Core Forms
Get Core Forms

Installation

This guide covers installing Core Forms, activating your license, and verifying that everything is ready to go.

System Requirements

Before installing Core Forms, make sure your server meets these minimums:

Requirement Minimum Version
PHP 7.4
WordPress 6.0
MySQL/MariaDB 5.6 / 10.1

Core Forms has no external PHP dependencies and works with any standard WordPress hosting environment. It is compatible with PHP 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3.

Installing the Plugin

Option 1: Upload via WordPress Admin

  1. Download the core-forms.zip file from your account at gauravtiwari.org/plugins/core-forms.
  2. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
  3. Click Choose File, select the core-forms.zip file, and click Install Now.
  4. Once the installation completes, click Activate Plugin.

Option 2: Upload via FTP/SFTP

  1. Unzip core-forms.zip on your local machine.
  2. Upload the core-forms/ folder to /wp-content/plugins/ on your server.
  3. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins and click Activate next to Core Forms.

Option 3: Install via WP-CLI

If you have shell access and WP-CLI installed:

# Upload and activate in one step
wp plugin install /path/to/core-forms.zip --activate

# Or if the plugin is already uploaded
wp plugin activate core-forms

To verify the installation:

wp plugin list --name=core-forms --fields=name,status,version

Expected output:

+-----------+--------+---------+
| name      | status | version |
+-----------+--------+---------+
| core-forms| active | 4.0.0   |
+-----------+--------+---------+

What Happens on Activation

When you activate Core Forms, the plugin automatically:

  1. Creates the submissions table -- A custom database table (wp_cf_submissions) is created to store form submissions. The table includes columns for form_id, data (JSON), ip_address, user_agent, referer_url, is_spam, and submitted_at.

  2. Registers the core-form post type -- Forms are stored as a custom post type. This is not publicly visible and is managed entirely through the Core Forms admin interface.

  3. Adds the edit_forms capability -- The administrator role receives the edit_forms capability, which controls access to the Core Forms admin pages.

  4. Registers a weekly cron schedule -- Used for background tasks like license validation and draft cleanup.

No configuration files are modified, no .htaccess rules are added, and no external requests are made during activation.

License Activation

Core Forms includes all premium features in the core plugin. A valid license key unlocks automatic updates and support.

Activating Your License

  1. Go to Core Forms > Settings in your WordPress admin.
  2. Scroll to the License section at the bottom of the page.
  3. Enter your license key in the License Key field.
  4. Click Activate License.

A green "Active" badge confirms that your license is valid and automatic updates are enabled.

Where to Find Your License Key

Your license key is available in your account dashboard at:

https://gauravtiwari.org/plugins/core-forms

Each license key is tied to your purchase and can be used on the number of sites included in your plan.

Deactivating a License

If you need to move Core Forms to a different site:

  1. Go to Core Forms > Settings on the old site.
  2. Click Deactivate License.
  3. Activate the license key on the new site.

License Troubleshooting

Problem Solution
"License key is invalid" Double-check for typos. Copy and paste the key from your account page.
"License limit reached" Deactivate the license on a site you no longer use, then try again.
Updates not showing Go to Dashboard > Updates and click Check Again. Core Forms also forces an update check on activation.
Connection error Your server may be blocking outgoing HTTPS requests to gauravtiwari.org. Check with your host.

WP-CLI License Management

You can also manage your license from the command line:

# Check license status
wp option get cf_license_key
wp option get cf_license_status

Verifying the Installation

After activation, confirm everything is working:

  1. Check the admin menu -- You should see a Core Forms menu item in your WordPress admin sidebar with sub-pages for forms, submissions, and settings.

  2. Check the database table -- Go to Core Forms > Settings. If the submissions table was created successfully, you will not see any database warnings.

  3. Create a test form -- Go to Core Forms > Add New, enter a title like "Test Form", and click Create Form. If the form editor loads, the plugin is working correctly.

  4. Check the Gutenberg block -- Open any page or post in the block editor and search for "Core Form". The block should appear in the inserter.

Verifying via WP-CLI

# Confirm the custom post type is registered
wp post-type list --format=table | grep core-form

# Confirm the submissions table exists
wp db query "SHOW TABLES LIKE '%cf_submissions%'"

# Confirm the plugin settings option exists
wp option get cf_settings --format=json

Server Configuration Notes

PHP Memory Limit

Core Forms is lightweight and operates well within the default WordPress memory limit. If you are running many plugins, ensure your PHP memory limit is at least 128MB:

; php.ini
memory_limit = 128M

File Upload Support

If you plan to use the file upload extension, ensure these PHP settings are configured:

; php.ini
file_uploads = On
upload_max_filesize = 10M
post_max_size = 12M

Adjust the values based on the file sizes you expect to receive.

HTTPS Recommendation

While Core Forms works on HTTP sites, HTTPS is strongly recommended. Form submissions contain user data (names, emails, messages) that should be encrypted in transit. Most hosting providers offer free SSL certificates via Let's Encrypt.

Multisite Compatibility

Core Forms works on WordPress Multisite installations. Each site in the network gets its own submissions table and settings. Install the plugin either network-wide or per-site:

# Network activate
wp plugin activate core-forms --network

# Or activate on a specific site
wp plugin activate core-forms --url=site2.example.com

Updating Core Forms

With an active license, updates appear automatically in Dashboard > Updates alongside your other plugins. You can update Core Forms just like any other WordPress plugin.

To update via WP-CLI:

wp plugin update core-forms

Manual Update

If automatic updates are not available:

  1. Download the latest version from gauravtiwari.org/plugins/core-forms.
  2. Deactivate the current version in Plugins.
  3. Delete the old core-forms/ folder from /wp-content/plugins/.
  4. Upload and activate the new version (see installation steps above).

Your forms, submissions, and settings are stored in the database and are preserved across updates and reinstalls.

Uninstalling Core Forms

Deactivating the plugin disables all forms but preserves your data. If you want to fully remove Core Forms:

  1. Deactivate the plugin in Plugins.
  2. Click Delete to remove the plugin files.

On deletion, Core Forms removes:

  • The wp_cf_submissions database table
  • All core-form posts and their meta data
  • The cf_settings option from the options table
  • The edit_forms capability from the administrator role

Important: This is irreversible. Export your submissions (via Core Forms > Submissions > Export CSV) before deleting if you need to keep the data.

Next Steps