HTML Email Sending Form

[parttimetechie]

Is there any way to send a form a user fills out to an email for my business which would not be all gibberish and would automatically send without requiring them to open their email client in HTML?

 

[Robert]

One question first - what scripting languages does your web server support? (i.e. PHP, ASP, etc)

 

[ATS]

HTML is just a display language. It does not contain the functionality to process data like this. I would look into PHP Mailer (Google it) to use PHP to send the form fields as an email.

 

[parttimetechie]

I know for sure it can use PHP. I was hoping not to have to download anything or do extensive coding, but it looks like I will have to do so.

 

[ATS]

If you have a Gmail account (or set one up real quick), you can use PHP Mailer to send the form using the Gmail servers. It saves you the trouble of running your own SMTP server.

 

[ProTech Support]

Not sure if I am understanding your question correctly, but why don't you just create a one page form on your website and e-mail them the link?

 

[parttimetechie]

I want people to be able to call up my website, go to the form, fill in their troubles, and have that information be emailed to me.

 

[Vicenarian]

Another reason why I love wordpress. So easy to do.

 

[Robert]

I know for sure it can use PHP. I was hoping not to have to download anything or do extensive coding, but it looks like I will have to do so.

If you don't mind spending a couple of bucks, there are plenty of cheap (and easy to integrate) contact forms on CodeCanyon.

 

[parttimetechie]

I'd like to do it for free if I could. There is no way to have the program just send the form without opening up my email client?

 

[ATS]

Yes, PHP will send the form without opening the email client. PHP is a free download.

 

[tminer]

Having an email link on the page will cause the users email client to open.

A form on your website will have code behind it that submits the data directly to your specifed email address.

You need to know what your web server type is first to determine what will be compatible. Your web host might have some kind of plugin, program or example on how to do this.

Otherwise, Im sure there are some free options out there, you just have to google for them

 

[parttimetechie]

Ya, I know about PHP, but never got my head around the coding..just not that kind of a programmer.

I think that's why I never did a mailto: command b/c I wanted the people to copy and paste the email into whatever client they were using.

 

[tminer]

the mailto: command is definetly not the right way to go.

for one it opens you use to robot spam that gathers email addresses on websites.

second, most people are lazy and you need to make it as easy as possible for them or you may lose potential customers.

there are many easy to integrate php scripts out there, its just a simple contact form.

 

[parttimetechie]

And I would just drop the PHP script into the HTML of my page?

 

[tminer]

yeah pretty much, you may have to configure a couple of strings like your email address, server, etc, i use asp instead of php so i dont know what script to recommend but i know there out there.

 

[GeekPCSupport]

And I would just drop the PHP script into the HTML of my page?

Yes and no. It depends if you want to use Capatcha or not. If you do not want to use Capatcha then you would need to configure the script first (very easy to do) and then link it to your site after you upload the files.

For a very easy form to use with step by step directions, just visit this site:

http://www.easyphpcontactform.com/

Like most scripts that are free, the author requires you to keep the link back to his site intact. If you would like to remove it, you need to pay a $9 the last time I checked.

Guillermo

 

[rusty.nells]

What exactly do you need? I may be able to put something together for you. Don't expect a quick turnaround though, I am currently on a "road trip".

 

[NeutronTech]

I know nothing about PHP and I was able to get my contact form up and running really easy. The script was well documented and I just had to read it and type in my email address, url, etc where it said to. Then just drop the php file in my web folder, create the confirmation / thank you html files, then call the script from my form. It really was just following directions. Took less than an hour.

 

[parttimetechie]

What exactly do you need? I may be able to put something together for you. Don't expect a quick turnaround though, I am currently on a "road trip".

I would like a way to send data from a form in HTML foramt to an email I desire. Could you do something like that? I will take a look at the scripts and see what I can come up with on my own as well.