PlugPress
Getting Started with CF7 Mate
Install CF7 Mate, run the four-step setup guide, turn on the features you want, and find where everything lives. About five minutes.
You can have CF7 Mate running in about five minutes. Install it, pick your features in a short setup guide, and keep building forms in Contact Form 7 as before.
Every CF7 Mate feature is free from version 3.1.0. You do not need a license key.
What do I need before I start?
- WordPress 6.0 or later.
- PHP 7.4 or later.
- Contact Form 7, installed and active. CF7 Mate adds to it, so it must be there first.
How do I install CF7 Mate?
- Install and activate Contact Form 7 if your site does not have it yet.
- Go to Plugins → Add New and search for CF7 Mate. You can also download it from WordPress.org and upload the ZIP under Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.
- Click Install Now, then Activate.
- A CF7Mate item appears in your dashboard menu.
What happens the first time I open CF7 Mate?
A short setup guide opens. It has four steps:
- Welcome. A quick look at what the plugin does.
- Choose features. Turn features on or off. All of them are free. The choice is about what your site stores and sends.
- Build forms with your AI. An optional introduction to connecting an AI app through Saddle. Nothing is installed or connected for you.
- Finish. Your choices are saved. Then go to the CF7 Mate dashboard or straight to Contact Form 7.
The guide waits for your choices to save before it closes. If the save fails, it stays open so you can try again. You can also skip the guide and set things up later.
Which features start switched off?
Four features store or send visitor data, so they start off on a new site:
| Feature | Why it starts off |
|---|---|
| Form responses | Stores each submission in your database, with the visitor’s IP address and browser details. |
| Form analytics | Counts form views on your site. |
| Webhooks | Sends submissions to the addresses you choose. |
| Save and continue | Keeps unfinished answers for up to seven days. |
Turn each one on when you are ready, and check that your privacy notice covers it. Everything else starts on. If you are upgrading from CF7 Mate Pro, your earlier choices are kept.
How do I turn features on or off?
- Go to CF7Mate → Settings. The Features page opens.
- Find a feature with the search box, or filter the list to show only enabled or disabled features.
- Flip its switch. The change saves straight away.
If a save fails, the switch flips back and an error appears. What you see always matches what is saved.
Where does everything live?
CF7 Mate screens share one menu at the top: Features, Responses, Analytics, Tools and Saddle.
| Screen | What it’s for |
|---|---|
| Features | Switch each feature on or off. |
| Responses | Saved submissions. Search, filter, export and print them. Needs Form responses. |
| Analytics | Form views and saved submissions for each form. |
| Tools | Your AI provider key for the form generator, and your webhook addresses. |
| Saddle | Optional setup for connecting an AI app, an example prompt and support links. |
| CF7 Mate tab in the Contact Form 7 editor | Settings for one form: saving responses, email routing, redirects, scheduling and save progress. |
How do settings for a single form work?
Open a form under Contact → Contact Forms and click the CF7 Mate tab. It shows a section for each form feature you turned on. Pick a section to see its settings.
These settings save with Contact Form 7’s own Save button. A note tells you when you have unsaved changes. Settings in the sections you are not looking at are kept when you save.
The tab works even when Form responses is off. If you turned no form features on, it links you to the Features page.
How do I show a form on a page?
- Divi 4 or Divi 5: add the CF7 Styler module and pick your form.
- Elementor: add the CF7 Styler widget.
- Bricks: add the CF7 Styler element.
- Block editor: add the CF7 Styler block.
- Anywhere else: paste the form’s Contact Form 7 shortcode.
Steps, conditional logic and the extra fields work in all of these, including the plain shortcode.
FAQ
Do I need a license key?
No. CF7 Mate has no license screen. Updates come from WordPress.org like any other free plugin.
Do I have to rebuild my forms?
No. Your forms stay in Contact Form 7. Add CF7 Mate tags or per-form settings only where you want them.
Where do I get help?
Use the WordPress.org support forum or PlugPress support.
What should I do next?
- Style a form in the builder you already use.
- Split a long form into steps.
- Turn on Form responses if you want to keep submissions in WordPress.