How to Add a Contact Form Popup in WordPress

ByThe Nomad Brad

Contact form popups are powerful tools for capturing leads and improving engagement on your WordPress site. Unlike traditional contact forms embedded in pages, popups appear at strategic moments to grab visitors’ attention and encourage them to reach out.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to add a contact form popup to your WordPress site using popular plugins, along with best practices to maximize conversions.

Why Use Contact Form Popups?

Before diving into the how-to, let’s understand why contact form popups are effective:

Increased Visibility: Popups appear front and center, making them impossible to miss compared to forms buried in your footer or sidebar.

Higher Conversion Rates: Strategic timing and placement can increase form submissions by up to 50% compared to static forms.

Better User Experience: Exit-intent popups catch visitors before they leave, giving them one last chance to connect with you.

Reduced Friction: Visitors can submit their information without navigating away from the content they’re reading.

Method 1: Using Popup Maker + Contact Form 7

This is one of the most popular combinations for creating contact form popups in WordPress.

Step 1: Install Required Plugins

First, you’ll need to install two free plugins from the WordPress repository:

  1. Navigate to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard
  2. Search for “Contact Form 7” and click Install Now, then Activate
  3. Search for “Popup Maker” and click Install Now, then Activate

Step 2: Create Your Contact Form

Once Contact Form 7 is activated:

  1. Go to Contact > Contact Forms in your dashboard
  2. Click Add New to create a new form
  3. Give your form a name (e.g., “Popup Contact Form”)
  4. Customize the form fields as needed. The default template includes name, email, subject, and message fields
  5. Click Save and copy the shortcode that appears at the top (it looks like [contact-form-7 id="123" title="Contact form"])

Step 3: Create the Popup

Now you’ll create the popup that will display your contact form:

  1. Navigate to Popup Maker > Add Popup in your dashboard
  2. Give your popup a title (this is just for your reference)
  3. In the content editor, paste the Contact Form 7 shortcode you copied earlier
  4. Customize the popup appearance using the settings on the right:
    • Set the popup size (recommended: 500px width for contact forms)
    • Choose a theme or customize colors
    • Add a close button

Step 4: Configure Display Triggers

This is where you control when and where your popup appears:

  1. Scroll down to the Triggers section
  2. Choose from options like:
    • Click Open: Popup opens when visitors click a button or link
    • Time Delay: Show popup after X seconds on page
    • Scroll: Display popup when user scrolls X% down the page
    • Exit Intent: Trigger when user’s mouse moves toward closing the browser
  3. Click Publish when you’re done

Step 5: Add Popup to Your Site

If you chose “Click Open” as your trigger:

  1. Edit any page or post where you want the trigger button
  2. Add a button or link with the CSS class popmake-[popup-id]
  3. You can find your popup ID in the Popup Maker list

For automatic triggers (time, scroll, exit intent), the popup will automatically work site-wide or on pages you specify in the targeting settings.

Method 2: Using WPForms

WPForms is an all-in-one solution that includes both form builder and popup functionality in its premium version.

Step 1: Install WPForms

  1. Purchase and download WPForms Pro (you’ll need at least the Plus plan)
  2. Go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
  3. Upload and activate WPForms

Step 2: Create Your Contact Form

  1. Navigate to WPForms > Add New
  2. Choose a template (the “Simple Contact Form” works well)
  3. Customize your form fields using the drag-and-drop builder
  4. Configure form settings:
    • Set up email notifications
    • Customize confirmation messages
    • Enable spam protection (reCAPTCHA recommended)
  5. Click Save

Step 3: Enable Popup Mode

  1. In the form builder, click on Settings > General
  2. Scroll down to the Form Display section
  3. Enable Display Form in Popup
  4. Configure popup settings:
    • Choose trigger type (button click, automatic, exit intent)
    • Set popup dimensions
    • Customize overlay color and opacity
  5. Save your form

Step 4: Add the Popup Trigger

  1. Copy the form’s shortcode from the embed section
  2. Add it to any page or post where you want the popup
  3. If using button trigger, create a button with the appropriate class or link

Method 3: Using OptinMonster

OptinMonster is a premium solution that specializes in conversion optimization and offers advanced features.

Step 1: Sign Up and Install OptinMonster

  1. Sign up for an OptinMonster account
  2. Install the OptinMonster WordPress plugin
  3. Connect your WordPress site to your OptinMonster account

Step 2: Create a New Campaign

  1. Log into your OptinMonster dashboard
  2. Click Create New Campaign
  3. Select Popup as the campaign type
  4. Choose a template designed for contact forms

Step 3: Design Your Contact Form Popup

  1. Use OptinMonster’s drag-and-drop builder to customize:
    • Add form fields (name, email, phone, message)
    • Customize colors and fonts
    • Add your branding and imagery
  2. Set up form integrations to capture leads in your email marketing platform

Step 4: Configure Display Rules

OptinMonster offers powerful targeting options:

  1. Set Page-Level Targeting: Choose specific pages or site-wide display
  2. Configure Trigger Rules: Time delay, scroll depth, exit intent, inactivity
  3. Set Visitor Targeting: New vs. returning visitors, device type, location
  4. Enable MonsterLinks: Allow specific buttons or links to trigger the popup

Step 5: Publish Your Campaign

  1. Review your popup settings
  2. Click Publish to make it live
  3. The popup will automatically appear on your WordPress site based on your rules

Best Practices for Contact Form Popups

To ensure your contact form popups enhance rather than hurt user experience, follow these guidelines:

Timing is Everything

Don’t bombard visitors immediately. Wait at least 10-15 seconds before displaying a popup, or use scroll-based triggers. Exit-intent popups are particularly effective because they catch visitors who are already leaving.

Keep Forms Short

The shorter your form, the higher your completion rate. Only ask for essential information initially. You can always gather more details in follow-up communications.

Make It Easy to Close

Always provide a clear, visible close button. Nothing frustrates users more than popups that are difficult to dismiss. This builds trust and prevents negative experiences.

Mobile Optimization

Ensure your popup is responsive and doesn’t cover the entire mobile screen. Test on multiple devices to verify usability. Consider disabling popups on mobile if they don’t display well.

Use Clear Value Propositions

Explain why visitors should fill out your form. Are you offering a free consultation? Quick response time? Expert advice? Make the benefit obvious.

Avoid Popup Overload

Don’t show multiple popups on the same page visit. Set frequency limits so the same visitor doesn’t see the popup repeatedly. Once per session or once per day is generally acceptable.

A/B Test Your Popups

Test different headlines, form lengths, triggers, and designs to see what converts best. Most premium popup plugins include built-in A/B testing features.

Comply with Regulations

Ensure your contact form complies with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations. Include:

  • Clear privacy policy links
  • Explicit consent checkboxes where required
  • Information about how you’ll use their data

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Popup Not Appearing

Check plugin conflicts: Deactivate other plugins temporarily to identify conflicts. Cache plugins are common culprits.

Clear your cache: If using a caching plugin, clear all caches after making changes. Browser cache should be cleared too.

Verify targeting rules: Double-check your display rules and targeting settings to ensure the popup should appear on the page you’re testing.

Forms Not Submitting

Check email settings: Verify your WordPress email configuration is working. Test with an SMTP plugin if needed.

Review spam filters: Form submissions might be getting caught in spam. Check your spam folder and whitelist form notification emails.

JavaScript errors: Open your browser’s developer console to check for JavaScript errors that might prevent form submission.

Popup Displaying Incorrectly

Theme conflicts: Some themes may conflict with popup styling. Try switching to a default WordPress theme temporarily to test.

CSS conflicts: Add custom CSS to override theme styles if needed. Most popup plugins allow custom CSS in settings.

Responsive issues: Test on different screen sizes and adjust popup dimensions in the plugin settings.

Measuring Success

After implementing your contact form popup, track these metrics:

Conversion Rate: Calculate the percentage of visitors who see the popup and submit the form.

Form Abandonment: Monitor how many people start filling out the form but don’t complete it. This indicates the form might be too long or complex.

Bounce Rate Impact: Check if your bounce rate increases after adding popups. If it does significantly, you may need to adjust timing or reduce frequency.

Lead Quality: Not all submissions are equal. Track how many popup leads convert to customers compared to other form sources.

Conclusion

Adding a contact form popup to your WordPress site is a straightforward process that can significantly boost engagement and lead generation. Whether you choose the free combination of Contact Form 7 and Popup Maker, the all-in-one convenience of WPForms, or the advanced features of OptinMonster, the key is to implement thoughtfully.

Remember to focus on user experience, test different approaches, and always provide value in exchange for visitor information. With the right strategy and implementation, contact form popups can become one of your most effective tools for growing your business.

Start with one of the methods outlined above, follow the best practices, and continuously optimize based on your results. Your perfect popup strategy is just a few tests away.

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