A local business owner inquired about how to download their order forms into Excel. Like many small business owners, they were spending countless hours transferring data from their WordPress dashboard to spreadsheets.
There must be a more efficient solution.
After years of experience with WordPress forms, we have discovered the most effective method to export entries directly to CSV and Excel files. Among all the tools we have evaluated,WPFormsis notable for its user-friendly interface and integrated export features.
In this tutorial, we will guide you through the precise steps to export your WordPress form entries. Whether you are handling customer orders, survey responses, or contact forms, this guide will help you eliminate hours of manual effort. ⏱️
Why Should You Export WordPress Form Entries to CSV and Excel?
WordPress forms are an excellent way to engage with your audience. They enable you to gather customer leads, obtain valuable feedback, address customer inquiries, discover new product ideas, conduct surveys, and much more.
However, analyzing the data can be challenging when you have a large number of form entries. This is where exporting your data as CSV (comma-separated values) and Excel files becomes invaluable.
For instance, you can identify which products or features are most desired by your users, or reveal common challenges they encounter while navigating your WordPress site.
Another advantage of exporting WordPress form entries to CSV and Excel is that this data can be integrated with various other applications.
In addition to spreadsheet programs like Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel, you can import your form entries into analytics tools. For example, Microsoft Power BI allows you to use a CSV or Excel file to generate dashboards and visualizations based on your form data.
With that in mind, we will guide you through the process of creating a WordPress form and exporting the entries to CSV and Excel. Here’s a brief overview of the steps involved:
- Step 1: Create a WordPress Form to Gather Data
- Step 2: Export WordPress Form Entries to CSV and Excel
- Alternative Tip 💡: Automatically Export WordPress Form Entries to CSV and Excel
- Bonus Tip 🎁: Streamline Your Form Entry Workflows
Let’s dive in.
Step 1: Create a WordPress Form to Gather Data
Before you can export form entries to CSV and Excel, you need to set up a WordPress form.
The most effective way to create a WordPress form is by using WPForms, the leading contact form plugin for WordPress, which powers over 6 million websites, including CanadaCreate!
WPForms powers our contact form, annual reader survey, and migration requests. We highly recommend exploring it further in our comprehensive WPForms review.
WPForms features a user-friendly drag-and-drop form builder, making it easy to create and customize WordPress forms. Additionally, it includes AI-driven tools and over 2,000 pre-designed form templates to help you quickly set up your first form.
Now, let’s proceed to install and activate the WPForms plugin. If you require assistance, please refer to our guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
💡 Important: For this tutorial, we will be using the WPForms Pro version, as it provides the capability to export form entries and includes additional features. There is also a free WPForms Lite version available for you to try.
Once activated, you’re all set to create your form. With WPForms, you can start from scratch using a blank canvas.
If you’re looking for an easier option, consider using their AI form builder. Simply provide a brief prompt, and the AI will generate the form for you.
Alternatively, you can begin with a pre-made template. WPForms has an extensive library of templates, ensuring you will find one that meets your requirements.
Begin by following our comprehensive guide on creating a contact form in WordPress.
WPForms offers a variety of powerful add-ons that you can easily install and activate to meet diverse needs.
For instance, there are add-ons available for online payments, integration with email marketing services, user geolocation tracking, reducing form abandonment, and much more.
How to Export WordPress Form Entries to CSV and Excel
After adding a contact form to your WordPress site and receiving submissions, the next step is to export your form entries.
To begin, navigate to WPForms » Entries in your WordPress admin dashboard and select the form you wish to export entries from.
You will then see all the entries for the selected form.
Click on the ‘Export All’ option to proceed.
Next, WPForms will present you with various export options for your form entries.
You can also select which form fields to include in the export. By default, the export will contain the name, email address, and message fields.
Additionally, you can export extra information such as entry ID, submission date, user agent, user IP address, payment status, and more.
From this point, simply scroll down to the ‘Export Options’ section.
To export your data in Excel format, simply check the ‘Export in Microsoft Excel (.xlsx)’ option.
If you leave this option unchecked, WPForms will export the data as a CSV file.
There is also a custom date range selector available, allowing you to export WPForms entries from a specific time period.
Additionally, you can utilize the search feature to filter form entries. For instance, you can export forms that include or exclude a specific name, email, message, ID, and more.
Next, click the ‘Download Export File’ button to save the file to your computer.
You will see a notification confirming that your export file has been successfully generated.
How to Export a Single WordPress Form Entry
WPForms also allows you to export a single form entry rather than downloading all submissions. This is particularly useful for multi-step forms when you only need details about a specific lead.
To begin, navigate toWPForms » Entriesin your WordPress dashboard and choose a form to view its entries.
You should now see a list of all your forms. Click on the form that contains the specific entry you want to export.
On the following screen, locate the entry you wish to export and click the ‘View’ button.
You will now see the details of your form submission.
To download the file, simply click on the ‘Export (CSV)’ or ‘Export (XLSX)’ options located in the ‘Actions’ meta box on the right.
You can now save the CSV or Excel file to your computer and open it using spreadsheet software.
Automatically Export Individual Form Entries Upon Submission
WPForms also allows you to automatically export form entries when a user submits a form, eliminating the need to manually download a CSV file.
Simply navigate to the Settings » Notifications tab within the form builder.
Next, scroll down to the ‘Advanced’ section.
Click the ‘Enable Entry CSV Attachment’ toggle to activate it.
You can then choose which information to include in the CSV file by selecting the relevant form fields under the ‘Entry Information’ section.
Finally, you also have the option to customize the CSV file name that will be attached to the notification email.
Alternative💡: Automatically Export WordPress Form Entries to CSV and Excel
Manually exporting form entries can quickly become tedious, especially if you are frequently collecting leads, orders, or feedback.
Fortunately, WPForms now offers a robust Entry Automation feature that simplifies the process of automatically exporting submissions without the need for additional plugins or coding.
This feature allows you to:
- Select your preferred export format – Export entries in CSV, Excel (XLSX), PDF, or JSON formats based on your requirements.
- Send exported files to various destinations – Automatically send them to your email, Google Drive, Dropbox, or FTP.
- Filter which entries to export – Choose specific form fields or only submissions that meet certain criteria.
- Schedule exports – Set up daily, weekly, or monthly exports to ensure your data is always current.
- Maintain a tidy database – Automatically remove entries after export to minimize database clutter and enhance site performance.
This automation saves you countless hours of repetitive administrative tasks, guarantees you never overlook a submission, and keeps your data well-organized and easily accessible.
It’s also beneficial for teams that need to share form entries with colleagues or clients without requiring them to create a new WordPress account.
For detailed instructions on how to set this up, refer to our comprehensive tutorial on automatically exporting WordPress form entries.
Bonus Tip 🎁: Streamline Form Entry Workflows with Automation
Automatically exporting form entries is a great time-saver, and you can enhance your site’s automation further with Uncanny Automator.
This WordPress automation plugin seamlessly connects WPForms with other WordPress plugins and third-party applications, allowing you to establish workflows that trigger automatically upon form submission.
For instance, when a form is submitted, you can immediately alert your team via Slack, enroll users in courses or webinars, create new accounts, or even generate WooCommerce coupons.
This reduces the need for manual tasks and streamlines the management of form entries. It’s an easy way to enhance productivity and integrate your forms with other applications, all without any coding skills required.
We have thoroughly tested this tool, and you can read our comprehensive review of Uncanny Automator for more insights.
Additionally, you can check out our detailed guide on creating automated workflows in WordPress using Uncanny Automator for further information.
We hope this article has helped you understand how to export WordPress form entries to CSV and Excel. You might also find our guide on implementing save & continue functionality in WordPress forms and our expert tips for creating more engaging forms and boosting conversions helpful.
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