{"id":2393,"date":"2024-01-24T14:59:24","date_gmt":"2024-01-24T19:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/?page_id=2393"},"modified":"2026-08-05T22:00:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T02:00:23","slug":"form-notifications","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/advanced-training\/advanced-training-module-4-forms\/form-notifications\/","title":{"rendered":"Form Notifications"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-5xl  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n            <div class=\"cu-textmedia flex flex-col lg:flex-row mx-auto gap-6 md:gap-10 my-6 md:my-12 first:mt-0 max-w-5xl\">\n        <div class=\"justify-start cu-textmedia-content cu-prose-first-last\" style=\"flex: 0 0 100%;\">\n            <header class=\"font-light prose-xl cu-pageheader md:prose-2xl cu-component-updated cu-prose-first-last\">\n                                    <h1 class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold !mt-2 mb-4 md:mb-6 relative after:absolute after:h-px after:bottom-0 after:bg-cu-red after:left-px text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl lg:leading-[3.5rem] pb-5 after:w-10 text-cu-black-700 not-prose\">\n                        Form Notifications\n                    <\/h1>\n                \n                                \n                                    \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Advanced Training Module 4: Forms<\/p>\n\n\n                            <\/header>\n\n                    <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Form notifications allow Gravity Forms to send emails when a form is submitted. Notifications ensure that the right people are informed when a submission is received and can help automate communication with both administrators and users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A department inbox receives a notification when a contact form is submitted.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An event organizer receives a registration notification.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A visitor receives a confirmation email after registering for an event.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Properly configured notifications help ensure submissions are not missed and provide timely communication to everyone involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"understanding-notifications\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Understanding Notifications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most forms use two types of notifications:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"administrator-notifications\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Administrator Notifications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sent to the person or team responsible for reviewing submissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Contact form submissions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support requests<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Event registrations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feedback form responses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"user-notifications\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">User Notifications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sent to the individual who completed the form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These often include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Confirmation messages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Registration details<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Next steps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Copies of submitted information<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A single form may use one or both types of notification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"accessing-notifications\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Accessing Notifications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To manage notifications:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open the form.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Notifications<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Edit an existing notification or select <strong>Add New<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Notifications can be created, modified, activated, or deactivated at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"creating-a-notification\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Creating a Notification<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To create a notification:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select <strong>Add New<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter a notification name.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Configure the notification settings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Save the notification.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use descriptive names such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Admin Notification<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Event Registration Notification<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>User Confirmation Email<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This becomes helpful when managing forms with multiple notifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"who-should-receive-the-notification\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who Should Receive the Notification?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"administrator-notifications\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Administrator Notifications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Typically send to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Department email addresses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shared mailboxes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Individual staff members<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Event organizers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The recipient should be someone responsible for monitoring and responding to submissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"user-notifications\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">User Notifications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To send a notification to the person completing the form:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Choose <strong>Select a Field<\/strong> under <strong>Send To<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select the email field from your form.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This allows Gravity Forms to use the email address entered by the visitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"from-email\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">From Email<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>From Email<\/strong> setting determines the sender address that appears in notification emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Depending on your organization&#8217;s requirements, this may be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A departmental email address<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A shared mailbox<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A website notification address<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using a recognizable sender address helps reduce confusion and improves email deliverability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"subject-lines\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Subject Lines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The subject line should clearly identify the purpose of the notification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Administrator Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>New Contact Form Submission<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>New Event Registration<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">User Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Registration Confirmation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thank You for Contacting Us<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Clear subject lines help recipients identify and prioritize messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"notification-messages\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Notification Messages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The notification message contains the content of the email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For administrators, this often includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Submission details<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contact information<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Responses to form fields<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For users, it may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Confirmation details<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Event information<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Next steps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contact information<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A simple user notification might look like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>Thank you for registering for our event.\n\nYour registration has been received successfully.\n\nIf you have questions, please contact our team.<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"activating-notifications\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Activating Notifications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Notifications can be turned on or off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the notifications screen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Active<\/strong> = notification will be sent.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inactive<\/strong> = notification will not be sent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Always verify that required notifications are active before publishing a form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"common-notification-setup\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Notification Setup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A typical form often includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Admin Notification<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sent To:<\/strong> Department email<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Subject:<\/strong> New Form Submission<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Content:<\/strong> All submitted form fields<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">User Notification<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sent To:<\/strong> Submitter&#8217;s email address<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Subject:<\/strong> Submission Confirmation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Content:<\/strong> Thank-you message and next steps<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This approach ensures both the site administrator and the visitor receive appropriate communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"best-practices\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Best Practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Use Shared Mailboxes When Appropriate<\/strong><br>For departmental forms, consider using a monitored shared email address rather than an individual&#8217;s account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Write Meaningful Subject Lines<\/strong><br>Recipients should immediately understand the purpose of the email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Test Notifications<\/strong><br>Always submit a test entry before publishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verify:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Emails are delivered<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Information is accurate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Merge Tags are working correctly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Keep User Emails Concise<\/strong><br>Confirmation emails should be clear and action-oriented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\">Review Notifications Periodically<\/strong><br>Ensure recipient addresses remain current and staff changes are reflected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed alignwide is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio w-screen ml-offset-center cu-max-w-child-7xl px-4 md:px-6 lg:px-12\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"cutheme Mastery Training - Form Notifications\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/npbOb9BZt1U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-5xl  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n        \n    \n    <dl class=\"cu-description cu-component-updated\">\n        \n    <div class=\"grid pt-4 pb-3 border-b accordion border-cu-black-100 md:pt-6 md:pb-5 first:border-t\">\n        <dt class=\"font-semibold not-prose\">\n            <button class=\"flex items-center justify-between w-full text-left accordion__button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordion-transcript-form-notifications\">\n                <span class=\"flex-1 ml-auto text-left break-words whitespace-normal cu-icon\">\n                    Transcript \u2013 Form Notifications\n                <\/span>\n                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke=\"currentColor\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-slot=\"icon\" class=\"w-5 h-5 ml-auto transition-transform rotate-0 accordion__icon text-cu-black-500\">\n                    <path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" d=\"M8.25 4.5l7.5 7.5-7.5 7.5\"><\/path>\n                <\/svg>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/dt>\n        <dd class=\"p-0 mt-0 cu-prose cu-prose-first-last accordion__content md:p-0 md:mt-0\" hidden=\"\" id=\"accordion-transcript-form-notifications\">\n            \n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hello and welcome to cutheme Mastery Training, Module 5. In this video, we will go over Form Notifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Form notifications signal to the site owner through email that a form has been completed. There are several ways to customize notifications, which we will go over now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similar to form confirmations, hover over settings, and this time click on \u201cNotifications\u201d. You\u2019ll be redirected to the notifications menu, which has a similar layout to the confirmations menu. I\u2019m going to edit the default notification here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So the edit menu gives you many options for your notification. First, make sure to give your notification a name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Send To, you can choose where you want your email to be sent. Under \u201cEnter Email\u201d, you can manually enter the email you want the notification to be sent to. If the notification says {admin_email}, make sure that is deleted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSelect a Field\u201d allows you to choose an email field in your poll, so the notification is sent to the entered email, and \u201cConfigure Routing\u201d will send it to different email addresses depending on information in the form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFrom Email\u201d refers to the email the notification will be sent from. Once again, if {admin_email} is in here, make sure it is deleted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, like any other email, you can enter a subject and message for your notification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, you will notice under most of the input fields, there is an icon with brackets. This is the merge tags button, which allows you to input the user-entered values of a field in the form. These appear as IDs when you enter them, but they will be replaced with the user\u2019s entry as the notification is sent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once all your information is entered, head to the bottom and click \u201cUpdate Notification\u201d. Head back to the original screen, and make sure your notification is set to active. Just like that, you now have a notification for your form.<\/p>\n\n\n        <\/dd>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/dl>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"try-it-out\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Try it Out!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create a new notification.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Configure it to send to your email address.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add a custom message above the submitted form data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Experiment with Merge Tags.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Save the notification.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure it is marked <strong>Active<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Submit a test entry and verify the email is received.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Configure email notifications to automatically notify administrators and users when forms are submitted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":2305,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cu_dining_location_slug":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_page_type":[70],"class_list":["post-2393","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","cu_page_type-advanced-training-module-4"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2393"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2393\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4260,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2393\/revisions\/4260"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_page_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_page_type?post=2393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}