How To Create Maps from Form Entries in WordPress [No Code!]

Learn how to create maps from form entries with our easy guide. For real estate or business listings, turn form data into fun and interactive maps in no time.

Approximate read time: 6 minutes

Imagine turning form entries into interactive maps with a few clicks.

Sounds pretty cool, right? This is perfect for real estate, business listings, or showing a simple set of locations. And it can make a HUGE difference for a website.

But creating a map in WordPress usually involves complex code, which can be difficult and time-consuming. Setting up APIs, entering information, mapping out points — it's a lot. But there is an easier way to set up maps in WordPress.

And that's why this post is here. This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to create a map from form entries in WordPress in a few steps. That way, you can start impressing website visitors today.

And, best of all, there's no coding knowledge necessary.

So, let's get started.

How to create maps from form entries

Step 1: Install Formidable Forms

First, set up Formidable Forms on the WordPress site.

Formidable Forms is the best WordPress form plugin. It easily creates contact forms, calculators, quizzes, and every other type of form. But it also has powerful features that help it go beyond being a simple form builder.

And its Geolocation and Views add-ons are great examples of that.

The Geolocation add-on powers the address field and pulls location information. Formidable Views displays the map with the form entries without any code.

You get both in the Business plan of Formidable Forms Pro. So grab Formidable Forms and get started with easy map-making.

If there's any trouble, check out our support docs for help installing and activating Formidable Forms.

Step 2: Install the Geolocation and Views add-ons

Once installed, go to Formidable → Add-Ons in the WordPress dashboard.

Next, find the Visual Views add-on and click Install and wait for it to say Active. And that's it for Views.

Then, find the Geolocation add-on and click Install. This pulls in the Google Maps location information. But, you'll need a Google Maps API key (which you can get for free).

Once you have the key, enter it in the Google Maps API Key field under Geolocation under Global Settings.

Check out our Geolocation support docs for a more in-depth explanation of how to get a key and setting it up.

Step 3. Create a form

Next, let's create the form for the map entries.

First, go to Formidable → Forms and click Add New. Then, click the Create a blank form to start from scratch. Or, choose one of the pre-built WordPress form templates to get a head start.

This opens the drag and drop form builder, where it's easy to configure the form.

Formidable has many form field types. These include text (single-line text), paragraph (multi-line text), checkboxes, and a phone field. Simply click it and drag it onto the form canvas to add a field.

But make sure to add an Address field for the map.

This collects the address information to show on the map. Then, click the Add address autocomplete box in the field settings.

This controls all the address entries you'll need for future steps.

Step 4: Enter a form entry

Without a form entry, nothing will show on the map we'll create in the next step. So, whether it's real or just a test, let's create a form entry.

First, go to the Entries tab in the form builder and click Add New. Then, fill out the form, including the address field. If there's more than one entry, return to the Entries screen and click Add New again.

You will be able to display all of these on one map.

Step 5: Create a map view

To start, head to Formidable → Views.

A View is how Formidable shows the data users enter. It's a way for users to customize how they show their data in a way that works for them. And, best of all, it's super customizable.

Click the Add New button at the top right, then choose Map.

Next, enter a View name (only you see this). Then, choose the data source from the Use Entries from Form (the form you created), and click Create a view.

The plugin opens the View editor and displays the map in the map viewer. It opens the Listing Page, where you can see the different point(s) from the form entries.

To customize it, click the map to open and edit the Listing Page content. Here, you can add extra information from the form. For example, our form has two fields: Business Name and Address.

Here, insert the data using the shortcode or click the field name in the right tab titled Customization. On the map, it looks something like this:

Step 6: Add a link to a details page (optional)

Adding a link to more information is easy.

To do this, we must add some code to the Listing Page. Go to the editor first, then click the Text tab at the top right and enter this code:

<a href="[detaillink]">[(insert shortcode here)]</a>

This code will only work if it's entered into the Text editor. Then, insert the shortcode or text in the area where it says Insert shortcode here. This will be the text where the link is attached.

Next, return to the View editor and choose the Detail Page tab at the top. On the detail page, enter any information relevant to users/customers. This can be things like address information, hours of operation, or even prices, depending on your needs.

Step 7: Publish the view

The last thing is to publish the view on the WordPress site.

Go to the post/page where you want to display the map, then add a new WordPress block. Next, find the Formidable Views block and add it to the page. Then, choose the view from the dropdown menu.

The map will automatically load, and then you have to publish/update the page, and the map is live!

Find the best WordPress map plugins

And that's it! Creating maps from form entries using Formidable Forms is simple. And it's huge for websites with many locations to show.

And that's why we say it's the best WordPress map plugin. And if you'd like to compare, check out our post on the best WordPress map plugins! We break down the best plugins and their pros and cons so you can decide which fits the WordPress site.

But if you're ready to start today, grab Formidable Forms Pro using the button below! Try it out for 14 days. And if you don't like it, get your money back, no questions asked.

And be sure to join our community on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for more WordPress map tips & tricks!

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