How to Customize and Style Your WordPress Forms (2 Easy Methods)

Hey there, WordPress user! Are you tired of boring default form styles cramping your website‘s style? 😩 Want to customize your WordPress forms to match your brand and get more conversions? You‘re in the right place!

In this in-depth guide, I‘ll show you exactly how to take your form design from "meh" to "marvelous" using two easy methods:

1. Customizing forms with the WPForms plugin (no code required!)
2. Using CSS to style forms with the WPCode plugin (for more advanced customization)

But first, why even bother styling your forms? Here are a few compelling reasons:

• Better user experience – Well-designed forms are easier and more enjoyable to fill out, reducing friction for users
• Increased brand consistency – Matching form styles to your site design creates a cohesive, professional look
• Higher conversion rates – Strategic use of colors and layout can encourage more form submissions

In fact, research shows that improving form design can boost conversions by up to 30%! (source)

So if you want more leads, subscribers, and sales from your forms, it‘s well worth investing some time in styling them to perfection.

Method 1: Customizing Forms With WPForms (No Code!)

The easiest way to customize your WordPress forms is with the WPForms plugin. It‘s a powerful drag-and-drop form builder with built-in styling options.

Here‘s how to use WPForms to give your forms a fresh new look:

1. Install and activate the WPForms plugin
2. Create a new form or edit an existing one
3. In the form builder, go to Settings » General
4. Check the box for "Enable Styling Controls"
5. Customize colors, fonts, spacing and more in the "Style" tab
6. Preview your changes and adjust as needed
7. Save your form and admire your handiwork! 🎨

WPForms makes it easy to style forms with a user-friendly interface. No coding skills required!

Plus, WPForms has pre-built form templates to give you a head start on design. With the premium version, you can even create your own custom templates to re-use your favorite styles.

WPForms Form Styling Options

Here‘s a quick overview of what you can customize in WPForms:

This covers most of the key form elements you‘d want to style. WPForms gives you a lot of control without needing to dive into code.

Method 2: Styling Forms With CSS and WPCode Plugin

If you want even more control over your form design, you can use custom CSS code to style every aspect of your forms. This method takes a bit more technical know-how but allows for much greater customization.

To add custom CSS to your WordPress site, you‘ll need the free WPCode plugin. It lets you easily insert code snippets to your site‘s section.

Here‘s how to style forms with CSS and WPCode:

1. Install and activate the WPCode plugin
2. Go to Settings » Insert Headers and Footers
3. Add your custom CSS in the "Scripts in Header" box
4. Save and clear your browser cache to see changes

Targeting Form Elements With CSS Selectors

To style specific parts of your form, you‘ll need to use the right CSS selectors. Most form plugins output forms with consistent HTML markup that you can target.

For example, WPForms always includes the class .wpforms-container on the main form element. Inside that, each field is wrapped in a .wpforms-field div.

You can combine these selectors to target very specific elements. For instance:

.wpforms-container .wpforms-field-label {
  color: #2d3748;
  font-size: 1.1em;
  font-weight: 700;
  display: block;
  margin-bottom: 0.5em;
}

This CSS rule applies to field labels inside a WPForms form. It changes the label color, font size, weight, and spacing.

Example CSS for Styling Forms

Here are a few more sample CSS snippets to customize your forms:

Change the form submit button styles:

.wpforms-container .wpforms-submit-container button {
  background-color: #3182ce;
  border-radius: 9999px;
  color: #fff;
  font-size: 1.2em;
  font-weight: 700;
  padding: 1em 2em;
  text-transform: uppercase;
}

.wpforms-container .wpforms-submit-container button:hover {
  background-color: #2c5282;
}

Style form input fields:

.wpforms-field input[type=text],
.wpforms-field input[type=email],
.wpforms-field input[type=tel],
.wpforms-field textarea {
  border: 2px solid #cbd5e0;
  border-radius: 4px;
  font-size: 1.1em;
  padding: 0.8em;
  width: 100%;
}

.wpforms-field input[type=text]:focus,
.wpforms-field input[type=email]:focus,
.wpforms-field input[type=tel]:focus,  
.wpforms-field textarea:focus {
  border-color: #3182ce;
  box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(49, 130, 206, 0.3);
  outline: none;
}

Make forms mobile-responsive:

@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {
  .wpforms-container {
    padding: 1em;
  }
  .wpforms-field, 
  .wpforms-submit-container {
    padding-top: 1em;
    padding-bottom: 1em;
  }
  .wpforms-field input[type=text],
  .wpforms-field input[type=email],
  .wpforms-field input[type=tel],
  .wpforms-field textarea {
    font-size: 16px;
  }
  .wpforms-submit-container button {
    font-size: 1.1em;
    width: 100%;
  }  
}

Feel free to use these code snippets as a starting point and customize them for your needs. There are tons of creative ways to style forms with CSS!

Best Practices for Styling WordPress Forms

When customizing your WordPress forms, keep these design tips in mind:

1. Match your site branding – Use colors, fonts, and imagery consistent with the rest of your site to create a cohesive look
2. Prioritize readability – Make sure label text and field values are easy to read with good color contrast
3. Streamline your forms – Cut out unnecessary fields to reduce friction and boost completions
4. Use clear, descriptive labels – Tell users exactly what to put in each field (e.g. "Your email", not just "Email")
5. Provide ample touch targets – Make sure buttons and form elements are large enough to easily tap on mobile
6. Leverage visual hierarchy – Guide users‘ eyes with varying text sizes, strategic use of whitespace, and prominent calls-to-action

By combining on-brand design and user-friendly principles, you can create WordPress forms that are both beautiful and high-converting.

Take Your Forms From "Meh" to "Magnificent"

There you have it – two easy ways to customize and style your WordPress forms! Whether you use WPForms to visually style forms or dive into custom CSS, you now have the tools to create forms that stand out and inspire action. 🎉

Remember, small tweaks to form design can make a big difference for user experience and conversions. So why settle for generic default forms when you can have forms as unique as your brand?

Let‘s review the key takeaways:

1. Install WPForms to customize form styles without code
2. Use custom CSS and the WPCode plugin for unlimited form styling options
3. Follow proven best practices to make your forms user-friendly and on-brand

Now go forth and create some form masterpieces! If you get stuck or have questions, leave a comment below. I‘m here to help you unlock the full potential of your WordPress forms. 🚀

Happy styling!