I have several forms, how can I deploy multiple themes (CSS)?

• Simply decide for the 'base' cforms theme
• And apply specific styles for the other forms you have deployed
  • Note: these specific styles are applied on top of the base styles of the chosen theme
    

Here are some examples for specific styles:

To change the fieldset background color for form #2:

Or to change the input field size for form #3:

etc.

"One momemt please..."
or CAPTCHA image is not shown
or cforms hangs after submission
or form hangs on "One moment please..."
or I run on IIS or my blog URI has a prefix

If the captcha reset feature & Ajax form submission is not working for you, you may have an issue with Javascript identifying the proper server paths. Here is what you can try:

1. Go to the Javascript folder in your cforms plugin directory
2. Check / Modifiy js/cforms.js
   1. v8.1 and up:
      v8.1 should auto guess the right sajax_uri setting, however if it doesn't feel free to enter the complete relative path to where your /cforms/lib_ajax.php file resides!
   2. PRIOR TO v8.1:
      try replacing this line:
      sajax_uri = '/';
      with (if your URI has a prefix):
      sajax_uri = '/prefix/';
      or more generically with e.g. :
      sajax_uri = document.location.pathname;
      with this (this worked mostly on IIS):
      sajax_uri = "/index.php/URL";
      
      with URL = your permalink to your contact page
      (e.g. uri = "/index.php/contact-us/";
      or uri = "/index.php/contact-us"; etc.)

      You may optionally even try (to keep it generic):
      sajax_uri = "/index.php"+document.location.pathname;

 I M P O R T A N T: you MUST flush your browser cache after changing cforms.js for it to pick up the new file, better yet, restart the browser.

CAPTCHA image is not shown II

• Are you logged in? By default (can be overruled) cforms doesn't show CAPTCHA for authenticated users!
• Anyone experiencing issues with the CAPTCHA image not showing, check for other plugins that reset the SESSION variable.
  
  • This can happen either directly in their native code or (as it happens in WP-Email v2.20) by including wp_config.php (and consequently wp_settings.php). wp_settings.php kills the current SESSION and thus any parameter stored, e.g. the captcha code.
• Make sure you have turned on cookies in your browser.
• Check with your providers PHP/web server installation and make sure that the GD Library with freetype is supported.

XAMPP: CAPTCHA image is not shown III or
Windows has encountered a problem dialog

Due to an apparently known issue, PHP throws you an exception error. Here is what you can try to resolve it:

Take a look at the code at the top of cforms-captcha.php file in the contactforms plugin directory, and change it from:

$im_bg = 0;

to:

$im_bg = 1;

Seeing an email error or not receiving an email?
or Form seems to work fine but I get an ERR message?

• If you see this error, the form and thus plugin usually works fine to the point of sending the email.
• Please double check your Form Admin / Email Options settings
  thoroughly and verify:
  1. Correct email address(es)
  2. Try alternative admin email addresses
  3. Do you receive any emails from W (e.g. passwords, comments notifications)?
  4. Check your PHP servers mail() function
  5. Can you check your mail servers log files?

• The issue has very likely to do with either a local mail server problem, a malformed email address or a general issue with the PHP function mail();
  • if the latter is the case and your blog is using wp_mail(); you may want to try and enable cforms' SMTP/phpmailer support.
• You may want to check with your hosting provider.

Everything looks fine, but I don't receive ANY emails?

You can...

1. double and tripple check your cforms admin email settings (FROM: address etc.)
2. check if your provider has limitations around PHP's mail() function
3. try using cforms SMTP feature for email delivery (it may require your providers PHP server to support SSL!)
4. look into your SPAM folders
5. finally ask your provider. They own the mailer logfiles and should be able to quickly pin point the problem.

Seeing a 'All cforms data has been erased!' error ?!

• pre v9 versions have an issue with WP's  2multi plugin activation" feature. instead of selecting the checkbox for activation click on the actual activation link for cforms.

All I get is blank page after activation?!
I get a WHITE SCREEN after activating cforms or another plugin?

• In case you're running the "Installer" plugin, turn it off then reactivate cforms. After successful activation you can turn Installer back on.
• Also, you may want to check the file cforms.php for an extra line break at the end of the file, it should not be there and simply end with ?>
• Please check your PHP server settings (php.ini) for the memory setting, it may be too low. Try (or ask you hosting co.) to bumb it up to at least 16-32M.
• If you still run on PHP4, try PHP5
• Check if your have PHP safe mode on (and try turning it off)
  

I get a 404 or 403 Error or
I am being redirected to the main page after SAVING THE SETTINGS?

• This has very likely to do with your hosts security settings. You could try adding the below to your .htaccess file (e.g. the one in /wp-admin)
  <IfModule mod_security.c>
  SecFilterEngine Off
  SecFilterScanPOST Off
  </IfModule>
• The plugin vbulletin has been known to cause issues and prevent cforms from saving/updating its settings on the main options page

In IE, the send button jumps right under the field set?!

• This is due to the IE "margin bottom hover bug", either download the current and updated 3.5 (April,29th), or simply

1. add a margin-top of 10px to .cform input.sendbutton
2. add a margin-top of 10px to .cform .cformfieldsets
3. and the same for * html .cformfieldsets

Can I limit the number of characters entered in a Multi-line (textarea) field?

• Yes you can, simply add a regular expression to the field label ensuring proper validation: e.g. (Multi-line tex field)
• Your Message|max. # of 150 characters|^[\s\S]{1,170}$

I get errors such as “Cannot redeclare function abc() (previously declared…”?!

• That particular function (its name anyway) seems to already being used by another plugin
  • quick fix: rename the function in question and the call(s) to the function in the respective file(s) or
    
  • write a wrapper that checks for the existence of the function before initializing it (assuming that its namesake does the exact same thing!).

Do I have to install the plugin under “../plugins/contactforms” ?

• Yes. For the plugin to work correctly, please do so, alternatively you can modify the $plugindir variable in cforms.php to reflect your new directory.