How to Create an Event Registration Form on Your Website (No Code Required)

You’re planning an event – maybe it’s a local meetup, an online workshop, or a charity fundraiser. The ideas are flowing, the date is set, and the buzz is real. But hold on, how are people supposed to sign up? Don’t rely on random emails or last-minute DMs. What you need is a proper event registration form: something tidy, easy to fill out, and even easier to manage.

Here’s the good news: you don’t need to touch a single line of code. Whether you're running a blog, a membership site, a business site, or just a passion project, there are tools that let you build clean, functional registration forms right from your WordPress dashboard.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

• Pick the right fields for your form
• Decide if it should be single-page or multistep
• Build and publish it without needing to code
• Even collect payments, if needed

And along the way, we’ll show you how a plugin like WP User Frontend Pro quietly makes the whole process smoother. Let’s get into it.

Why Every Event Needs a Registration Form

You might think a simple invite and a “message me if you're coming” is enough. Maybe it works for dinner with friends, but once you're dealing with more than a handful of people, things get messy. A proper registration form helps you:

• Know who’s attending without chasing replies across email, Messenger, or WhatsApp
• Collect important info like T-shirt sizes, dietary restrictions, or preferred breakout sessions
• Stay organized, no more spreadsheets pulled together the night before the event

A form does more than just gather names. It creates structure. Even better? When your form looks professional and is easy to fill out, people are more likely to complete it. No friction. No confusion. Just a smooth path from “I’m interested” to “Count me in!”

What Should Be in an Event Registration Form

Not all events are created equal. A 10-person book club doesn’t need the same info as a 500-seat conference. But some basics show up almost every time. Here’s what most forms need:

The Essentials

• Full Name – Obvious, but don’t assume first name only will do.
• Email Address – For confirmations, updates, or last-minute changes.
• Phone Number – Optional, but handy if something goes wrong.
• Ticket Type – General admission? VIP? Early bird? Let users choose.
• Meal Preferences – Especially if food’s involved. You don’t want to guess who’s vegan.
• Arrival Time or Session Selection – For events with flexible slots or parallel sessions.

Extra Fields You Might Need

• Upload Field – Maybe they need to upload ID, proof of vaccination, or a resume.
• Checkboxes for Agreements – Like “I agree to the terms” or “I consent to photos.”
• Custom Questions – Anything from “How did you hear about us?” to “What topics interest you most?”

If people can bring a guest or register as a group, your form should support that without becoming a scroll fest. Multi-step forms can really shine here. The trick is only to ask what you truly need. Long forms are sign-up killers. The more targeted your fields, the better the response rate.

One Page vs. Multistep Forms – What Works Best?

When it comes to event registration, form layout matters more than most people think. A cluttered, overwhelming form is like showing up at the door and finding a 10-page questionnaire. People bounce. So, should you keep everything on one page? Or split it into bite-sized steps? Let’s compare.

Bottom line: If your event is simple, keep your form simple. If it’s more involved, give your visitors a better path forward, one step at a time.

How to Create an Event Registration Form Without Writing Code

You don’t need to be a developer. You don’t even need to know what PHP stands for. Today, building an event registration form is about as easy as writing an email, if you’ve got the right tools. What you’ll need:

• A WordPress website (already running? You’re halfway there)
• A form builder plugin that works on the frontend
• A clear idea of what info you need from your attendees

There are plenty of form plugins out there. Some focus on contact forms, others on surveys. Choose the right one for your event registration form.

Step 1: Create a New Registration Form

If you want it on the frontend, so users never see the WordPress backend, you need something more purpose-built. This is where a plugin like WP User Frontend Pro. So, we'll use WP User Frontend Pro as the form builder here.

• Head to your WordPress dashboard
• Install and activate WP User Frontend Pro
• Navigate to User Frontend → Registration Forms
• Click Add Form
• Give it a name like “Event Signup: Winter Marathon 2025.”

You now have a blank canvas. Time to build.

Step 2: Drag and Drop the Required Fields

At first, determine whether you need a multi-step form or a single-step form. To create multi-step forms, you have to click on the Settings tab in the top left corner. Then navigate to Form Settings > Advanced Settings then toggle the Enable MultiStep button.

All form fields are available in the right side panel of WPUF. You can simply drag and drop them in the form creation field as per your needs. Add fields like: First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone Number (optional), etc.

Note: The advanced Custom Fields are available only on the Pro plan.

Step 3: Add and Configure Fields

Think of your event type and decide what information you actually need from the attendees. For example, we have added fields for a “Marathon Event”. We only chose the basic fields to keep things simple. You can choose advanced fields, as WPUF Pro comes with a wide range of custom fields.

Have a look at the Available User Field Elements of WordPress User Frontend Pro. Here's a screenshot of the fields we used for this use case:

Configure the Fields for Customization

Each field requires some sort of customization. You can click on the Edit icon or hit the Field Options. To expand the field options.

For example, we've chosen a form field to demonstrate the capabilities of the WPUF Pro plugin. With it, you can:

• Add help text
• Fix if the field is required
• Restrict content based on the number of characters/words
• Use multiple conditional logics for each field

Step 4: Save and Preview the Form Before Publishing

Once your form is ready with all the required fields and settings, Save your changes before moving forward. Then click the Preview button to see how the form looks on the front end. Try filling it out with some demo info to make sure everything works as expected, especially the event registration flow.

Copy the generated shortcode. From the top portion of the form editor. You can use this shortcode anywhere to embed the registration form.

Step 5: Publish Your Form After Checking

Happy with how the form looks and works? Great! Once you've previewed it and confirmed everything functions properly, including the field flow, category selection, and submission, go ahead to publish it. This will make your event registration form live and ready to collect real entries.

Paste the generated shortcode into any WordPress page or post, for example, your event landing page.

That’s it. You’ve got a live, functioning registration form that works on any device, keeps users engaged, and collects the exact info you need.

And if you're wondering, yes, you can always edit the form later. Add a field? Remove a step? No problem.

Make Your Event Registration Form Functional: Notifications, Confirmations & Redirects

A form that collects data is good. A form that talks back? Even better. Once someone registers for your event, you want to reassure them that their submission went through, and maybe even send them a friendly confirmation. Meanwhile, you (or your team) should get notified too, so you’re not left wondering who signed up.

Set Up Email Notifications

With most form builders, including WP User Frontend Pro, you can:

• Send an auto-response to the person who filled out the form
• Send a notification email to the admin or organizer

Go to Settings from the form editor page, navigate to Notification settings. You'll get both options to enable notifications for the users and admins.

You can customize these emails with dynamic tags like the user’s name, selected ticket type, or even a Zoom link.

Show a Confirmation Message (Or Redirect to a Thank You Page)

Go to the General option from the Settings page. Scroll down to “After Sign Up Settings. Customize the redirection page, success messages, and button text as per your needs.

Instead of redirecting to a blank page or leaving users in limbo, set a short message like:

Thanks for registering! We’ll see you on July 10th – check your email for event details.

It’s a small thing, but it adds polish and closes the loop. Want to go one step further? Redirect users to a custom page after submission. This is useful if:

• You want to display extra event info (like directions or dress code)
• You’re tracking conversions (e.g., with Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel)
• You just want to give them a nicer, branded post-signup experience

These small touches don’t just make your form functional; they make your event look buttoned-up and trustworthy.

Optional But Handy – Accept Payments During Registration

Sometimes, events are free. But other times, you’re selling tickets, collecting donations, or covering lunch costs. In those cases, your form isn’t just about gathering names; it needs to handle money, too. And yes, you can do this without switching tools or cobbling together five different plugins.

When You Might Need Payment Integration:

• Ticketed webinars or workshops
• Fundraisers or charity dinners
• Limited-seating VIP events
• Conferences with tiered access (standard, early bird, group pass)

Instead of asking people to register and then pay via a separate link, which causes confusion and drop-offs, it’s better to let them pay right in the form. Add a Payment field where users select their package or ticket type.

Connect a payment gateway like PayPal or Stripe. Define your pricing, whether it’s fixed or dynamic (based on user selection). Once submitted, you get both the form data and the payment, all in one smooth process.

Tips to Get More Signups Through Your Event Registration Form

Building your event registration form is one thing. Getting people to actually fill it out? That’s another story. Here are some proven ways to boost those signup numbers:

1. Make It Mobile-Friendly

Over half of web traffic comes from phones. If your form looks tiny or awkward on mobile, people will bounce. Choose a form builder that automatically adjusts for all screen sizes, like WP User Frontend Pro does, so your visitors can register on the go.

2. Keep It Short and Sweet

Every extra field you add chips away at completion rates. Only ask what you really need. If you must collect more info, break it into multiple steps (see Section 3).

4. Use Progress Indicators

Showing users how far they’ve come makes a big difference. A simple progress bar or step count eases anxiety and encourages completion.

5. Clear, Friendly Instructions

Don’t make users guess what to put in a field. Use placeholders, tooltips, or small notes to guide them gently.

6. Test and Iterate

Try different headlines, button texts (“Join Now” vs “Register Today”), or even form layouts. Small tweaks can move the needle.

7. Place Your Form Prominently

Embed your form in obvious spots: your event landing page, blog posts, or even pop-ups. Don’t bury it in a menu or footer. Share the form link on social media, email newsletters, and partner sites. The easier it is to find, the more people sign up.

You’re Set – Let the RSVPs Roll In

You’ve done the hard work, planned your event, built your registration form, and set everything up to run smoothly. Now it’s time to watch those signups come in. Keep an eye on your submissions. Most form builder tools, including WP User Frontend, let you view entries directly from your dashboard and export data to spreadsheets for offline use or mailing lists.

Don’t forget to follow up. A quick reminder email a few days before your event can boost attendance and show your guests you care. And as you gather feedback, you can tweak your form or process next time to make things even better.