Smart Tags are dynamic placeholders that automatically insert real-time information into your forms and emails. They’re special codes enclosed in curly braces {} that replace themselves with actual data, like {user_name} showing the current user’s name or {current_date} displaying today’s date.

Simple Example: If you have a contact form with Name and Message fields, instead of receiving emails with generic subjects like “New Form Entry”, Smart Tags let you create subjects like “Message from {field_id=”name”}: {field_id=”subject”}” which automatically becomes “Message from John Smith: Website Bug Report” – telling you exactly who contacted you and why.

Reusing Field Values with Smart Tags #

You can now use Smart Tags to copy values from one field to another automatically. This is perfect when you need the same information in multiple places but only want users to enter it once.

How It Works #

If you have two fields like “Official Name” and “Name”, you can:

1. Let users fill in the “Name” field.
2. Automatically copy that value to a hidden “Official Name” field using Smart Tags.
3. Users only see and fill one field, but both get the same data.

Setup Steps #

1. Create your fields: Add both the main field (visible) and the secondary field (will be hidden).

2. Configure the secondary field:

• Click on the field and navigate to Field Option on the left
• Go to Advanced Options.
• Click the smart tag button “<>” under the Default Value.
• Select the main field from where you want to auto-populate the value (e.g., {field_id="name_ys0GeZISRs-1"}).

• Enable the Hidden option.

Save and test: The hidden field will automatically populate with the main field’s value.

Important: The field that reuses values must be hidden from users.

Testing Your Setup #

• Submit a test form to check that hidden fields don’t show up at the frontend.

Next, check your form entries for the form and PDF exports:

If the same data appears on the entry list, you’ve successfully configured the form.

Setting Up Smart Tags in Email Notifications #

Let’s say you have a form with the following fields for your site.

1. Name
2. Email
3. Product Name
4. Subject
5. Message

Every time a user comes to your site, fills out the form, and submits it, the admin receives an email with all these details. The subject of the email by default would be New Form Entry. This is not very helpful, and the admin has to open up the email to know the details of the entries.

Now with the help of a smart tag. You can make your email subject dynamic by utilizing the Product Name field and the Subject Field. To use the smart tag.

• Click on the < > icon on the side of the Email Subject field. It will open a small scrollable box with all the appropriate fields in your form that can be used as a smart tag.
• Now, click on the field in the box that you would like to use as a smart tag, and the corresponding smart tag code will be automatically copied to the Email Subject Field.
• For this article case, I have used the Product Name Field and the Subject field. Your new email subject would be New Form Entry + Product Name + Subject

This subject is more elaborate and appropriate.

Now, if some user fills up the form with the following details as shown in the image below.

The email subject will be the New Form Entry Table Lamp Charger Issue.

This will help the admin to find out which product the email is related to and what the issue is with a glance at their inbox without the need to open the email.

Smart Tags #

You can use the following smart tags while modifying the email subject and contents:

{current_date} – Shows Current Date
{current_time} – Shows Current Time
{admin_email} – Displays admin email
{site_url} – Displays the Site’s URL
{page_title} – Displays the page title where the form is located
{page_url} – Gives the page’s URL
{page_id} – Gives the page’s ID
{post_meta_key=whatever} – Gives the Post’s Meta
{author_email} – Shows the author’s email
{author_name} – Shows the author’s email
{form_name} – Shows the form’s name
{user_ip_address} – Gives the user’s IP address
{user_id} – Gives the user’s ID
{user_meta key=whatever} – Gives the user’s meta
{user_name} – Shows the username
{display_name} – Shows the user’s Display Name
{form_ID} – Shows the form’s ID.
{first_name} – Shows the First Name
{last_name} – Shows the Last Name
{user_email} – Shows the user’s email address
{user_role} – Shows the user’s Role
{referrer_url} – Shows the Referral URL
{current_data_and_time} – Shows the current date and time
{biographical_info} – Shows the Biographical Information
{uniue_ID} – Pass a unique ID value for each submission
{entry_id} – Pass the entry ID for each submission.

Note: The {entry_id} smart tag can only be used in the email content.