{"id":38,"date":"2026-07-13T08:40:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T03:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jnkplugins.com\/blog\/save-contact-form-7-submissions-database\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T14:51:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T09:21:14","slug":"save-contact-form-7-submissions-database","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jnkplugins.com\/blog\/save-contact-form-7-submissions-database\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Save Contact Form 7 Submissions to the Database"},"content":{"rendered":"

Contact Form 7 is the most-installed form plugin on WordPress \u2014 and one of the few that stores nothing by default<\/strong>. It emails each submission and then forgets it. If that email bounces, lands in spam, or gets deleted, the enquiry is gone for good.<\/p>\n

The good news: you don’t have to switch away from CF7 to fix this. This guide shows how to save Contact Form 7 submissions to the WordPress database<\/strong> \u2014 with searchable records, CSV export, and zero changes to your existing forms \u2014 using the free EntryVault<\/a> plugin.<\/p>\n

Why doesn’t Contact Form 7 save submissions?<\/h2>\n

By design. CF7 is a lightweight form renderer and mailer<\/em> \u2014 it builds the form, validates input, and sends a notification email. It deliberately keeps no database of entries, which is why it stays small and fast. The trade-off is that every submission is only as reliable as your mail delivery, and you have no record to search, follow up on, or export.<\/p>\n

The classic fixes are a dedicated storage add-on (like Flamingo) or moving to a form plugin that stores natively. EntryVault<\/a> takes the first path but goes further: it captures CF7 and<\/em> ten other builders into one place. If you’d rather leave CF7 entirely, our Contact Form 7 alternative guide<\/a> weighs that option instead.<\/p>\n

How to save Contact Form 7 entries to the database<\/h2>\n

Step 1 \u2014 Keep your existing CF7 forms exactly as they are<\/h3>\n

You don’t touch your forms. No new fields, no shortcode changes, no re-mapping. EntryVault reads submissions through CF7’s own hooks, so whatever you already have keeps working.<\/p>\n

Step 2 \u2014 Install EntryVault<\/h3>\n

From your dashboard go to Plugins \u2192 Add New<\/strong>, search for EntryVault<\/em>, then install and activate the free build. It runs alongside Contact Form 7 \u2014 you’re adding a database, not replacing your form plugin.<\/p>\n

Step 3 \u2014 There’s no configuration step<\/h3>\n

This is the part people expect to be fiddly, and isn’t. EntryVault auto-detects that Contact Form 7 is active<\/strong> and loads only the CF7 adapter \u2014 no API keys, no per-form setup. Submit a test entry on any CF7 form and it lands in EntryVault immediately.<\/p>\n

Step 4 \u2014 See every CF7 submission in one place<\/h3>\n

Open EntryVault \u2192 Submissions<\/strong>. Each entry is stored with its full field values, the source form, and a timestamp \u2014 searchable by name or email and filterable by date. If you also run WPForms, Gravity, Ninja, or others, their entries sit right alongside your CF7 ones in the same board.<\/p>\n

\"EntryVault
EntryVault’s Submissions screen. The Source<\/strong> column shows Contact Form 7 entries captured automatically \u2014 no add-on shortcodes, no form changes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Step 5 \u2014 Export to CSV<\/h3>\n

Need the data in a spreadsheet, your email tool, or handed to a colleague? Hit Export CSV<\/strong> on the Submissions screen to download everything \u2014 or a filtered view \u2014 as a clean, portable file. This is the report CF7 alone can never give you.<\/p>\n

The detail that actually matters: capture happens before the email<\/h2>\n

Most CF7 storage add-ons record a submission only after \u2014 or only if \u2014 the notification email is sent. EntryVault captures on the wpcf7_before_send_mail<\/code><\/strong> step, the same hook Flamingo uses, which means:<\/p>\n

Your lead is recorded even when the notification email fails to send<\/strong> \u2014 which is exactly the moment you’d otherwise lose it. A misconfigured SMTP setup or a bouncing inbox no longer costs you the enquiry.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That single design choice is the difference between “I think we missed some contacts last month” and a complete, dependable record.<\/p>\n

Do more with the entries (optional, Pro)<\/h2>\n

Storing and exporting is free forever. When you want to work<\/em> the submissions rather than just keep them, EntryVault Pro adds a light CRM layer on top of the same board:<\/p>\n