Add Gravity Forms to Elementor: Complete Integration Guide

 

If you’re building WordPress sites in 2025, chances are you’ve fallen in love with Elementor’s drag-and-drop interface. And if you’re serious about forms, you’ve probably discovered that Gravity Forms is the gold standard for WordPress form building. But here’s where many users hit a wall: how do you seamlessly integrate these two powerhouse tools?

The good news? It’s easier than you think. The better news? This guide will show you exactly how to do it, plus some advanced techniques that most tutorials completely skip.

Whether you’re a designer frustrated with clunky form implementations or a developer looking to streamline your workflow, this comprehensive guide covers everything from basic integration to advanced customization techniques that’ll make your forms look like they were born in Elementor.

Understanding the Gravity Forms + Elementor Ecosystem

Before we dive into the technical stuff, let’s get our bearings. Gravity Forms and Elementor approach form building from different angles, and understanding this difference is crucial for successful integration.

How Gravity Forms Works

Gravity Forms operates as a comprehensive form management system. It handles everything from form creation to entry management, notifications, and integrations. Think of it as the backend powerhouse that processes all your form logic.

The key advantage? Gravity Forms excels at complex form functionality like conditional logic, calculations, and multi-page forms. It’s also incredibly extensible with hundreds of add-ons for everything from payment processing to CRM integrations.

How Elementor Handles Forms

Elementor takes a visual-first approach with its built-in Form widget. It’s great for simple contact forms and integrates beautifully with the page design. However, it lacks the advanced functionality that makes Gravity Forms so powerful.

Here’s where the integration becomes valuable: you get Gravity Forms’ backend power with Elementor’s visual design flexibility.

Method 1: Using the Gravity Forms Widget (Elementor Pro Required)

If you have Elementor Pro, you’re in luck. The easiest integration method is right at your fingertips with the dedicated Gravity Forms widget.

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Create Your Form in Gravity Forms: Head to your WordPress admin, navigate to Forms > New Form, and build your form using Gravity Forms’ interface.
2. Open Your Elementor Page: Edit the page where you want to add the form using Elementor.
3. Find the Gravity Forms Widget: In the Elementor panel, search for “Gravity Forms” in the widgets section.
4. Drag and Drop: Add the widget to your desired location on the page.
5. Select Your Form: In the widget settings, choose the form you created from the dropdown menu.
6. Configure Display Options: Toggle options like form title, description, and AJAX submission.

The Elementor Pro Gravity Forms widget offers several configuration options that can significantly impact your form’s appearance and functionality:

Setting	Purpose	Recommendation
Show Title	Displays the form title set in Gravity Forms	Disable if you’re using Elementor headings for better design control
Show Description	Shows the form description	Enable for complex forms, disable for simple contact forms
Enable AJAX	Submits forms without page reload	Always enable for better user experience
Enable Tabindex	Controls tab order through form fields	Enable for accessibility compliance

Styling Your Gravity Form in Elementor

Once your form is embedded, you’ll want to style it to match your page design. Elementor Pro provides several styling options directly in the widget:

• Label Styling: Control font, size, color, and spacing of field labels
• Input Field Styling: Customize background colors, borders, padding, and typography
• Button Styling: Match your form’s submit button to your site’s design
• Spacing Controls: Adjust margins and padding between form elements

Method 2: Using Shortcodes (Works with Free Elementor)

Don’t have Elementor Pro? No problem. You can still integrate Gravity Forms using the good old shortcode method. This approach works with the free version of Elementor and gives you complete control over placement.

Getting Your Gravity Forms Shortcode

Every Gravity Form has a unique shortcode that you can find in several places:

1. Forms List Page: In your WordPress admin, go to Forms > Forms. Each form displays its shortcode in the list.
2. Form Settings: When editing a form, click “Form Settings” and you’ll see the shortcode at the top.
3. Form Preview: The shortcode appears above the form preview.

The basic shortcode format is:

Adding Shortcodes in Elementor

Once you have your shortcode, adding it to Elementor is straightforward:

1. Open Your Page in Elementor
2. Add a Shortcode Widget: Search for “Shortcode” in the widgets panel
3. Paste Your Shortcode: Copy and paste your Gravity Forms shortcode into the widget
4. Configure Parameters: Customize the shortcode parameters as needed

Shortcode Parameters You Should Know

Gravity Forms shortcodes accept several parameters that control how your form appears and behaves:

Parameter	Values	Example	Use Case
id	Form ID number	id=”3″	Required – specifies which form to display
title	true/false	title=”false”	Show/hide form title
description	true/false	description=”true”	Show/hide form description
ajax	true/false	ajax=”true”	Enable AJAX submission
tabindex	Number	tabindex=”10″	Set starting tab index for accessibility

Here’s an example of a fully configured shortcode:

Method 3: Advanced Integration with Custom CSS and JavaScript

For developers and advanced users who want pixel-perfect integration, combining custom CSS and JavaScript opens up unlimited possibilities. This method gives you complete control over how Gravity Forms appears and behaves within your Elementor pages.

Custom CSS for Seamless Integration

The key to making Gravity Forms look native in Elementor is understanding both systems’ CSS structures. Here’s a starter CSS snippet you can customize:

/* Elementor Gravity Forms Integration CSS */
.elementor-widget-gravity-form .gform_wrapper {
    max-width: 100%;
}

.elementor-widget-gravity-form .gform_wrapper .gform_body {
    margin: 0;
}

.elementor-widget-gravity-form .gform_wrapper input:not([type="radio"]):not([type="checkbox"]):not([type="submit"]):not([type="button"]):not([type="image"]):not([type="file"]) {
    border-radius: 4px;
    border: 1px solid #ddd;
    padding: 12px 15px;
    width: 100%;
    font-size: 16px;
}

.elementor-widget-gravity-form .gform_wrapper .gform_footer {
    padding: 0;
    margin-top: 20px;
}

Add this CSS to your theme’s style.css file or use Elementor’s custom CSS section for specific pages.

JavaScript Enhancements

JavaScript can add dynamic behaviors that make your forms feel more integrated with your Elementor design. Here are some useful techniques:

Dynamic Field Styling Based on Content

// Add classes based on field content
jQuery(document).on('keyup', '.gform_wrapper input[type="text"], .gform_wrapper textarea', function() {
    if (jQuery(this).val().length > 0) {
        jQuery(this).addClass('has-content');
    } else {
        jQuery(this).removeClass('has-content');
    }
});

Custom Validation Messages

// Custom validation styling
jQuery(document).on('gform_post_render', function(event, formId, currentPage) {
    jQuery('.gfield_error').closest('.gfield').addClass('elementor-field-error');
});

Advanced Styling Techniques

To achieve professional-level integration, consider these advanced styling approaches:

• CSS Grid Layouts: Use CSS Grid to create complex form layouts that match your Elementor sections
• Custom Icons: Replace default field icons with your brand’s icon set
• Animated Transitions: Add smooth transitions that match your site’s interaction style
• Responsive Breakpoints: Ensure your forms adapt to Elementor’s responsive breakpoints

Troubleshooting Common Integration Issues

Even with the best setup, you might encounter some challenges when integrating Gravity Forms with Elementor. Here are the most common issues and their solutions:

Form Not Displaying Properly

Problem: Your form appears broken, cut off, or with weird spacing.
Solution: This usually happens due to CSS conflicts. Check if your theme is loading conflicting styles by temporarily switching to a default WordPress theme. If the form displays correctly, you’ll need to add custom CSS to fix the conflicts.

AJAX Submissions Not Working

Problem: Forms reload the entire page instead of submitting via AJAX.
Solution: Ensure you have “Enable AJAX” checked in your form settings or shortcode parameters. Also verify that your theme properly includes jQuery and that there are no JavaScript errors preventing AJAX from functioning.

Styling Inconsistencies

Problem: Form styling looks different from your Elementor design.
Solution: Use the custom CSS techniques mentioned earlier. Focus on matching fonts, colors, border radius, and spacing to your Elementor theme’s design system.

Mobile Responsiveness Issues

Problem: Forms don’t display well on mobile devices.
Solution: Add responsive CSS for mobile breakpoints and test on various devices. Pay special attention to field sizing and button placement on smaller screens.

Issue	Likely Cause	Quick Fix	Detailed Solution
Form appears unstyled	CSS not loading	Clear cache	Check if Gravity Forms CSS is disabled in settings
Validation messages missing	JavaScript conflict	Disable other plugins	Use browser console to identify JS errors
Submit button not working	Theme compatibility	Switch to default theme	Add theme compatibility CSS
Form fields too wide/narrow	Container width issues	Set max-width CSS	Use Elementor’s width controls

Optimizing Performance and User Experience

Great integration isn’t just about functionality—it’s about creating a smooth, fast experience for your users. Here’s how to optimize your Gravity Forms + Elementor setup for peak performance.

Loading Speed Optimization

Gravity Forms loads several CSS and JavaScript files that can slow down your pages. Here’s how to optimize:

1. Conditional Loading: Only load Gravity Forms assets on pages that actually contain forms
2. CSS Optimization: Combine and minify Gravity Forms CSS with your theme’s stylesheet
3. JavaScript Optimization: Consider loading Gravity Forms JavaScript asynchronously
4. Image Optimization: If your forms include images, optimize them for web delivery

You can control Gravity Forms asset loading by adding this to your theme’s functions.php:

// Only load Gravity Forms CSS/JS on pages with forms
add_filter('gform_disable_css', '__return_true');
add_filter('gform_init_scripts_footer', '__return_true');

function selective_gravity_forms_assets() {
    if (!is_admin() && !gravity_form_enqueue_scripts()) {
        wp_dequeue_style('gform_css');
        wp_dequeue_script('gform_gravityforms');
    }
}
add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', 'selective_gravity_forms_assets', 99);

User Experience Enhancements

Small UX improvements can significantly impact form completion rates:

• Progress Indicators: For multi-step forms, add visual progress indicators that match your Elementor design
• Smart Defaults: Pre-populate fields with known user data when possible
• Validation Feedback: Provide real-time validation feedback as users type
• Success Animations: Create smooth success messages that feel integrated with your page design

Accessibility Considerations

Ensuring your forms are accessible is not just good practice—it’s often legally required:

• Proper Labels: Ensure all form fields have descriptive labels
• Keyboard Navigation: Test that users can navigate your entire form using only a keyboard
• Color Contrast: Verify that your form text meets WCAG contrast requirements
• Screen Reader Compatibility: Use semantic HTML and ARIA labels where appropriate