preview yes no campaign

    That’s it! You’ve successfully created a yes/no optin for WordPress using OptinMonster.

    Alternative method: Another way to add a yes/no popup to your site is by using Thrive Leads. It is part of Thrive Themes suite and helps you generate leads, grow your email list, and boost conversions. The plugin lets you create lightbox popups, alert bars, slide-in popups, and more.

    Yes/No Popup Types to Create to Get More Conversions

    Now that you know how to make a yes/no popup, there are different types of campaigns you can create to get more conversions.

    Let’s look at a few examples of yes/no popups that you can design for your WordPress website.

    1. Offer Content Upgrades to Grow Your Email List

    A yes/no content upgrade offers users bonus content if they sign up for your email list. For instance, you might offer spreadsheets, PDF files, eBooks, videos, and more.

    Snacknation content upgrade preview

    This is great for getting more leads on your website. You can easily grow your email list by offering free valuable content to users.

    To learn more, please see our guide on how to add content upgrades in WordPress.

    2. Show Special Offers and Discounts

    Another way to use yes/no popups is by offering exclusive discount coupons or promoting special offers to your visitors.

    This will help inform users about an offer they can take advantage of. Plus, it will boost conversions and sales on your website.

    You can pair this with OptinMonster’s Exit Intent technology and show a popup just as the user is about to leave the website. For example, OptinMonster shows a yes/no optin on their website, displaying a special offer.

    Full mat yes no campaign with discount

    3. Guide New Users with a Welcome Mat

    You can also show new website users a welcome mat or a full-screen popup with yes/no options to help them better understand your brand.

    This is great to point people in the right direction when they first arrive on your site. You can inform them about your products and services by redirecting them to a specific blog post or landing page.

    Fullscreen welcome mat preview

    4. Convert Abandoning Visitors

    Additionally, you can convert abandoning visitors by showing a yes/no popup. Simply show the popup when a user adds items to the cart but doesn’t check out.

    You can offer different incentives like discounts or free downloadable content to keep visitors on your site and convert them into paying customers.

    For example, Easy Digital Downloads shows a popup with yes/no options when a user tries to abandon the checkout page.

    Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) exit intent popup example

    You may also want to see our guide on how to increase your landing page conversions by 300%.

    We hope this article helped you learn how to create a Yes/No optin for your WordPress site. You might also like our expert picks for the best WordPress survey plugins to boost your user engagement and our guide on how to get more traffic to your website.

    The post How to Create a Yes/No Optin for Your WordPress Site first appeared on WPBeginner.

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