How do I set up recipient email?

Hi

I have just installed Chrono Forms and set up my first form, I'm very impressed by the ease of the procedure.

However, I do have one question (I have read the email setup on the FAQs) - sorry if this seems basic!

In very simple, easy to understand language how do I setup the email address - where form data will be sent to?

Does it automatically get sent to the email address setup in Joomla global configuration? It needs to be a different address to that in the Joomla Global Configuration.

I have already looked in the Chrono Form Management area - edit form - Setup Emails - set to 'Yes', but I don't seem to have a field for entering the actual email address.

Am I missing something? Please help!

Thank you

Wendy

Hi wberesford,

There's a tutorial on this in the Downloads area here. Please have a look at that and then come back if you have any more questions.

Bob

Thanks Bob

Just read the tutorial and set up email details. However, I've got a couple of questions:

1)Can I test the form works correctly before the site goes live? Or do I use the Debug feature?

2) I'm not really ever so sure about setting up the 'To' and 'From' email addresses. 'To' is the website owner i.e. business email address?
'From' is the person's email who completed the form in the browser?
In the tutorial it stated that you have to use different email addresses in the 'To' and 'From' fields, but from the same domain - but they will always be from an individual completing the form to the business email, or am I missing something here?

3) The tutorial states also that the From Name field should also be completed, but surely this is different every time someone completes the form in the browser?

Sorry if these questions are some what basic

Wendy

Hi Wendy,

You can test as much as you like - just use 'friendly' email addresses, I have a little group of gmail, hotmail and aol addresses that I can use for testing.

DeBug is good for showing you what 'ought' to be in the email when it doesn't appear to be sending.

Now for the tricker bit . . . technically the email is 'From' the website and the ISP may well expect it to have the same domain in the From Email address. It is sometimes possible - with a tolerant ISP - to put the submitter's email in there, but in general it causes more problems than it's worth.

You *must* have a valid email in the From Email box and some text or other in the From Name box - if you don't then the email won't send.

The To address is whoever you want the email sent to - sometimes the submitter, sometimes the site admin, sometimes both.

Bob

Thank you for the advice. I have completed the fields and on the site front end completed my form and clicked submit. I think something is wrong, as I have attached a file showing the resulting page and code.

Wendy

Sorry, the Debug was set to On.

I've completed a form and clicked on Submit in the front end of my site, not live yet, but received no email. Is this because the site is on my local machine and not a live web server - I'm using Xampp for testing purposes.

Wendy

Hi Wendy,

Yes, if you have a Gmail account you can set your site up to use the Gmail SMTP server for testing.

Bob

Forgive my ignorance, but if I get myself a Gmail account is it straightforward to use the Gmail SMTP server for testing?

Wendy

Hi Wendy,

Yes - simpler than almost anything else assuming that your XAMPP server is on the internet. You may be able to do the same with your existing ISP to save getting a Gmail account.

The Gmail set up is to go to to Global Configuration | Server | Mail Settings.

Set SMTP Server as mailer; SMTP Username as [email]yourname@gmail.com[/email]; your gmail password as SMTP password and smtp.gmail.com as SMTP Host then test

Bob

Thank you so much Bob.

Finally, do I need to worry about getting spam emails through use of the form? If so what can I do about it?

Wendy

Hi Wendy,

Maybe you'll get some spam. That's the way of the world :-(

ChronoForms has a built-in Imageverification 'Captcha' code that requires the user to copy a code (see the ImageVerification tab). It's pretty good at stopping spam - unfortunately it will also stop a few users who can't be bothered, or mistype . . .

So there's a trade-off, if the form is on an intranet or a fairly quiet site I wouldn't bother with a Captcha image - I have a few sites with forms and I get maybe one spam a week on average so it's not worth adding Captcha for the moment. If you have a busy site - or one that the spammers 'discover' then yes, I'd add Captcha.

Bob

Thank you Bob. Very fast, expert guidance and advice.

I'll be purchasing a license.

Wendy.