Documentation User Guide

Email Notifications

This page explains how to set up email notifications for Elzo Forms submissions.

Use email notifications when you want an admin, team member, or visitor to receive an email after a form is submitted.

Before you begin

Create and publish a form first.

Then submit a sample entry and confirm that the entry appears in the submissions area. This helps you separate form submission issues from email delivery issues.

What email notifications do

Email notifications send an email when a form is submitted.

They are commonly used to:

  • notify a site admin;
  • send a confirmation to the visitor;
  • route messages to a team inbox;
  • send a copy of submitted information;
  • trigger a simple internal process.

Email notifications depend on your WordPress site and hosting email configuration. For reliable delivery, many sites need SMTP.

Open notification settings

To configure notifications:

  1. Open your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Go to the Elzo Forms area.
  3. Open the form you want to edit.
  4. Find the email notification settings.
  5. Review the available notification options.

The exact setting names may depend on your installed version.

Set the recipient

The recipient is the email address that receives the notification.

To set the recipient:

  1. Open the notification settings.
  2. Find the recipient field.
  3. Enter the email address that should receive the message.
  4. Save the form.
  5. Submit a sample entry and check the inbox.

Use an inbox that your team checks regularly.

Set the subject

Use a subject line that helps you recognize the form.

Good examples:

  • New contact form submission
  • New request from your website
  • New application received
  • New support request

Avoid vague subjects such as New message if your site has several forms.

Write the email message

The message should include the information your team needs.

A useful admin notification may include:

  • form name;
  • visitor name;
  • visitor email;
  • message or request details;
  • submission date;
  • any selected options that affect follow-up.

If your version supports merge tags or dynamic field values, use them to include submitted values in the email.

Use a proper sender address

Use a sender address from your own domain when possible.

For example, if your site is example.com, a sender such as no-reply@example.com is usually better than a personal Gmail or Yahoo address.

Using a domain-based sender can improve delivery and reduce spam filtering.

Send a visitor confirmation

If your form should send a confirmation to the visitor, make sure the form includes an email field.

Then configure the visitor notification to send to that submitted email value if your version supports it.

Keep visitor confirmations short and clear.

For example:

  • thank the visitor;
  • confirm that the form was received;
  • explain what happens next;
  • provide a contact option if needed.

Email notifications and PRO automations

Standard notification settings are useful for common email needs.

Elzo Forms PRO can also use automation actions for more advanced workflows, such as conditional emails or emails that run as part of a larger automation.

Use standard notifications for simple cases. Use PRO automations when the email should depend on conditions or be part of a workflow with other actions.

Check delivery

After saving notification settings:

  1. Open the frontend page where the form appears.
  2. Submit a sample entry.
  3. Confirm that the submission appears in WordPress.
  4. Check the recipient inbox.
  5. Check spam or junk folders.
  6. Check your SMTP or mail log if available.

If the submission exists but the email does not arrive, troubleshoot email delivery separately.

Use SMTP for reliable delivery

WordPress email delivery depends on your hosting and mail setup.

If emails are missing, delayed, or marked as spam, configure SMTP using a trusted mail provider.

SMTP helps WordPress send email through a proper mail service instead of relying only on the hosting server.

Troubleshooting

The form submits, but email does not arrive

Confirm that the submission was saved. Then check the recipient address, spam folders, sender address, and SMTP configuration.

The visitor confirmation does not send

Confirm that the form collects the visitor’s email address and that the notification uses the correct submitted email value.

Emails go to spam

Use a sender address from your domain and configure SMTP. Also check DNS records such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC if your mail provider requires them.

The email does not include submitted values

Check the message template and merge tags or field-value placeholders supported by your installed version.

  • Troubleshooting Missing Emails
  • Submissions Screen
  • Automations Overview
  • Create Your First Automation

Applies to

  • Elzo Forms
  • Elzo Forms PRO
  • WordPress admin
  • Email delivery

Last reviewed

2026-07-04

 
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