How to Save WPForms Submissions in WordPress (With Form Vibes)
WPForms stores every form entry in the WordPress database automatically, but its built-in submission view gives you a flat list with no team review tools and no way to manage entries from other form plugins in the same place.
This guide walks through how to connect Form Vibes to WPForms to get submission analytics, advanced filtering, CSV export, and team workflows on top of what WPForms already provides without changing anything in your existing setup.
Before You Start
WPForms Lite or WPForms Pro installed and active on your site
Admin access to your WordPress dashboard
At least one WPForms form created and published on a page
Form Vibes free — install in Step 1 below
Notes: Form Vibes works alongside WPForms – it doesn’t replace it. Both plugins run at the same time and your WPForms setup stays exactly as it is.
Does WPForms Save Submissions to the Database?
Yes. WPForms stores every entry in the WordPress database the moment a visitor hits Submit. You can view them at WPForms → Entries in your admin sidebar. Each entry shows the submitted field values, the submission date, the IP address, and which form it came from.
What WPForms’ built-in entry manager doesn’t include is a cross-plugin unified view, activity log, display submissions on frontend, or a team notes for marking entries. Form Vibes fills those gaps specifically.
Not sure why saving to the database matters beyond preventing email failures? See why you should save contact form submissions in your database.
How to Connect WPForms with Form Vibes
Form Vibes captures WPForms submissions automatically. There is no connector to configure, no settings to toggle inside WPForms, and no webhook to register. The integration works the moment both plugins are active.
1
Install Both Plugins
Install and activate both plugins from your WordPress dashboard. WPForms Lite is available free from wordpress.org. Form Vibes is also free – go to Plugins > Add New, search for “Form Vibes”, install, and activate.
2
Create or Open a WPForms Form
From your admin menu, go to WPForms > Add New. Choose a template – the Simple Contact Form works well for a test or open an existing form you already have live on your site.
No changes are needed to the form itself. Form Vibes captures submissions from any WPForms form without touching your form settings.
3
Submit a Test Entry
Add the form to any page using the WPForms block in the Gutenberg editor or the [wpforms id="..."] shortcode. Open the page on the frontend and submit a test entry with sample data. This confirms the form is working and gives you something to verify in the next step.
4
View the Submission in Form Vibes
Go to Form Vibes > Submissions in your WordPress admin. Select your WPForms form from the dropdown at the top of the page. Your test entry appears in the table. Every future submission to that form is now captured automatically.
Tips: If your site also runs Contact Form 7, Elementor Forms, Gravity Forms, or Ninja Forms, enable all of them at once. All submissions appear in the same Form Vibes dashboard, no need to switch between plugins.
Free to install. Form Vibes captures WPForms submissions automatically the moment it’s activated – no account or API key needed.
How to View and Filter WPForms Submissions in Form Vibes
Once submissions are being saved, you can view and filter them directly from Form Vibes > Submissions.
Select your WPForms form from the dropdown at the top of the page. Every new submission appears here with the field values, submission date, and current status.
Filtering and searching submissions
Form Vibes gives you three filtering tools that WPForms’ native entry manager doesn’t offer:
- Date range picker — narrow entries to any specific period, useful for reviewing campaign responses or monthly reports
- Status filter — show only Read, Unread, or Spam entries to build a structured review queue (Pro)
- Full-text search — search by any field value (name, email, message) to find a specific entry without scrolling through all records
Important: Form Vibes only captures submissions made after the integration is enabled. Entries submitted before you installed Form Vibes remain in WPForms’ own database and won’t appear in the Form Vibes dashboard.
How Do You Export WPForms Submissions
Form Vibes makes exporting a one-click process. From the Form Vibes > Submissions page, click the Quick Export button in the toolbar.
Form Vibes exports every entry for the currently selected form, with all field values as columns, into a CSV file that opens in Excel or Google Sheets.
There are two export approaches depending on what you need:
- Quick Export — exports all entries for the selected form. Use this for full backups or sending everything to a client.
- Filtered Export — apply a date range or field filter first, then export. The CSV contains only the filtered subset. Useful for things like “all submissions from last month’s landing page.”
To enable an export audit trail, recording who exported what and when, turn on the CSV Export Reason setting under Form Vibes > Settings. This prompts for a reason on each export and logs it.
How to View WPForms Submission Analytics?
Form Vibes includes an analytics dashboard at Form Vibes → Analytics. Select your WPForms form from the dropdown and the dashboard shows a bar chart and line chart of submission volume – daily, weekly, or monthly for any date range you choose.
WPForms has no native analytics view. This is the only way to see whether your forms are generating more or fewer leads over time without exporting data manually.
Does Form Vibes Work with WPForms Lite?
Yes. Form Vibes works with WPForms Lite and requires no WPForms upgrade. The integration is automatic, Form Vibes hooks into WPForms submissions at the plugin level, so it captures entries from any WPForms form regardless of which WPForms plan you’re on.
This is one of the most practical reasons to add Form Vibes to a site running WPForms Lite. You get a full submission database, export tools, and analytics without paying for WPForms Pro.
Key Takeaway:
Form Vibes gives WPForms Lite users full database capture, analytics, and export for free — no WPForms upgrade required. Install it once and every future submission is permanently stored from that moment.
What does Form Vibes add beyond WPForms?
WPForms handles submission storage well. Form Vibes adds the layer of analytics, team management, and cross-plugin visibility that WPForms doesn’t provide at any plan level.
| Feature | WPForms | Form Vibes |
|---|---|---|
| Save form submissions automatically | Yes | Yes |
| View and search entries | Yes | Yes |
| Submission trend analytics chart | Yes | Yes |
| Unified dashboard for multiple plugins | No | Yes |
| Activity logs | No | Yes |
| Export to CSV / Excel | Yes | Yes |
| Frontend submission display | No | Yes |
| Team notes on individual entries | No | Yes |
| Google Sheets sync | No | Yes |
| User role permissions | No | Yes |
Pro: Form Vibes Pro starts at $49/year for a single site, with a lifetime option available. All plans include a 14-day no-questions-asked refund. Upgrade when you need inline entry editing, Google Sheets sync, adding notes, or team access controls via Role Manager.
Conclusion
WPForms Lite is a capable form builder, but relying on email notifications alone means your leads are only as safe as your inbox. Form Vibes gives every WPForms submission a permanent home in your WordPress database, with tools to view, filter, export, and analyze entries without touching your WPForms settings or upgrading your plan.
Install Form Vibes free, submit a test entry, and your WPForms submissions will start appearing in the Form Vibes dashboard within seconds. See the full WPForms setup guide: A Complete Guide to WPForms in WordPres.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about saving WPForm submissions in WordPress.
Does WPForms save form submissions automatically?
WPForms Lite does not save submissions to the WordPress database. It only sends entries by email. WPForms Pro adds a built-in entry manager, but requires a paid plan. Form Vibes gives WPForms Lite users full database capture and management for free.
Will Form Vibes capture existing WPForms submissions from before I installed it?
No. Form Vibes only captures submissions made while it is active on your site. It does not have access to entries that were submitted before activation.
Does Form Vibes work with WPForms Lite or only WPForms Pro?
Form Vibes works with both WPForms Lite and WPForms Pro. No upgrade to WPForms is required. The integration is automatic once Form Vibes is installed and activated.
Can I export WPForms submissions to a spreadsheet?
Yes. From Form Vibes > Submissions, click the Quick Export button to download all entries for the selected form as a CSV file, which opens directly in Excel or Google Sheets. The free version exports up to 1,000 entries. Form Vibes Pro removes this limit and adds Export Profiles for saved, filtered export configurations.
Can I send WPForms submissions to Google Sheets automatically?
Yes, with Form Vibes Pro. The Google Sheets integration connects your WordPress site to a Google Spreadsheet via OAuth. Each new WPForms submission is pushed to a selected spreadsheet and worksheet automatically, with form fields mapped to sheet columns.
What happens if my WPForms email notification fails?
If a WPForms email notification fails and you are not using Form Vibes, the submission is permanently lost. With Form Vibes active, the submission is already saved to your WordPress database before the email is sent, so the entry is always retrievable regardless of email delivery.
How do I see who changed or deleted a WPForms submission?
Open the submission in Form Vibes and check the Event Log for that entry. The Event Log records every change made to a submission status updates, field edits, notes added, and deletions along with a timestamp. The Event Log is available in the free version of Form Vibes.
Start saving WPForms submissions today
Form Vibes is free to install from wordpress.org. No account needed, activate the plugin and your submissions start saving automatically.
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