How to Create a WordPress Guest Post Submission Form?
Tags: wordpress, freeform, jetformbuilder, plugin
Published: 2022-01-28 14:37:28

---
title: How to Create a WordPress Guest Post Submission Form?
published: true
date: 2022-01-28 14:03:19 UTC
tags: #wordpress #freeform #jetformbuilder #plugin
canonical_url: https://crocoblock.com/blog/wordpress-guest-post-submission-form/
---

What if you want to let the user submit the guest posts on your WordPress website? It’s doable, and this full tutorial will help you create a simple guest post submission form with the [**JetFormBuilder WordPress plugin**](https://jetformbuilder.com/).

Before we dive into form creation, let me first cover guest posting meaning, pros, and threats.

Table of contents:

- [What is Guest Posting?](#what)
  - [Why accept user-submitted content?](#why)
  - [Guest posting threats](#threats)
- [How to Create Guest Post Submission Form?](#create)
  - [Customize Posts custom post type](#cpt)
  - [Add new guest post submission WordPress form](#add-new-form)
  - [Set up post submit actions](#post-submit-actions)
  - [Add guest post form to the page](#add-to-page)
  - [Testing time](#testing)
- [TL;DR](#tl-dr)

## What Is Guest Posting?

Basically, **guest posting** is the process of writing content for other blogs. It helps the author (guest-poster) to attract more attention to their website or personality.

Furthermore, guest authors build awareness across their industry and get a backlink to their website, social media, etc. It’s one of the best ways of improving **personal branding**. 

### Why accept user-submitted content?

But why your company website or personal blog should accept guest posts? There are a few reasons to allow user-submitted content:

- bring more expertise to your blog; 
- generate valuable and relevant content from guest authors;
- check how your audience reacts to user-generated content;
- communicate with professionals;
- diversify the on-site content.

### Guest posting threats

Among all guest posting perspectives, there are also a few threats that you can easily avoid.

1. **Spam**. You’ll constantly face spam/irrelevant content submissions after opening a guest posting opportunity on your website. 
2. **No submissions**. Sometimes it also happens, and you need to attract guest authors to contribute content to your platform.
3. **Not following your guidelines**. Brrr… Of course, not everyone will strictly follow your blog rules. And you have to edit the article by yourself or decline the post written by a guest author.

But, no worries, if you know your audience’s interests, have strict article guidelines, carefully read each article before posting, you’ll successfully avoid guest posting threats. Hence, none can be assured in spamming emails or articles, so you need to accept this first. 

Nevertheless, guest posting is a fantastic opportunity for each blog, and only you choose the strategy you want to follow.

📚**Read also:** [Why you should use WordPress?](https://crocoblock.com/blog/why-you-should-use-wordpress/)

At this cheerful point, let’s create our **guest-posting WordPress form** using the JetFormBuilder plugin. If you prefer video instead of written instructions, we have the one on our YouTube channel:

<iframe title="Setting Up Frontend Post Submission | JetFormBuilder &amp; JetEngine" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M8ndJG8nZKM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

## How to Create a Guest Post Submission Form? 

### Customize the Posts custom post type

Before we start creating the form, let’s sum up what information we need from the user:

- author name
- author email
- article title
- article content
- article category
- article excerpt 

Most fields are already available in WordPress Posts CPT but I want to create some additional fields. For this, I’ll edit my **Posts** built-in [custom post type](https://crocoblock.com/plugins/jetengine/custom-post-type/). Thus, go to [**_JetEngine_**](https://crocoblock.com/plugins/jetengine/custom-post-type/) **_> Post Types_** , toggle built-in post types, find the **Posts** type, and press the Edit action.

![wordpress custom post types list](https://crocoblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/custom-post-types-list.png)

I want to add **two additional meta fields** to create the author account for them manually after submitting the form. So, I’ll scroll to the meta fields section in the Posts CPT, and add Author & Email (field type: Text).

![wordpress meta fields](https://crocoblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/meta-fields.png)

NOTE:

You can use [Profile Builder](https://crocoblock.com/knowledge-base/articles/jetengine-user-profile-builder-overview/) to create an author account automatically.

<iframe title="How to work with Crocoblock Profile Builder | JetEngine from A to Z course" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DloUYSFmAvs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

### Add a new guest post submission WordPress form

Now we are ready to create our guest post submission form. Navigate to **JetFormBuilder** and press the “ **Add New** ” button. I’ll name my form **Submit Guest Post** and add the form fields.

The first form section will be author details:

- First & Last name (Text field)
- Email (Text field)

![submit guest post wordpress form](https://crocoblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/guest_post_wp_form.png)

The second form section will be about article details, including:

- Article Title (Text field);
- Article Excerpt (Textarea field);
- Article Body (WYSIWYG field);
- Article Category (Select field, I’ve set it to pre-fill options from the **Terms** – taxonomy as **Category** ).

![free wordpress form](https://crocoblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/article-details.png)

### Set up Post-Submit Actions

After creating the form fields, we need to let our form understand what to do after submission. 

For this, post-submit actions exist. A few actions are available (send an email, insert/update post, redirect to a page, etc.), but we need only [Insert/Update action](https://jetformbuilder.com/features/insert-update-post/) to make our guest post submissions go directly to our **Posts** custom post type. 

Therefore, navigate to JetForm post-submit actions, choose **Insert/Update Post** , and press the “ **Edit** ” button:

![set up post submit actions](https://crocoblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/submit_guest_post_form.png)

Firstly, we need to choose the relevant post type to store guest posts. In my case, it’s an in-built **Posts** post type. Secondly, select the post status:

- Draft (save the article as a draft);
- **Pending Review** (set pending review status; I’ll go with this option);
- Private (publish the article privately);
- Published (instantly publish the guest post on your blog).

![edit post submit action](https://crocoblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/edit-post-submit-action.png)

Thirdly, the most crucial part (my favorite one) is matching the form fields with custom post type fields: 

- First & Last Name is my newly created meta field **author** ;
- Email is also one of created meta fields **email** ;

![edit insert update action](https://crocoblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/edit-insert-update-action.png)

- Article Title is the in-built meta field **Post Title** ;
- Article Excerpt maps with **Post Excerpt** ;
- Article Body is our **Post Content** ;
- Article Category is in-built post term **Categories**. 

![map wp form fields with meta fields](https://crocoblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/map-form-fields.png)

After mapping form fields with meta fields, press the “ **Update** ” button. You can also add more post-submit actions like [Send email](https://jetformbuilder.com/features/send-email/), [Redirect to a page](https://jetformbuilder.com/features/redirect-to-page/), etc. I’m okay with just Insert Post action.

Besides, we are done with creating the WordPress guest submission form, and now let’s add the form to a page.

### Add guest post form to the page

However, I’m using Gutenberg editor; there are two ways to add the form to the page:

- via the JetForm block;
- via a Shortcode (copy the form shortcode, and add it to the needed page).

I’m using the JetForm block. So, I go to the WordPress page, where I want to add my form, press **Plus** icon, and choose the JetForm block. After this, you are asked to select the form; I’ll go with my **Submit Guest Post** form and press “ **Publish**.”

![add wordpress form to page](https://crocoblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/jetform-block.png)

Hence, we’ve created the guest post WordPress form and successfully added it to the page.

![wordpress guest post form example](https://crocoblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/guest-post-form-example.png)

### Testing time

Let’s check how our guest post submission form works. I’ve submitted the article text from our [Gutenberg Editor: Threats, Missing Features and Future](https://crocoblock.com/blog/the-future-with-gutenberg-the-brand-new-content-editor-or-a-website-builder/), and it’s immediately appeared in my WordPress dashboard:

![back end wordpress form submission](https://crocoblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/back-end-pending-post.png)

Now, I can review/edit the article.  

![post submit article example](https://crocoblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/post-submit-article-example.png)

Additional information (author and email) is displayed right after the article. So, I can use the details for creating an author account in WordPress (if appropriate).

![meta fields example](https://crocoblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/meta-fields-example.png)

It works amazing, doesn’t it? 

NOTE:

Oh, boy! I had forgotten about form styling. I like my minimalistic style, but would you like to style each form block? [JetStyleManager free WordPress plugin](https://crocoblock.com/plugins/jetstylemanager/) is here for you. Check out the [styling documentation](https://jetformbuilder.com/features/style-overview/).

## TL;DR

The guest post submission form helps you to make the guest posting easier. The article is sent directly to your WordPress posts, which allows you to review, edit, and publish the articles faster.

Few insights I’ve come up with while preparing this WordPress guest post creation guide:

- Think about where you want to **store your article submissions** : in a new custom post type or in-built CPT (like Posts).
- Add/edit additional **meta fields** to your custom posts (if needed).
- Create a **WordPress form** with all necessary fields.
- Set up **post-submit actions** (what the form needs to do after the user submits it).
- Be attentive to **mapping form fields** with post meta (ID/Name must be the same).
- Make special **requirements** for your guest writers to follow. 

You’re welcome to submit your questions or share your guest forms created with JetFormBuilder below.

The post [How to Create a WordPress Guest Post Submission Form?](https://crocoblock.com/blog/wordpress-guest-post-submission-form/) appeared first on [Crocoblock](https://crocoblock.com).