Small Business Management – Forms Free Implementation Guide

Product: Small Business Management – Forms
Version covered: 1.0.11

This guide covers the standalone Forms Free plugin with dynamic fields, templates, CRM list/tag actions, Transactional Email routing, submissions, shortcodes and the Elementor widget.

Purpose and architecture

Forms Free is the suite-wide front door for enquiries, sign-ups, quote requests, support requests, onboarding and feedback. It does not require CRM, but when CRM is installed it can create/update contacts and assign lists/tags. When Transactional Email is installed, form notifications are routed through it instead of direct form delivery.

Templates supplied

Template	Use case
Lead Enquiry	General website enquiry that can create/update a CRM contact.
Newsletter Signup	Simple consent-oriented sign-up that can add CRM lists/tags.
Quote Request	Captures buying interest and routes details to CRM/notifications.
Support Request	Captures service/support enquiries before Service Desk handoff.
Customer Onboarding	Collects setup details for new customers.
Feedback Form	Collects satisfaction and improvement feedback.

Installation and settings

1. Install and activate Forms Free.
2. Open SBM Forms and review Settings.
3. Create a test form from a template.
4. Configure notification recipients and confirmation text.
5. If CRM is installed, map fields and choose list/tag actions.
6. If Transactional Email is installed, confirm notification emails are logged there.

CRM integration

Configure CRM actions per form. Use list/tag assignment to trigger sales or marketing workflows without requiring manual data cleanup.

• Match by email to avoid duplicates.
• Map first name, last name, email, phone, company and message fields where relevant.
• Apply one clear source tag for each form.
• Use CRM Pro workflows for follow-up actions when required.

Publishing with shortcode and Elementor

Forms Free supports both shortcode output and a configurable Elementor widget. Use shortcode for simple placement and Elementor for styled landing pages.

Method	Guidance
Shortcode	[sbmf_form id="1"]
Elementor widget	Choose form, layout, labels, button text, spacing, colours, border radius, max width and custom classes.
Theme alignment	Use the website theme colours, card radius, spacing and button style for consistency.

Spam and security

• Use the honeypot field by default.
• Add Turnstile/reCAPTCHA in a later security pass if required.
• Do not collect unnecessary personal information.
• Use HTTPS on all public forms.
• Limit form administration to trusted users.

Go-live checklist

• Take a full file and database backup before installing on a production site.
• Install on a staging site first when replacing an older build or changing roles.
• Confirm the required parent plugin is active before activating a Pro or Enterprise add-on.
• Use a non-admin test user to confirm menu access and permissions.
• Create one test record, run through the full workflow, and only then import or enable real customer data.