Send Gravity Forms Data to Google Spreadsheet or Email

How to Send Gravity Forms Data to Google Spreadsheet or Email – A Complete Guide

Gravity Forms is one of the most powerful and flexible form plugins available for WordPress. Whether you're collecting contact form submissions, surveys, registrations, or customer feedback, Gravity Forms makes it easy to collect and manage user data.

But collecting data is just the beginning.

Many website owners want to automatically send that data to a Google Spreadsheet (for easy sharing or data analysis) or forward it via email (for notifications or records).

In this complete guide, we’ll walk through two major workflows:

1. Send Gravity Forms data to a Google Spreadsheet

2. Send Gravity Forms data to a custom email address

We’ll cover tools, plugins, and code methods to achieve seamless automation of your data pipeline.

Why Send Gravity Forms Data to Google Sheets or Email?

Let’s explore a few common scenarios:

• Automatically store all form submissions in a live spreadsheet

• Share real-time form data with team members or clients

• Back up entries outside of WordPress

• Trigger workflows in tools like Zapier or Make

• Forward submission data to multiple recipients

• Generate formatted emails with dynamic content

PART 1: Send Gravity Forms Data to Google Spreadsheet

There are two primary ways to do this:

Option A: Use Zapier to Connect Gravity Forms to Google Sheets (No Code)

Zapier is a no-code automation tool that connects thousands of apps together.

Step-by-Step Setup:

1. Create a Zapier Account (https://zapier.com)

2. Create a New Zap

   • Choose Trigger App: Gravity Forms

   • Choose Trigger Event: New Form Submission

3. Connect Gravity Forms

   • Install the Gravity Forms Zapier Add-On

   • Go to WordPress Admin > Forms > Settings > Zapier

   • Generate an API key

   • Paste API Key into Zapier and select your form

4. Add an Action Step

   • App: Google Sheets

   • Action: Create Spreadsheet Row

5. Connect Google Account

   • Select your Spreadsheet and Worksheet

   • Map Gravity Form fields to Google Sheet columns

6. Test and Turn On Zap

Pros:

• No coding required

• Easy field mapping

• Can integrate other apps (e.g., Slack, Gmail, Mailchimp)

Cons:

• Zapier’s free plan is limited

• Some delay between submission and sheet update

Option B: Use Custom Code + Webhook Add-On

If you want more control and don’t want to rely on third-party services, you can use the Gravity Forms Webhooks Add-On to send data directly to Google Sheets.

What You Need:

• Gravity Forms Webhooks Add-On (available in Elite license)

• Google Apps Script (to receive POST requests)

Step 1: Create a Google Apps Script Web App

1. Go to https://script.google.com

2. Create a new project

3. Paste the following code:

javascript
CopyEdit
function doPost(e) {
  var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.openById("YOUR_SPREADSHEET_ID").getSheetByName("Sheet1");

  var data = JSON.parse(e.postData.contents);
  sheet.appendRow([
    new Date(), 
    data.name, 
    data.email, 
    data.message
  ]);
  
  return ContentService.createTextOutput("Success");
}

Replace "YOUR_SPREADSHEET_ID" with your actual Google Sheet ID.

4. Click Deploy > Manage Deployments > New Deployment

5. Set as Web App

   • Execute as: Me

   • Access: Anyone

6. Deploy and copy the Web App URL

Step 2: Setup Webhook in Gravity Forms

1. Install and activate the Webhooks Add-On

2. Go to Forms > Settings > Webhooks

3. Click Add New

4. Fill in:

   • Request URL: Paste your Google Script Web App URL

   • Request Method: POST

   • Request Format: JSON

   • Add request body parameters:

     • name = {Name:1}

     • email = {Email:2}

     • message = {Message:3}

5. Save the Webhook

Now, when someone submits your form, their data is sent directly to Google Sheets!

Pros:

• No Zapier required

• Works in real time

• Fully customizable with Apps Script

Cons:

• Requires Gravity Forms Elite license

• Requires some JavaScript knowledge

PART 2: Send Gravity Forms Data to Email

Sending emails with Gravity Forms is a built-in feature and very easy to configure.

Step 1: Configure Notifications in Form Settings

1. Go to WordPress Admin > Forms

2. Hover over your form and click Settings > Notifications

3. Click Add New or Edit the Default Notification

Configuration Options:

• Send To Email: Enter a recipient email, or use a merge tag like {admin_email} or {Email:2}

• From Name: Use a static value or merge tag like {Name:1}

• From Email: Use a verified sender email (avoid using the user’s email to prevent spam issues)

• Reply To: You can use {Email:2} if you want to reply to the user

• Subject: Something like “New Contact Form Submission”

• Message: Include all fields using {all_fields} or custom formatting

Example:

css
CopyEdit
You have a new contact form submission:

Name: {Name:1}
Email: {Email:2}
Message: {Message:3}

4. Click Save Notification

Now, every time someone submits the form, an email will be sent to the designated address.

Advanced Email Tips:

• You can create multiple notifications to send to different recipients (e.g., admin, sales team, user confirmation)

• Use conditional logic to trigger emails based on selected form values

• Use plugins like WP Mail SMTP to ensure reliable email delivery

• Format your emails using HTML for branding and styling

Bonus: Send to Both Google Sheets and Email Simultaneously

Yes, you can do both.

• Set up a Webhook to Google Sheets

• Configure Notifications for email alerts

This allows real-time spreadsheet logging and email alerts without any conflict.

Troubleshooting Tips

• If your Google Sheet isn't receiving data:

  • Double-check your Web App deployment permissions

  • Make sure the Webhook URL is correct

  • Use Logger.log() or email logs for debugging

• If emails aren’t being sent:

  • Check spam/junk folder

  • Install WP Mail SMTP and configure a proper mail server

  • Test with a different recipient email

Real-Life Use Cases

• Sales Leads: Store leads in Sheets, notify sales via email.

• Support Tickets: Save inquiries to Sheets, notify support team.

• Event Registrations: Track sign-ups, send confirmation emails.

• Job Applications: Collect resumes, alert HR instantly.

• Surveys: Log results in Sheets for analytics.

Conclusion

Gravity Forms becomes significantly more powerful when integrated with tools like Google Sheets and email workflows. Whether you want to log every form submission into a live spreadsheet or send instant email notifications to your team, these methods help automate and streamline your data collection process.

Use Zapier for no-code ease, Webhooks for flexibility, and built-in notifications for real-time alerts. With just a bit of setup, you can turn Gravity Forms into a fully integrated data engine for your website and business.