Migrating from Contact Form 7 to Gravity Forms isn’t just about upgrading your form plugin; it’s about future-proofing your site. With Contact Form 7 announcing that version 6.2 will be the final major update and the team moving on to their next project, now is the time to migrate before you’re stuck with a plugin in maintenance mode.
Gravity Forms offers a visual drag-and-drop builder, conditional logic, payment integrations, and a robust ecosystem of add-ons. This guide walks you through migrating your existing CF7 entries so you don’t lose valuable submission data.
Requirements
To successfully migrate your entries, ensure you have the following:
- Gravity Forms (any license)
- GravityImport (formerly Gravity Forms Import Entries)
- Flamingo (free plugin for CF7)
- Contact Form 7 entries stored in Flamingo
Important note: By default, Contact Form 7 does not store form submissions in your WordPress database. Without Flamingo, your entries only exist in email notifications. If you haven’t installed Flamingo yet, do so now, before you deactivate CF7, or your entry data will be lost.
Step 1: Export Your Contact Form 7 Entries
Since CF7 doesn’t store entries natively, you’ll need the Flamingo plugin to access and export your data.
- Navigate to Flamingo → Inbound Messages in your WordPress dashboard.
- Select the form whose entries you want to export.
- Click the Export button at the top of the page.
- Save the CSV file to your computer.
Repeat this process for each CF7 form you need to migrate. Keep these CSV files organized—you’ll need them for the import step.
Step 2: Install GravityImport
GravityImport is the tool that bridges the gap between your CF7 export and your new Gravity Forms setup.
- Purchase and download GravityImport from GravityKit.
- Go to Plugins → Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
- Click Upload Plugin.
- Select the GravityImport ZIP file and click Install Now.
- Click Activate Plugin.
If you have a GravityKit All Access license, GravityImport is included at no extra cost.
Step 3: Import Entries to Gravity Forms
Now you’ll bring your CF7 data into Gravity Forms.
- Go to Forms → Import/Export.
- Click the Import Entries tab.
- Drag your Flamingo CSV file into the upload box.
- Choose whether to import to an existing form or create a new form.
- Map your CSV columns to Gravity Forms field types.
- Click Continue With Import.
GravityImport will automatically detect field types from your CSV data. Review the mappings carefully—CF7 field names may not match Gravity Forms field names exactly. Adjust as needed.
Step 4: Replace Your Contact Form 7 Shortcodes
Once your entries are imported, replace your CF7 forms with Gravity Forms.
- Edit the pages or posts containing your CF7 shortcodes.
- Remove the
[contact-form-7]shortcode. - Add a Gravity Forms block and select your newly created form.
- Update the page.
Test the new form to ensure it works correctly before removing CF7 entirely.
The Wrap Up
Migrating from Contact Form 7 to Gravity Forms is straightforward when you follow these steps. The key is to preserve your entry data in Flamingo before making the switch. With CF7 now in feature freeze, this migration isn’t just an upgrade—it’s necessary maintenance.
Tips for a Smooth Transition:
- Backup your site before starting.
- Export all CF7 entries before deactivating the plugin.
- Test your new Gravity Forms thoroughly before going live.
- Keep CF7 active until you’re 100% confident in your new setup.
Need help? Leave a comment below. If you purchased GravityImport, you also get access to GravityKit developer support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Contact Form 7 stop working after version 6.2?
No. CF7 will continue to receive bug fixes and security updates, but no new features will be added. The developers have stated they’re moving on to their next project.
Can I migrate my Contact Form 7 form designs to Gravity Forms?
No. Form designs don’t transfer because the two plugins use different structures. You’ll need to recreate your forms using Gravity Forms’ visual builder. The good news: it’s faster and more intuitive than CF7’s markup-based system.
What happens to my existing CF7 entries after I migrate?
They remain in Flamingo until you delete them. After importing to Gravity Forms, you can safely deactivate CF7 and Flamingo—your entries are now in Gravity Forms.
Do I need the paid version of Gravity Forms to import entries?
No. You can import entries to any Gravity Forms license level, but you’ll need the GravityImport add-on (sold separately) to perform the import.
Is there a free way to import Contact Form 7 entries?
Not reliably. While there are CSV import plugins, GravityImport is purpose-built for Gravity Forms and handles field mapping, date formatting, and data validation automatically. It’s worth the investment for a clean migration.
