Add email opt-in to a WordPress Form created with the Constant Contact plugin

Make your new contacts confirm that they want to be part of your contact list by including a checkbox in your WordPress form

Asking your new sign-ups to confirm their interest with a "double opt-in" isn't required, but it's the strictest way to obtain consent to send your emails. It may be an option that's right for you because it gives you high confidence that the person who subscribes really wants to receive your emails.

• Enabling confirmed opt-in
• Troubleshooting list addition issues

Enabling confirmed opt-in

If you chose to enable the opt-in checkbox when you created your form, it prevents sign-ups to your list unless the box is checked. It's an extra step to ensure that the people submitting the form want to be added to your list and is especially handy if you're using a "contact us" form instead of a sign-up form.

1. While creating a new form or editing an existing form, open the Form options section and scroll down to the Email opt-in section.
2. Check the box to require your contacts to opt-in to your mailing list.
3. Update the text that explains what your contacts are agreeing to.
   
   
   
   

When the opt-in box is on your sign-up form, your contacts must check the box to be added to your list. If the box is unchecked, it won't prevent your contact from submitting the form, but that contact won't be added to your list.

Did you know? Contacts who join your list through the WordPress Forms plugin are all automatically documented as having given express consent. To see the contacts who have given express consent, make sure you've enabled advanced email permissions in your Constant Contact account.

Troubleshooting list addition issues

If you experience issues with people joining your list through the Contact Form on your WordPress site, but the names aren't ending up on the selected list in your Constant Contact account, there could be a couple of factors:

• Human error - It may just be that your contacts aren't checking the box. If you preview the form on your webpage or blog post and see the checkbox, there isn't much you can do beyond updating the opt-in affirmation on the form to make it as clear as possible that the box must be checked for the sign-up to be recognized.
• Styling - The form allows for minimal styling with custom CSS classes by clicking Contact Form > Settings > Global Form CSS Settings, but inherits as much as it can from the theme you're using on your website. If you don't like the look of your form, a front-end developer with CSS knowledge can review your site to determine if any CSS style rules are interfering with your form.
• Conflicting code - If you have the option checked and you don't see it when you preview your webpage or blog post, you may have code that is hiding the checkbox and making it un-checkable. The conflicting code needs to be removed so the box becomes visible for your contacts to select.

For further help, you can visit our Constant Contact Forms Plugin Support Forum.

Questions?