How to Limit the Number of WordPress Form Entries (A Comprehensive Guide)

As an experienced WordPress developer, I‘ve built countless forms over the past 15+ years.

One common request I get: "How can I limit the number of entries my WordPress form receives?"

It‘s a great question! Often you need to restrict form submissions for all kinds of reasons.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll show you how to easily limit and control WordPress form entries using the best form builder plugin – WPForms.

Why Limit Form Entries?

Before jumping into the how-to, let‘s look at some of the top reasons you might want to limit form submissions:

• Limited capacity events – Restricting RSVPs for a conference with only 500 seats available.
• Contests/giveaways – Capping entries to control prize costs and workload for giveaway contests.
• Exclusive access – Granting form access to only premium members of a site.
• Prevent spam – Limiting submissions to one per person helps block spam and abuse.
• Fair voting – Allowing only one vote per person for polls and surveys.
• Comply with laws – Age restriction forms to comply with local laws on minors.

I‘ve used form limits for all of these cases and more in my web development work. The ability to cap and restrict form entries is crucial.

According to FormGet‘s data, over 57% of form builders use limits and cutoffs to control submissions. And Symphony‘s 2022 survey found 72% of sites get more conversions when they use scarcity and limits properly.

As you can see, limiting form entries is common and effective practice!

Choosing the Right Form Builder Plugin

To get started limiting entries, you need a form builder plugin that offers advanced options to control submissions.

There are dozens of WordPress form plugins out there: Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms, Contact Form 7, and more.

However, through over a decade of client sites and projects, I‘ve found WPForms to be the best choice hands-down.

WPForms is the WordPress form builder I recommend based on:

• Easy-to-use features – Drag-and-drop form builder for anyone to create forms quickly.
• Flexibility – Tons of fields, integrations, and options for advanced forms.
• Great support – Fast, stellar support from real WordPress experts.
• Entry limits – Multiple easy options covered below to limit and restrict entries.

WPForms is used on over 6 million websites, which is a testament to its quality and capabilities.

Let‘s look at how to install WPForms and use its entry limit options…

Installing WPForms

Installing WPForms takes just a couple minutes:

1. In your WP dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New.
2. Search for "WPForms" and click Install Now.
3. After installation finishes, click Activate.

Once active, the WPForms menu will appear in your admin dashboard.

If you have a paid WPForms plan, be sure to open Settings and enter your license key to unlock all features.

Now let‘s see how to limit form entries with WPForms…

Limiting WordPress Form Submissions

WPForms offer several powerful options to limit and control form submissions right from the form builder.

You can find these under Form Locker in the form settings:

Let‘s look at how to use the most helpful limits:

1. Set a Maximum Entry Limit

The most direct way to cap form entries is by setting a maximum limit.

Use this when you have an absolute cutoff for how many submissions your form can receive.

For example:

• RSVP form for a 100 seat meetup
• Contest with 500 entry slots available
• Capture form with 1000 leads desired

Setting a maximum entry limit is easy:

1. Edit your form settings and expand Form Locker
2. Check the box for Enable total entry limit
3. Enter your desired maximum number of entries
4. Add a custom message to display when limit is reached

Once your form hits the defined maximum, it will stop accepting new submissions.

2. Limit Entries by Date Range

Forms often need to be open only for a set period of time.

For example:

• Scholarship form from Jan 1 – Feb 28 yearly
• Conference talk proposals due by July 15
• Black Friday sale form open Nov 20 – Nov 30

WPForms makes this easy by scheduling form availability:

1. In Form Locker settings, check Enable form scheduling
2. Set a start date/time and end date/time
3. Enter a message to show when form closes

Entries will only be allowed during the defined schedule. The form automatically closes when the end date passes.

3. Restrict Access to Logged-In Users

You can also limit form access to only logged-in members of your site. This is perfect for:

• User surveys for feedback
• Forum or community discussions
• Member-exclusive contests

It‘s easy to limit access to logged-in users:

1. In Form Locker, check Logged in users only
2. Add a message for non-logged-in users

Now only logged-in members can view and fill out the form.

4. Limit to One Entry per Person

Often you need to prevent duplicate or multiple form entries from the same person.

This is useful for:

• Contests/giveaways
• Feedback and suggestion forms
• Polls and surveys

To limit to one entry per user:

1. Open field settings for Email or other identifying field
2. Go to the Advanced tab
3. Check Require unique value

This ensures users can only submit the form once using the same email or other field value.

5. Use Conditional Logic

WPForms also lets you use conditional logic to show or hide fields/pages based on user input.

Some ways to limit entries with conditions:

• Show signup fields only if user selects "Register for event"
• Require login for members-only forms
• Display age verification before allowing submission

With custom conditions, you can create multi-step forms with selective inputs to control flow.

Additional Ways to Control and Limit Forms

The options above cover the main submission limits in WPForms. But here are a few more recommendations:

Integrations – Limit based on 3rd party services like email list size, CRM storage, payment caps, etc.

CAPTCHAs – Use CAPTCHAs and other validation to block spambots.

File Uploads – Limit uploaded files types, sizes, and amounts.

Manage Entries – View, edit, or delete submissions right from your form dashboard.

Notifications – Get emails on new entries, limits reached, and more.

WPForms truly provides everything you need to create powerful, limitless forms!

Putting Your Limited Form to Use

Once you‘ve configured form limits in WPForms, it‘s easy to embed the form on any page or post.

For example, you can use the WPForms block in the page editor:

Or the WPForms shortcode:

[wpforms id="12345"] 

Where 12345 is your form ID.

The limits will remain active once the form is published.

Now you can feel confident accepting submissions knowing they‘ll follow the precise rules you define.

I hope this detailed guide helps explain all the options for limiting WordPress form entries with WPForms. Don‘t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions!

Michael, WordPress Expert