A tool offered by Sitecore, Web Forms for Marketers Module (WFFM) aids marketers to create simple forms, without additional help from the developer. One just needs to add basic input fields (text boxes, checkboxes), save actions and validators, and voila, you’re done within a few clicks! This module is a great tool to help marketers create and published their own forms. Unfortunately, this addition is no longer available from Sitecore 9.2 onwards. Fret not, its discontinuity has given way to Sitecore Forms that offers a range of benefits, and will help marketers fulfil their targets.

Sitecore Forms is the future

WFFM has a limited shelf-life, since Sitecore had already announced that WFFM support would be discontinued, post Sitecore 9 update 2. This is no cause of worry, since Sitecore has already provided an alternate to WFFM - adding Sitecore Forms module in Sitecore 9. Sitecore Forms has a wide range of features. Let’s look at a few of them: -

• Easy to user interface - a simple form can be created by just dragging a field type in a form builder.
• Multi page Sitecore Forms can be easily created.
• Significant improvements in Analytics that gives you visibility, as to how your form is performing.

Analytics helps to view information like-

1. Date range –Can set the date range of the performance report that you want to view.
2. Unique views – Number of unique contacts.
3. Abandonments – Number of contacts who did not submit the form.
4. Abandonment rate – Percentage of contacts who haven’t submitted the form.
5. Can analyze the performance of a specific field.

The Problem Statement

WFFM has been an important module since its inception, and there have been several implementations, that heavily rely on this application As Sitecore is dropping support for the legacy WFFM and creating numerous Sitecore Forms, this can be a tedious and time-consuming affair, if not done correctly. An automated approach is required that can drastically reduce the efforts required to perform this task.

We have built a utility to migrate the load of WFFM to Sitecore Forms, by minimizing the manual efforts.

Simultaneously providing you to other ways to customize the forms while migration.

SITECORE FORMS UTILITY

The migration process can be easily triggered within Sitecore, after configuring the utility

• Easy to configure with simple UI
• Separate logs for forms.
• Providing custom front-end classes
• Initiate Single or multiple forms migration at once.
• Create Forms at different places

How to configure the tool

INSTALLATION

WFFM to Sitecore forms tool can be installed by following these steps: -

1. Sitecore package – All the necessary items are bundled in a Sitecore package.

   After installing the Sitecore package, you will see a context menu when you right click in Sitecore content editor mode.

2. Follow the readme.txt file to add necessary settings in config files.

CONFIGURATION/CUSTOMIZING

Many settings are predefined, so the tool will be ready to use immediately after installation.

Moreover, customizing of new Sitecore Forms is also very easy. You can customize below settings –

1. Front end-

   You can provide custom CSS classes for each and every field for a Sitecore Form.

2. Add Form rendering for new ones-

   A setting can also be enabled from the config, which will automatically add a “Mvc Form” rendering with data-source of newly created Sitecore form on every page, where old WFFM is being referred.

3. Default forms output path-

You can specify a default path where all the Sitecore Forms can be migrated. It can also be changed from the Editor window later on.

Ebook

Top 10 Sitecore 9 Form Features to Increase Lead Conversions

Download ebook

Migrating to Sitecore Forms –

1. Simply Right-click on a specific Wffm that you want to migrate to Sitecore Forms.

   Select “Create Sitecore Form” option from the context menu to start the process.

1. Once you click on the command, a prompt will open with the necessary parameters. Choose the output path where you want this new form to be created. A default path is already added in the prompt window, which can be changed later on.

1. You can also create multiple Sitecore Forms at once. Right-click on the WFFM forms Folder (template type - /sitecore/templates/Web Forms for Marketers/Forms Folder) and select respective WFFMs to start migrating.

   The progress for multiple forms can be tracked from the Sitecore form log file.

1. A successful message will be shown after the process is completed properly.

   In case of any error, a respective message will be displayed on the front end and details will be logged in the Forms log file.

1. After the conversion finishes, Sitecore Forms can be found under the output path stated above.

You can create forms at different locations, based on the logical architecture of your project.

Altudo is a Sitecore Platinum partner with 500+ Sitecore projects delivered for 45+ Fortune 500 brands, across 7 industry verticals.

We help you realize the true potential of your marketing efforts, speeding up the Time to Value by leveraging CX strategy, 1:1 personalization & our global delivery expertise.

Gurjot Singh Team Lead at Altudo

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