Author: N. Fakes

Have a domain purchased from somewhere else besides WPMU DEV? It’s now easier than ever to transfer them to our platform in The Hub with our domain transfer-in feature.

As you’ll see, it only takes three steps to quickly establish a domain into a new home at WPMU DEV – so you can manage everything under one roof!

Plus, you’re in control regarding nameservers, autorenewal, associating a domain with a client, and more.

In this article, we’ll look at:

• Triggering Domain Transfers
• Step 1: Domain Eligibility Check
• Step 2: Nameserver Settings
• Step 3: Transfer Registration
• The Domain Transfer Process

After reading this, you’ll immediately be able to implement transferring domains into one easy-to-manage system – cheaply and effectively.

But first…

Before we get into the steps to transfer a domain, here are some general guidelines to get you in good shape:

Now, if you’re ready — let’s begin!

Triggering Domain Transfers

There are several ways to transfer a domain over. Whether it’s an established domain with us or you have a third-party domain service, it’s a breeze.

There are just a few differences…

New User

If you’re a new user with no registered or connected domains, you’ll get started in The Hub by clicking the Domains tab and Transfer a Domain.

Already have domains registered or connected? Under Registered Domains, you’ll start by clicking Transfer Domain.

Another route is if you have connected any domain(s), click on the ellipsis icon on any domain’s row to show the available management options for that domain. From that, click on the Transfer Domain to Us button.

Additionally, you can click on any connected domain’s row, which will open up Nameserver details for that specific domain. Clicking the Transfer Domain to Us button is another way to get the process going.

Whatever option you choose will lead to an area where you can start the 3-step process.

Step 1: Domain Eligibility Check

In this first step, we check whether the domain is transferable.

To start, you’ll specifically enter the domain you want to transfer. Enter it completely with its TLD (e.g. .com).

If a domain is ineligible, you’ll get an error message. The messages will vary, depending on the issue.

Almost any domain TLD is okay to transfer. We have over 260 TLDs that are available for use and transfers. For any questions or issues about this, please contact support or see our documentation for rules and reasons a domain doesn’t transfer.

That being said, if all is good and the domain is eligible, once you hit Transfer, it will take you to the nameserver step.

Step 2: Nameserver Settings

This step is where you can choose to use our nameservers and DNS records, or keep current nameservers. If existing DNS records are available, they will be shown here. If not, it will be blank and state that there are no records to display.

If you choose to Keep Current Nameservers, it will keep the current nameserver records for the domain.

Once you decide on what’s best for you, you can continue on…

And for help pointing a domain to our nameservers, check out our complete guide on how to do so.

Step 3: Transfer Registration

Registering a domain is all done in one area.

You can start by viewing the Registration Terms. You’ll notice the transfer price, renewal price, auto-renew option, and whether domain privacy is active or not.

Next, the domain will need an Authorization Code from your current registrar. This is a normal process that is universal amongst domains. You’ll get this from the losing domain register you’re transferring from.

Additionally, you’ll also add the Registrant Information. You can associate the domain with a client or add personal details.

Then, checkout in the Summary. This has the Domain Name, Registration Period, and Price. Plus, it shows whether Auto-Renew is activated or not.

After hitting Pay Now, you’re all set!

By default, the Registration Period of all the transfer-in domains is set to One year. Pay the transfer fee on our pricing page to transfer a domain to WPMU DEV. Upon successful transfer, the domain’s expiration date will be extended by one year.

It’s also important to note that if the Authorization code is invalid, the domain transfer will fail, and the transfer amount will be refunded to your account.

The Domain Transfer Process

Once the new domain transfer-in payment is complete, the Domain Registration process begins. You’ll be able to see the status under Domain Overview.

The system will verify three registrant contact data pieces: First Name, Last Name, and Email Address. For more information about registrant verification, please read our documentation.

When complete, you’ll see that it’s Active OR Verifying. Also, additional information will be displayed (e.g. Registration Date, Expiration date, Costs, etc).

 

Be aware that the domain transfer can take up to five days – and that’s out of our control. It depends on how quickly the verification can take place from the losing register (e.g. GoDaddy).

Once completed, your domain will then be available in the Domains area in The Hub – along with any others you have.

Bulk Domain Transfer

Last but not least, if you need to do a Bulk Domain Transfer, contact our 24/7/365 support to help assist with this. It’s the easiest and quickest way to get any bulk domains transferred over to our system.

The Main Way to Manage Your Domain

As you can see, bringing in domains from third-party providers is quick and easy, with only three steps. And once done, you can manage all your domains in one place with The Hub!

Adding domains to a client’s site, setting up auto-renewal, connecting nameservers – the process couldn’t be more streamlined. So, try bringing a new domain in today. Good luck, and enjoy!

Oh, and if you’re not on our Agency Plan yet, give it a go. Not only do you get domain management like bringing in third-party domains, you’ll also have access to unlimited site licences, 500GB CDN, $144 hosting credits, and more.

Our new Global IP Banning feature saves you loads of time securing sites. Simply create your IP block and allowlist once, then automatically sync to some or all of your WordPress sites with a few clicks.

A global IP allowlist and blocklist feature has been a top Defender security request for a while. So now…

“I logged into a client site this morning and saw a notification about the new global IP list-banning feature that allows us to sync our IP ban lists across Hub sites. I have raised this request in previous topics with Support and I am sooooooo happy that it has been made live. You guys rock!”

Andre – WPMU DEV Member

It’s here, free to use, and managed directly from your Hub! As you’ll see, it’s easy to quickly apply the same allowlist and blocklist IPs to all of your sites in bulk.

This article will cover:

• Why Block and Allow IPs?
• IP Banning and Allowing From The Hub
• Selecting Sites to Block or Allow IPs
• Syncing IPs with WordPress Sites
• Global IPs From Defender’s Dashboard

So, let’s show you how it’s done! First though…

Why Block and Allow IPs?

Just to touch on it quickly, there are many reasons for configuring a WordPress site to allow or block IPs.

For example, maybe you want to monitor online behavior (e.g. to restrict specific web platforms from accessing an educational site). Or, to protect your website from attacks. Also, you may not want a particular country or place to access your online information.

So, there are practical scenarios (like not allowing access to unwanted sites) and security protocols (preventing unwanted or harmful sites or servers from connecting with your network or computer).

Whatever the purpose, allowing and banning IPs should be in your control. With Defender, they are.

Let’s show you how our Defender security plugin makes it easy.

IP Banning and Allowing From The Hub

The Hub makes it easy and simple to create and manage IP Banning.

You can block and allow IP addresses from this area and automatically sync those lists with all or several of your WordPress sites.

The IP Banning section is located in the My Sites menu area.

In this section, you can see your Global Blocklist and Global Allowlist, where you’ll add your IPs.

Simply insert one IP address per line and keep in mind that IPv4 and IPv6 are supported. Plus, IP ranges are also accepted in CIDR or hyphenated format.

Ever want to edit? It’s no problem. You can add and remove IPs at any time!

Selecting Sites to Block and Allow IPs

It’s up to you to determine what sites of yours you want IPs blocked or allowed. So, before syncing IPs with sites, decide what sites you want to associate with IP block and allow lists.

Head to Activate on Site(s) to pick what site you want to include.

After clicking, you’ll see all the available sites to activate global IP banning.

You’ll also be able to see any website that doesn’t have Defender activated and any other issues that would affect syncing.

If you want, you can search with Filters & Labels when browsing through your websites. There are options for filtering by ‘Hosted with us,’ ‘Hosted elsewhere,’ favorites/non-favorites, and labels.

Plus, you can enter a site title and search relevant sites.

When your sites are selected, tap Activate – and that’s it! It takes just a few moments for the sites to be included.

With that being said, it’s time to…

Sync IPs with WordPress Sites

It takes one click to sync your IPs with your WordPress sites. Just tap on the bright blue Sync IPs with Sites, and all the selected sites will be synced.

A message informing you of what is about to take place will pop up to ensure you’d like to proceed.

Sounds good to still sync? Then click Continue.

After hitting Continue, you can sit back and relax as all of your chosen sites are synced with IPs on your blocklist and allowlist! It takes just a few moments.

Global IPs From Defender’s Dashboard

Now that you know how to set up global IPs from The Hub, you can also monitor and sync IPs from Defender’s dashboard.

It’s all accessible by going to Firewall, and IP Banning while in the WordPress admin and Defender.

After syncing, all the IPs you have entered in The Hub will be in a list.

One thing to note is that you can’t add new IPs from Defender’s dashboard. Simply add them in The Hub and re-sync – and that’s it!

It’s also an area where you can enable and disable the global IP feature anytime.

Allow and Block Global IPs with Ease

As you can see, allowing and blocking global IPs can be done in just a few clicks with Defender and The Hub. It’s never been simpler to control global IPs across any number of sites simultaneously!

If you aren’t using The Hub yet, sign up for free. The same goes for Defender, which also doesn’t cost a thing from wp.org.

And now, blocking and allowing IPs is a breeze!

Register, manage, and connect unlimited affordable domains directly from WPMU DEV – making creating websites for you and your clients easier than ever!

Domain registration is all done right from WPMU DEV’s Hub. It just takes a few clicks, with unlimited options for picking top-level domains.

As you’ll see, domain management has been streamlined for web developers on our Agency Plan. Especially when managing domains for multiple clients.

In this article, we cover everything you need to know about using domains with WPMU DEV, including:

• • Register a New Domain
  • Add Domain to Hosted Site
  • View Your Registered Domains
  • Confirm Your Registrant Information
  • Domain Management in The Hub
  • Domain Overview
  • Contact Information
  • Manage DNS
  • Filtering Domains
  • Connected Domains

If you’re a member, you can get started here. Not a member yet? Get started with a trial of our Agency plan today!

Now that you’re ready to go let’s…

Register a New Domain

Registering a New Domain is quick and simple. Whatever domain you’re looking for, we have 120+ extensions — whether it be .com, .org, .shop — you name it! They’re all affordable. (And P.S. — We’ll be adding another 100-150 TLDs VERY soon.)

It’s also important to note that domains are for Agency Plan members ONLY. We can only offer this kind of service at wholesale pricing by making it exclusive (just as we did with Quantum hosting).

We provide domains purely at cost (purchase and renewal), with no margin for us (except to cover transaction fees) so that you can resell them to your clients with your own markup and save money on your existing provider.

So, now that you know the gist of our domains, here’s…

Where to Begin

Registering a new domain starts from the Domains tab and Register New Domain. Just type the domain name you want to use.

Once you type in the domain name you prefer, a list of options will appear with various prices.

In this example, I’d like to register the name ‘awesomewebguy.’ As you can see, many top-level domain options appeared (e.g. .org, .net, .online, etc.) under Matches.

Want to see other options? Click Load More, and you’ll get others.

WPMU DEV domains also have Suggestions for a new domain based on your search criteria.

Once you have a domain name, click Buy Now. And that’s it!

You’ll be directed to a registration page. From this page, you pick out the Registration Terms. This includes the Registration Period, Renewal Price, and Auto-Renew.

To start, select a Registration Period. This can be anywhere from one to ten years!

Choose between 1-10 years in a click.

Also, determine whether you’d like to auto-renew or not (you can always change this later – as you’ll see).

Next, enter the Registrant information. This is information about you as the domain owner. None of this information is publicly shared or on WHOIS.

Once your domain is successfully registered, you can automatically add DNS records by clicking connect to a hosted site. If you don’t want to connect your domain to a hosted site – no biggie. Click Skip for Now.

That being said, let’s say you want to connect domain to a hosted site. Here’s how it’s done…

Add Domain to Hosted Site

Adding a domain to a hosted site with WPMU DEV doesn’t take much at all to set up.

You can do this while creating your domain or after the domain is verified and completed. Just select from the dropdown what site you would like the domain to be hosted on.

Add your domain to a hosted site at any time. From the Domains tab, you’ll see by your site a Link Icon.

Just click Connect to a Hosted Site, and select from the dropdown what site you’d like to use.

Click Save, and you’ll see your domain’s DNS status. It may take a little while to complete. You can recheck your status by tapping Settings (the ellipsis).

Below this area, you’ll also see the DNS information for the site you’re using with your domain. It includes the CNAME Record, A Record, and AAAA Record.

Note: if you use the Connect Domain feature, you don’t have to manually add any DNS record.

Ready to go live? We have an awesome guide that takes you through how to do it step by step.

View Your Registered Domains

Once you register a new domain, it will be located under Registered Domains. If you view it soon after registering a domain, you’ll see that its Registrant Status maybe be ‘verifying.’

A message will appear indicating that as well.

So, how do you go about verifying the registrant status?

Confirm Your Registrant Information

Once you register your domain, you’ll receive an email. This is to ensure that you are who you say you are regarding your domain ownership and to complete your registration.

Whatever email address you include in your Registrant Information is where this email will be sent. Once opened, this is what it says:

It contains two links: one is to review ICANN’s Policy, and the other is to continue on with verification.

When verified, you’ll get notified immediately.

Please keep in mind that if you don’t verify within 15 days, the domain will be suspended until you verify it. So, make sure to complete this important step.

Domain Management in The Hub

All of your domains are in one place in The Hub under Domains. This is your one-stop area where you can new, update, manage, and more.

By clicking on the ellipsis by individual domains, you instantly have access to key features, such as:

• Manage Domain
• Renew Domain
• Update Contact Information
• Update Nameservers
• Update DNS

To make it easier for you and your clients, you can activate Auto Renew in one click.

Click on the name or status of the domain to get to the Domain Overview page. From the Overview, you can view a ton of information. Everything from Domain Status, Registration Date, GDPR status- – and more!

Be sure to check out our documentation for an in-depth look.

Domain Overview

Get a 360-degree view from the Domain Overview.

This is an overlook where you can see the domain status (active or inactive), expiration date, whether auto-renew is activated – and more!

Perform tasks from this area as well, such as renewing a domain, activating auto-renew, and implementing transfer lock.

Find out more in our documentation.

Contact Information

All the contact information regarding the domain Owner, Admin, Billing, and Tech are in the Contact Information tab. You can always adjust, add, and delete information.

Manage DNS

All of the current DNS records are located in the Manage DNS area. From you, you can add a Subdomain, email, or custom DNS records.

Learn a lot more in our guide on how to add a Subdomain.

Filtering Domains

Filtering domains is a way to quickly and easily find specific domains, organize the list of domains you want to view, find who’s registered for domains, and more!

Once clicking Filter, you have options for:

• Domain Status
• Registrant
• Registrant Status
• Auto Renew
• Hosted Site Status

Each option has different varibles in their dropdowns. For example, if you choose Domain Status, the dropdown includes Active, Suspended, and Expired.

Connected Domains

View all of your Connected Domains in one place. This section displays all your connected domains and their status (e.g. propagated correctly or pending).

You can Manage DNS, Recheck DNS, and Delete on the ellipsis.

If you click Manage DNS, you can add the Nameservers and view Records (e.g. AAAA and A). It also displays the TTL for each record.

It also indicates where it directs to by each type of DNS record.

Domain Management Made Simple

You can see how simple and easy it is to set up, implement, and manage domains with WPMU DEV and The Hub! With a new domain, you can be up and running in just a few clicks.

Plus, coming soon in 2023 — you’ll essentially be able to create your own GoDaddy! More on that to come…

So, what are you waiting for? To get started, if you haven’t tried our Agency plan, start your 7 day no obligation free trial today. And if you are already an Agency member, begin registering domains immediately!

Using schema markup is an excellent way to make your website stand out among your SEO competitors. This article explains why schema is essential and how to implement it into your web pages.

You can now create unlimited custom schema types – for free! You’ll see how to do this in just a few clicks with SmartCrawl.

Custom schema types mean you no longer need to rely on SmartCrawl’s schema types already installed.

We’ve written about the benefits of schema markup and how to set it up using our SmartCrawl plugin. However, as you’ll see, adding Custom Schema Types is a bit different. They’re 100% customizable to fit your needs and are created from scratch!

In this brief article, we’ll be going over:

• How to Set Up a Custom Schema Type
• Configuring Schema Type
• Editing Custom Schema Type
• Duplicating Custom Schema Type
• Example Custom Schema Type

To include a custom schema type, it takes just a few simple steps. We’ll start with the building blocks to create a custom schema and journey all the way into a specific example.

Let’s dive into…

How to Set Up a Custom Schema Type

It all begins at SmartCrawl’s dashboard. From here, head to Schema. Then in the Types Builder section, you’ll click Add New Type.

This takes you to all the schema types available. Considering you want to create a custom one, you’ll hit the Custom Type option.

Give the schema type a Name. Using something associated with the schema type is best, so you’ll know exactly what it is.

The name and other edits can be made at any time (which we’ll get into later in this article).

Configuring Schema Type

Next, you’ll add Rules. This set of rules determines where the schema type will be enabled or excluded.

This consists of configuring the schema type by setting up conditions that must be set and any page, post, or taxonomy that matches the set of requirements to assign the information for the custom schema type.

The rule box has a dropdown of options, including Show Globally, Homepage, Category, and more. You’ll then choose what it will equal (=).

Whatever can be combined to equal the rule will appear.

You can always add a rule by clicking the And button.

Plus, you can have Or rules by clicking Add Rule (or).

For more on configuring schema types, be sure to read our documentation.

Editing Custom Schema Type

Once your new custom schema type is saved and ready to go, it can be edited at any time. There are several ways to edit.

One is, if you ever decide to deactivate it, all it takes is one click. The same goes for reactivating it. If it’s blue – it’s active.

It takes just a click to deactivate or activate the schema.

Need to add a Simple, Nested, or Collection property? Or edit a configuration? Change location? That’s all done from the dropdown.

Clicking the Dropdown opens up all the rules and configurations, which you can edit accordingly.

You can Rename, Duplicate, and Delete the custom schema from the Gear Icon.

If you duplicate the schema type, here’s a quick look at what it does…

Duplicating Custom Schema Type

When you Duplicate your custom schema type, another exact version will appear immediately underneath the one you duplicated.

Just like any schema, you can edit the duplicate accordingly.

If you need to edit, go to the Types Builder in the Schema area of SmartCrawl’s admin. All the schemas that you have for your site are all in one place!

Example Custom Schema Type

Now that you’ve seen how to set up a custom schema type let’s see a real-world example of this. To start with, all available schemas are at schema.org. Schema.org is a community that has a mission to create, maintain, and promote schemas.

We’ll use an example from schema.org that’s pretty common: restaurant.

As you can see on the schema.org page, there are a ton of categories to choose schema types.

Just add properties to your custom schema type in SmartCrawl that you want to use. For example, we have the address, region, price range, logo, etc. — things that pertain to a restaurant.

Have the properties you want? Great! Now be sure to test your schema type at Google’s Rich Results Test or the Schema Markup Validator. This will ensure your schema markup is working properly.

And that’s it! Your custom schema for a restaurant is done, and patrons will set reservations in no time.

What’s Your (Schema) Type?

With custom schema type, there’s an endless possibility of schema to include for your WordPress site. And as you can see, it can be set up, enabled, and duplicated in just a few clicks.

Plus, it doesn’t cost you a thing! The custom schema type is included in our free and Pro versions of SmartCrawl.

So, what’s your schema type? Create a custom schema type to stand out amongst your SEO competitors and bring in more business today.

With Forminator Pro’s Stripe Subscriptions, recurring payments, pricing plans, and other improvements, your payment forms just got better! Learn how to implement these amazing features and hear about some other recent advancements in this article.

Forminator Pro, our popular form-creating plugin, just keeps improving with its new subscription payments options. It coordinates with Stripe, making managing and implementing recurring payments more effortless than ever.

This feature works for one-time payments and subscriptions. Plus, you can include free trials, customize subscription terms, add multiple payment structures, and more!

We’ll be going over:

• How to Add Stripe Subscriptions to Collect Recurring Payments
• Adding Multiple Pricing Plans
• Subscription Example
• Using Localization Number Formatting
• Other Features

You’ll see how Forminator Pro’s payment features can benefit your business today and other advanced options.

How to Add Stripe Subscriptions to Collect Recurring Payments

Subscriptions are perfect for gym memberships, donations, food boxes, book subscriptions — you name it. There are many reasons to include a subscription on your WordPress site, and now with Forminator, it’s a breeze!

Subscriptions can get set up by going to the Add-Ons section in Forminator’s dashboard. From here, it’s just a matter of clicking Install from the Forminator Stripe Subscription Add-On.

At this point, you click Activate.

If you don’t have your Stripe account connected, you will do so here. You’ll fill in the required information, including your Test Publishable Key, Test Secret Key, Live Publishable Key, and Live Secret Key.

If you need any help setting up your Stripe account, we have you covered in our documentation.

Adding Multiple Pricing Plans

Multiple pricing plans are perfect if you want someone to pay in a given timeframe (e.g. every month), add extra orders, buy additional subscriptions for gifts, including a free trial, and more.

It’s up to you how you want to set up plans for your subscriptions.

Get started by heading to Forminator’s dashboard, go to Forms, and create or edit a form that you already have.

I went ahead and set up a new form called Forminator Subscription.

For this example, let’s say that I want to take subscription payments with the options of Monthly, Quarterly, and Annually. I set up all the fields that I felt were necessary for this type of form.

You’ll notice the Membership Plans field. That was created with a Select field, where I entered the various membership options and labeled it Membership Plans.

Now we include the Stripe field and edit its settings.

In the Settings tab in the Stripe field, you go to the Payment Plan section and add different plans in the Plan Setup. We’ll go ahead and set up a Monthly option…

Now it’s time to choose a Payment Type. You can choose between One Time or Subscription. It’s then time to decide if you’d like a Fixed or Variable amount.

In this article, we’ll set up a monthly payment plan that costs $25. It’s just a matter of choosing Subscription and entering the Fixed monthly payment in the Amount box.

From here, you choose a Quantity. Pick a fixed amount or variable — whatever is best for your specific needs.

And now, we’re ready to choose a billing cycle. You can decide how often to bill by:

• Day(s)
• Week(s)
• Month(s)
• Year(s)

There’s also an option for a Trial Period. Just check the box!

Selecting this option will give the user a limited-time free trial for a specific plan. For the time being, let’s allow for a 7-day trial. So, I’ll enter a ‘7’ in the Trial Duration area.

Next, we’re going to head to the Conditions tab to connect it to our dropdown selection. This tab is in all of your subscription options. In this case, we’re on the Monthly subscription.

From here, you add the condition(s) selections from the dropdown.

Conditions can be adjusted and changed however you’d like. For more information on how to specify what conditions are and how they function, be sure to check out our documentation.

To sync everything with Stripe, under the Advanced tab in the Stripe Field, scroll down, and you can select the Billing Details, where you choose your appropriate fields from the dropdown (e.g. Name, Email, etc.).

Use the Meta Data area to include any other additional information that you’ll need from your users. This information will be sent to Stripe and appear in the MetaData section of every transaction.

For example, add a Phone Number.

Once you have all of the Meta Data you want to collect, you’re all set to publish your form!

Viewing Your Subscription Information in Stripe

What’s remarkable is how the information syncs with Stripe. This makes it easy to manage your subscriptions, see sales, get users’ information, and much more.

From Stripe’s dashboard, you check out who signed up under the Customers tab. You’ll be able to view the email, trial end date, invoice number, credit card info, and all additional information you need.

On top of that, you can see all of the subscriptions that you created in the Products area.

All of this can be viewed in test data and live mode, making for smooth operations as you start collecting payment for your subscriptions!

Subscription Example

To get an idea of the possibilities with recurring subscriptions and payments, here’s an example of a book box membership created with Forminator.

As you can see, there are a lot of options and variables to choose from. Users decide whether to get hardcover only and extra items (e.g. coffee, bookmark, etc.). When it comes to subscription options, you can choose between 3, 6, and 12 months.

The form also gives a running total of the price.

It goes without saying that setting up an appealing subscription option can be a game-changer when it comes to your sales.

If you’d like to test out this specific template for yourself, upload the code for it into Forminator’s dashboard and give it a try! Get the code here to check it out.

Using Localization Number Formatting

Another advanced feature that’s now included with Forminator Pro is the option to use localized number formatting.

This feature is available for the Number, Currency, and Calculations fields. In these fields, you can edit the number format under the Settings > Formatting.

You choose your decimal separator from the Separator dropdown. From here, you’ll have numerous options for decimals and commas, including not having them in specific spaces.

Pick what decimals you want to round to in the — you guessed it — Round To section. You choose between 0-4.

Finally, you can also pre-populate this field dynamically using the query parameter passed in your form URL. Just enter it in the Query Parameter area (e.g. query_parameter_key).

Localization number formatting gives you more control of how the value of your field is displayed.

Other Features

Forminator Pro released some other advanced features that you will find beneficial. They include:

• • Stripe and PayPal Options In a Single Form
  • Quizzes Accessibility for Videos and Images

Let’s check them out!

Stripe and PayPal Options In a Single Form

Instead of having just one or the other, you can now include both Stripe and PayPal. They can be included as payment options for your users on a single form.

Just add the Stripe and PayPal fields to any form as a payment option. You can also use the Select field to provide a dropdown of the options.

The dropdown makes it simple for a user to choose their preferred payment.

Quizzes Accessibility for Videos and Images

Want to spice up your quizzes? Add videos in quiz answers! This is useful for various purposes (e.g. a correct answer to a scene in a movie, what a particular song is, etc.) and can provide added engagement.

It’s done by adding a link to a video on YouTube or elsewhere. Then, it’s just a matter of including the link to the video in the Description area.

You can always arrange the quiz order from Forminator’s dashboard under Appearance > Layout > Quiz Item Ordering. This is beneficial for arranging if you need the video to appear first or want the description at the top of the question.

And just like that, you’ll have videos added to your quiz!

Forminator Pro’s Features Are Something To Subscribe To

With recurring payment options, more payment options, and the inclusion of videos for quizzes, your forms for your WordPress site will go beyond the norm!

Plus, there are new advanced features always in the works. Be sure to check out our Roadmap for a glimpse of what’s coming next.

Forminator Pro is worth subscribing to. Really though, you don’t need to “subscribe” — it comes with every WPMU DEV membership (which you can try free for 7-days).

Configs eliminate painstaking manual adjustments for individual sites. Instead, you can immediately apply your preferred plugin and uptime settings to unlimited sites with a click!

Best of all, they’re all implemented quickly from The Hub and WordPress admin.

Adjust any config-supported plugin to your preference, save as a new config, apply your custom config to all of your Hub-connected sites in one click — it’s that easy!

This article is your ultimate guide to learn, know, and use configs for your WordPress sites. We’ll be going over:

• What Are Configs?
• Using Default Configs
• Creating Custom Configs
• Quick Dev Configs Site Setup
• Adding Configs in The Hub
• Taking Advantage of Uptime Configs

Once you have configs up and running, you’ll see for yourself how easy and beneficial it is to adjust your settings on unlimited sites.

Plus, with easy config access from The Hub, WordPress management just got better than ever.

Let’s get to it!

What Are Configs?

Configs are by far one of the most beneficial features you can use to help build and tweak your WordPress sites.

In a nutshell, they allow you to set up any supported plugin to your preference, and then save these (non-unique) plugin settings as a new config – which you can then apply to the rest of your sites in one hit.

Think saving your video game progress, but for WordPress plugins.

1. Adjust any config-supported plugin or tool to your preference.
2. Save your plugin settings as a new config.
3. Apply your config to all your Hub-connected sites in a click.
4. Repeat whenever a new important plugin feature is added.

You can create new configs in WordPress or The Hub, and they automatically sync across to the each other.

Note that you can also use configs WITHOUT The Hub, you’ll just have to save and upload them to your sites manually – which will still save time – but won’t be as fast as one-click applying them via The Hub.

Currently configs can be used with SmartCrawl, Defender, Smush, Hummingbird, and Uptime (Forminator, Branda, and Automate coming soon!).

Finally, you have the option of using our default configs (which are already set up and optimized by our expert team), or you can create your own custom configs.

Using Default Configs

We’ll first check out how to use default configs from the WordPress admin.

They’re a great way to get started with configs, especially if you’d prefer to skip the configuration process. Our default options will suit most users and are a great foundation to build from.

In this walkthrough, I’ll be using Defender.

In Defender’s dashboard, you can see that there’s a section labeled Preset Configs.

It shows what’s included (Basic Config and Default Security Config), Manage Options, and Save New.

You can view the details of each one by clicking on the dropdown arrow, showing you what’s activated and what’s not.

Here’s a look at the Basic Config.

From here, it’s a matter of applying or downloading the config. It’s done by clicking the gear icon and Download.

As mentioned earlier, the download option is mainly for non-Hub users who want to still upload their configs to other sites.

By tapping Apply, Defender will make sure you want to proceed and recommends a backup for your site.

If you want to make this config active, hit Apply, and you’re all set!

You can now move to The Hub and apply this same config to all your other sites in bulk, but we’ll get to that soon.

Alright, now that you know how to use default configs, let’s set up a completely customized one.

Creating Custom Configs

Creating a custom config is a way to set up plugin configurations to your standards and preference.

It can be done from WordPress or The Hub, and they can be applied to unlimited WordPress sites.

Let’s set one up in WordPress using Defender again.

We’ll start by assuming you’ve already activated relevant Defender settings and tools.

Once you’ve done this it’s as simple as hitting Save New in the Configs section.

When hitting Save New, a new box will appear. This is where you can add a Title and Description of the config.

Then, click Save, and all of the configurations you have saved at this time will be available as a new config.

It will then appear with your other configs, where you can activate, edit name and description, or delete.

The new config is also ready to be activated or downloaded and applied to as many sites as you want.

If you’re in The Hub, you’ll see that this new config is also accessible here. It’s under My Configs.

Speaking of The Hub, now it’s time to see how easy it is to apply configs to unlimited sites with a couple of clicks.

Adding Configs in The Hub

From the My Sites area you should see the Configs tab.

Once you click on Configs, you’ll see you can access either our Default Configs or any custom configs you’ve created in My Configs.

For this example, we’ll show you how to apply a default config, but the process for applying custom configs is exactly the same.

Next, you’ll see the option to Apply to site(s) and an ellipsis by each plugin and service.

To apply this config to your site(s), click Apply to site(s).

Before applying, you can also check out what’s in the config by clicking the ellipsis.

When clicking this, you’ll hit Details, and it shows you all that’s included, so you can make a good decision about what sites you want to apply it to.

For example, here is detailed information about the Performance Config and Hummingbird Pro.

It shows the date it was created, what’s active/inactive, what’s automated, and is broken up into categories (e.g. Advanced Tools).

Like what you see, and you want this config applied to a specific site? Or unlimited sites? You can do that from here by clicking Apply.

After hitting Apply, you’re given the option to add configs for one or numerous sites.

You can do this individually or all at once by tapping Select All.

Choose as many sites as you want to apply configs to.

When hitting Select All, you’ll notice any website with the plugin not active won’t be included.

Plus, it will give you the total amount of sites the config is applied to.

Once you have the sites, you want to apply configs to, hit Apply to site — and you’re all set!

Want more convenience?

Configs can also be enabled directly from The Hub Overview.

Here’s an example of saving or applying an Uptime config.

If you click on the ellipsis, it will open up a dropdown where you have an option to Save Config and Apply Config.

Quick Configs Site Setup

Once you’ve created different configs across different plugins, you can easily add them all to single sites at once using our quick config site setup.

From The Hub, go to a site and click on the ellipsis in the upper-righthand corner.

From there, you’ll see Quick Setup. Click on that to get started.

Your configs are now well on the way.

This brings up a brief guide of configs and gives you the option to Start Setup.

From here, it’s a matter of selecting what you want to set up by checking the box next to the feature.

Any configs that are available (including custom configs), you’ll be able to select from the dropdown where it says Select Config. Select from the dropdown the configs you want to use.

Once you have the DEV configs sorted the way you want, click Start Setup.

It’s just a matter of choosing what configs to apply and where.

And just like that, your configs are attributed to your WordPress site!

Note: We recommend not using configs for brand-spanking new sites. It’s best to get established with your plugins and features first so that any functionality isn’t disrupted (e.g. if you were to enable a Defender config on a brand new site with masked login activated, you will not be able to log into the site).

Take Advantage of Uptime Configs

Our uptime tool allows you to monitor downtime and uptime, configure the notification threshold, and the email recipient who you want to keep tabs on your chosen site.

Uptime configs also work slightly different to our regular plugin configs, and custom uptime configs can be a great tool for agencies or freelancers who manage many websites and want to prioritize them differently.

For example, you can create specific uptime configs especially for clients who have purchased your top tiered plans. In this case, your alerts could be set up to instantly notify your top developers.

On the other hand, for lower paying, less priority sites – you might only have a 10 min downtime alert, which is sent to your intermediate developers.

Then simply save these two unique setups as configs, and apply to relevant sites based on their priority.

That’s the one example anyway. The point is, you can get creative with how you customize this particular config tool, and use it to your advantage.

Like the others, Uptime configs can be found in your default and custom config dashboards.

For more on Uptime, be sure to check out our documentation.

Go Big and Config

As you can see, configs are a BIG advantage to your WordPress management. They put you in the driver’s seat when it comes to your WordPress sites settings!

Configs streamline everything, so you don’t have to adjust settings for each site that you have. They’re an excellent one-and-done solution.

Be sure to give them a spin today on unlimited sites with our supported plugins and Uptime. If you don’t have The Hub and want to check out all that was covered, sign up for a free 7-day trial. You’ll also get access to all of our award-winning premium plugins, 24-7 support, and more!

Now that you know how to use them, there’s nothing else to configure out.

Thanks to Forminator and E2Pdf, you can now quickly and easily generate a PDF from a form in WordPress. This makes it as simple as ever when creating agreements, contracts, certificates, licenses, and more directly from a form on your WordPress site.

Plus — it’s free!

As you’ll see, when these two get together, they form a PDF-ect team.

To kick things off, watch Forminator and E2Pdf in action in the video below. Then, once you get a glimpse of how they work together,  we’ll break-down all the information in detail throughout this article.

As you can see, Forminator and E2Pdf can deliver some amazing PDFs as easily as ever.

You should already be familiar with Forminator. He’s our popular 5-star form building plugin that can create amazing forms, quizzes, polls, registration forms, and much more in just a few clicks.

And when it comes to PDFs, E2Pdf is another popular 5-star rated plugin that features PDF Document Viewer, PDF Document Editor, PDF Data Injector, and other awesome features.

You’ll see how the combined forces of Forminator and E2Pdf can allow your users to fill out a form on your WordPress site and have it become a PDF.

If you haven’t already, download Forminator and E2Pdf. Once you have them installed and activated, you’ll be ready to follow along as we create some PDFs directly from our WordPress form.

Now, let’s walk through how to create a PDF using three different methods that include:

• Automatically Generating a PDF From a Form
• Using a Premade PDF
• Creating a PDF from the PDF Builder to Design a Template

Additionally, at the end of this post, there’s an opportunity to get a sweet discount for E2Pdf. Though it’s free to use, there are some upgrades you can make with WPMU DEV and E2Pdf’s partnership.

Ready to get your PDF on? Let’s get started.

Automatically Generating a PDF From a Form

This method creates a PDF template based on a form that was created in Forminator. It’s a way to get started with an established form instantly, so you don’t have to start from scratch.

Clicking on Templates from the E2Pdf admin and Add New will get you started. Once clicking Add New, a pop-up will appear where you will create the PDF.

From here, you’ll want to give this PDF a Title, select whether it’s active or not in the Status, and change the Width & Height.

You can also choose a premade custom selection from the Size Preset dropdown regarding the size. There are options for Letter, Note, Tabloid, and more.

You can see there are quite a few options already available to you.

Also, choose a Font, Font Size, and Alignment.

Once you have the prerequisites figured out, head to the Extension dropdown. This is where the integration comes into play.

You’ll notice that E2Pdf has picked up that Forminator is installed on our WordPress site and automatically included it as an option. Cool, huh?

I premade a form on Forminator and titled it “E2PDF Test Form.” You can see I have First Name, Email Address, Phone Number, and Message as the fields in the preview below.

Keep the Extension on Forminator, and then you’ll choose what form you want to use in the Item dropdown.

You’ll notice my premade Forminator form “E2PDF” is an option, so we’ll select that.

When everything is set up, hitting the Auto PDF button will take care of the rest.

And just like that, we now have a PDF template that is created from a form. E2Pdf takes all the input fields and places them into a template automatically.

You can check out what it looks like by hitting Preview.

Need to edit? That’s a click away by clicking the gear icon for Options.

You can also drag and drop the fields around to rearrange any way that you’d like. Additionally, if you right-click (or use two fingers to tap if you’re on a Mac) on a field, it will open up the options for:

• Map Field
• Hide
• Copy
• Cut
• Delete
• Properties

The PDF Builder located on the righthand side allows you to drag and drop Fields and Objects into your PDF form.

Drag and drop any additional details that you’d like.

Again, just hit Update if any changes are made, and you’ll be all set!

You’ll notice then that your new PDF for the form is in the Templates section of E2Pdf’s admin. From here, you can open it up, see if it’s active or not, and get the Shortcode for it (which I’ll be discussing soon).

Now that we’ve looked at how to generate a PDF from a form automatically let’s move on to…

Using a Premade PDF

Another way of creating a PDF from a form is by using a premade template and simply mapping data to the fields in it.

You’ll want to add a new PDF template by going to Templates > Add New. Then, title it, and include the settings you’ll want (e.g. width, font, etc.).

Make sure Forminator is selected as the Extension and choose the form used to add in all of the data.

Next, we’ll click Upload PDF, and we’ll select a PDF we want to upload as a template.

Once uploaded, it shows up in the admin. In this example, I created one called “Another Example.”

Currently, none of the form fields are mapped on the template. Changing that is a breeze. All you have to do is add them manually from the PDF Builder — just like I showed in the previous example.

As you can see, I added several input fields and a signature field.

Now, to choose how the data is stored in the form on Forminator, all you do is right-click (or use two fingers on a Mac) on the field and select Map Field. You’ll then click on the field in Forminator’s form for whatever selection you want.

All the data is quick and accessible to input.

Do this for every field that you want to include on the form and PDF.

If you’re happy with everything after hitting preview, just click Update and save your changes. It’s that easy!

The final method of creating a form that translates into a PDF is the…

Creating a PDF from the PDF Builder to Design a Template

This method creates a template by just using the PDF Builder. Like the other ways of creating PDFs, it’s fast and straightforward to set up.

You’ll start by going to Templates and Add New for a new template. As I previously demonstrated, name it and choose the settings that suit your needs.

Make sure Forminator is selected in Extensions, and choose a form that you’d like to use from the dropdown menu.

This time around, we will click the Empty PDF button because we will completely design this template.

Once clicking Empty PDF, it takes you to — you guessed it — an empty PDF page.

PRO TIP: When doing this, write everything down that you want to include on your PDF. That way, you don’t miss anything, and you can ensure that your PDF design is precisely how you want it before you start putting it together.

Once you know what you’d like to include, you can map all of the blank PDF fields by dragging items from the PDF Builder. Then, right-click (or use two fingers on a MacBook) to Map Field to the form inputs on the Forminator form.

As always, you can preview it. Once it looks good, click Save, and you’re all set!

How Users View, Receive and Download PDFs

The way users view, receive, and download PDFs all begins with shortcodes. Then, depending on where you add them, users can download, view, or save the PDF.

Each time you create a new template, it creates a shortcode accessible in the admin under Templates and each template. When clicking on Shortcodes, a dropdown appears that has several to choose from.

Copy and paste a shortcode of your preference. Then, we’ll head into the form settings in Forminator.

From here, you’ll click on the form that you want and select Edit and then Behavior.

We’re going to add this shortcode to the inline message that appears after the form submission. I’ll also add a little note beforehand. This particular shortcode that I copied is to save the PDF.

Additionally, after a user submits a form, they can receive an email. I’ll set up an Attachment option for the PDF that the user will receive.

Then, just copy the Attachment shortcode…

Go into Forminator, Email Notifications, and Add Notification (or edit, if you already have one set up). Finally, paste the shortcode that the user receives with your message.

After a user submits a form, they’ll get an email notification with the PDF attachment. Here’s what this example email looks like:

When the user downloads the PDF, it will show exactly what was submitted on the form that the user filled out.

This is a great way to provide contracts, quotes, or any form to your user and yourself — all in an easy and accessible way via PDF.

E2Pdf Plus Forminator Form a Great Team

As you can see, E2Pdf teaming up with Forminator makes creating a PDF based on a form a reliable way to provide PDFs directly from your WordPress site.

There’s an endless amount of combinations you can create when it comes to forms that create PDFs. E2Pdf free version allows for one active page template at a time. That might be fine, depending on what you’re using Forminator and E2Pdf for.

However, if you need more templates than just one, be sure to take advantage of a special 20% discount for E2Pdf on our partners’ page.

And now, you should have the perfect PDF solution for you and your users!