Gravity Forms Dynamic Population: Complete Guide to Pre-Populating Fields in WordPress

Every visitor who starts typing information you already know about them is a conversion you are putting at risk. Name, email, company, event selection — if you have this data, your forms should use it automatically. That is exactly what Gravity Forms dynamic population does: it pre-fills fields with values passed through URLs, shortcodes, blocks, or PHP hooks, eliminating repetitive data entry and creating smarter workflows behind the scenes.

This guide walks through every dynamic population method, provides ready-to-use code snippets for real scenarios, and covers the troubleshooting steps that trip up most WordPress site owners.

What Dynamic Population Actually Does

Dynamic population lets you inject values into form fields before a visitor even sees the form. The populated data can appear in visible fields (pre-filling a name or email) or in hidden fields that capture backend metadata like referral sources, campaign IDs, or page-specific context.

Two practical benefits emerge immediately. For visitors, pre-filled forms reduce friction and increase completion rates. For site administrators, hidden fields capture contextual data that would otherwise require separate tracking systems or manual record-keeping.

Before You Start: Enable Dynamic Population on Each Field

Every method below requires the same initial setup. Open your form in the Gravity Forms editor, click the field you want to populate, and navigate to the Advanced tab. Check the box labeled Allow field to be populated dynamically. A new text input labeled Parameter Name appears — enter a unique identifier here.

Use a short prefix to avoid collisions with WordPress reserved terms. For example, instead of name (which is a reserved term and will cause a 404 error), use dp_name or my_name. Other reserved terms to avoid include page, type, year, month, and day. The full list of WordPress reserved terms is available in the developer documentation.

Visibility tip: If you want a dynamically populated field to remain invisible to the visitor, set the field’s visibility to Hidden — not Administrative. Administrative fields are excluded from form submission entirely and cannot be dynamically populated.

Method 1: Query String Parameters

The simplest approach appends parameter-value pairs directly to the page URL. When someone visits the link, Gravity Forms reads the query string and fills matching fields automatically.

Basic Syntax

https://yoursite.com/contact/?dp_agent=James%20Bond&dp_source=homepage

In this example, a field with parameter name dp_agent receives “James Bond” and a field with parameter name dp_source receives “homepage.” Notice that spaces must be encoded as %20 in the URL. Use a free URL encoder tool for values containing special characters.

When to Use Query Strings

• Email campaigns: Append UTM-style parameters to track which email drove a form submission
• Team contact pages: Link each team member’s “Contact Me” button to the same form with their name pre-selected
• Landing page A/B tests: Pass a hidden variant ID so you know which page version generated each lead
• Multi-form workflows: Redirect users from one form’s confirmation to a second form, passing data via query string

Query String Gotchas

Values are visible in the URL. Do not use this method for sensitive information like passwords, internal pricing, or private identifiers. Anyone who copies or shares the link will see the populated values.

Ampersands in values will break parsing. If you need to pass a value containing & (such as “Smith & Associates”), URL-encode it as %26. Otherwise, Gravity Forms interprets the ampersand as a parameter separator.

Some hosts cache query strings. Managed WordPress hosts like WP Engine may cache pages along with their query string parameters, causing every visitor to see the same pre-filled value. Check your host’s caching documentation and exclude the form page if needed.

Method 2: Shortcode Parameters

The shortcode approach embeds population values directly in the form’s embed code. This is ideal when the same form appears on multiple pages with different pre-filled values — you edit the shortcode on each page rather than managing separate URLs.

Basic Syntax

Any field with parameter name dp_event receives “Annual Gala” and dp_location receives “New York.” Separate multiple parameter-value pairs with ampersands.

When to Use Shortcode Population

• Event registration: Embed one registration form across ten event pages, changing only the event name in each shortcode
• Product inquiry forms: Pre-fill the product name based on which product page the form sits on
• Multi-location businesses: Pre-select the nearest office location based on the page’s geographic context

Shortcode Tip

You can combine shortcode population with query string population. Values from the query string override shortcode values when both target the same parameter, giving you a flexible fallback system where shortcodes provide defaults and URLs provide overrides.

Method 3: Gutenberg Block Settings

If you use the WordPress block editor, the Gravity Forms block includes a Field Values input under its Advanced settings tab. The syntax is identical to the shortcode method — enter parameter-value pairs separated by ampersands — but you get a visual preview of the populated form directly in the editor.

dp_event=Annual Gala&dp_location=New York

No shortcode brackets or quotation marks needed. The block method uses the same use cases as the shortcode method, with the added benefit of seeing populated values before you publish.

Method 4: PHP Hooks (Maximum Flexibility)

The gform_field_value_$parameter_name filter lets you populate fields with the output of any PHP function. This is the most powerful method because you can pull data from the WordPress database, user profiles, external APIs, cookies, or any other source accessible through PHP.

Example: Pre-Fill the Logged-In User’s Email

add_filter( 'gform_field_value_dp_email', 'populate_user_email' );
function populate_user_email( $value ) {
    $current_user = wp_get_current_user();
    if ( $current_user->ID !== 0 ) {
        return $current_user->user_email;
    }
    return $value;
}

Set a field’s parameter name to dp_email and this snippet fills it with the logged-in user’s email address. If no user is logged in, the field remains empty.

Example: Pre-Fill the Current Date

add_filter( 'gform_field_value_dp_date', 'populate_current_date' );
function populate_current_date( $value ) {
    $local_timestamp = GFCommon::get_local_timestamp( time() );
    return date_i18n( 'm/d/Y', $local_timestamp, true );
}

Example: Populate from a Custom Field (ACF)

add_filter( 'gform_field_value_dp_company', 'populate_from_acf' );
function populate_from_acf( $value ) {
    global $post;
    if ( $post ) {
        $company = get_field( 'company_name', $post->ID );
        return $company ? $company : $value;
    }
    return $value;
}

This snippet reads an Advanced Custom Fields value from the current post and injects it into the form field, useful for forms embedded on custom post types where contextual data should flow into submissions automatically.

Example: Pre-Select Multiple Checkboxes

add_filter( 'gform_field_value_dp_interests', 'populate_default_interests' );
function populate_default_interests( $value ) {
    return 'WordPress,SEO,Performance';
}

For checkbox and multi-select fields, return a comma-separated list of values. The values must match the choice labels or values exactly, including capitalization.

Where to Place PHP Hooks

Add your filter code to one of these locations:

• Your child theme’s functions.php file
• A code snippet manager plugin like Code Snippets
• A custom site-specific plugin (recommended for production sites)

Populating Different Field Types

Dynamic population works with most Gravity Forms field types, but each type has specific formatting requirements:

Field Type	Value Format	Example
Single Line Text	Plain text string	dp_name=Jane%20Doe
Paragraph Text	Plain text (URL-encoded)	dp_notes=First%20contact
Drop Down	Exact match of choice value	dp_plan=Enterprise
Radio Buttons	Exact match of choice value	dp_priority=High
Checkboxes	Comma-separated values	dp_topics=SEO,Speed
Multi Select	Comma-separated values	dp_regions=US,EU
Number	Numeric value	dp_qty=5
Hidden	Any string	dp_source=google_ads
Date	Format matching field config	dp_date=02/13/2026

Case sensitivity matters. For drop-down, radio button, checkbox, and multi-select fields, the populated value must exactly match the choice’s stored value (including capitalization). If your drop-down has a choice labeled “Enterprise” with a value of “enterprise,” you must pass enterprise in lowercase.

Real-World Workflow: Lead Source Tracking

One of the most common dynamic population use cases captures marketing attribution data without the visitor seeing or interacting with any additional fields.

Step 1: Add a Hidden field to your form. Set its parameter name to dp_source.

Step 2: Create campaign-specific URLs:

https://yoursite.com/contact/?dp_source=facebook_spring_campaign
https://yoursite.com/contact/?dp_source=google_ppc_brand
https://yoursite.com/contact/?dp_source=newsletter_feb2026

Step 3: Use these URLs in your ads, emails, and social posts. Every submission records which campaign drove it, with zero extra effort from the visitor.

Step 4: Review entries in the Gravity Forms dashboard or export to a spreadsheet to analyze which channels generate the highest-quality leads.

If you want deeper insight into how forms with dynamic population are actually performing, tracking completion rates and field-level abandonment data helps you understand whether pre-filled forms convert better than blank ones. Our plugin, Form Analytics Pro for Gravity Forms, provides exactly this type of conversion and abandonment tracking without requiring any Google Analytics configuration.

Real-World Workflow: Multi-Form Data Passing

When you need to chain two forms together — for example, a qualification form followed by a detailed application — dynamic population transfers data between them seamlessly.

Step 1: On the first form, set the Confirmation Type to Redirect.

Step 2: In the redirect URL, include query string parameters populated with merge tags from the first form:

https://yoursite.com/apply/?dp_name={Name:1}&dp_email={Email:2}&dp_qualified=yes

Step 3: On the second form, create fields with matching parameter names (dp_name, dp_email, dp_qualified) and enable dynamic population on each.

When users submit the first form, they land on the second form with their name and email already filled in. No retyping, no friction.

Troubleshooting Dynamic Population Issues

When pre-filled values do not appear as expected, work through these checks in order:

1. Verify Dynamic Population Is Enabled

Open the field in the form editor and confirm the Allow field to be populated dynamically checkbox is checked. This is the most common oversight — the feature must be explicitly enabled on every field you want to populate.

2. Check the Parameter Name

The parameter name in the form field settings must exactly match the parameter name in your URL, shortcode, block, or PHP filter. A single typo or capitalization difference will cause the population to fail silently — no error message appears, the field simply stays empty.

3. Clear Your Cache

Dynamic population relies on server-side PHP execution. Full-page caching (from plugins like WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, WP Rocket, or server-level caching from managed hosts) serves static HTML that bypasses PHP entirely, preventing dynamic values from being injected.

Solutions:

• Exclude the form page from caching in your caching plugin’s settings
• Use a cache-busting plugin designed for Gravity Forms (such as Gravity Wiz’s cache-busting snippet)
• Disable page caching temporarily to test whether caching is the culprit

4. Check for Reserved WordPress Terms

Parameter names like name, page, type, author, and tag conflict with WordPress core. Using these triggers 404 errors or unexpected behavior. Add a unique prefix like dp_ to all parameter names.

5. Verify Value Formatting for Choice Fields

Drop-downs, radio buttons, checkboxes, and multi-select fields require an exact match with the choice’s stored value. If the field displays “Premium Plan” but the stored value is “premium_plan,” your population value must be premium_plan.

6. Test Conditional Logic Interactions

Fields hidden by conditional logic at the time of submission are excluded from the entry data — even if they were dynamically populated. If you need to preserve a dynamically populated value regardless of visibility, use a separate Hidden field (which is always submitted) instead of relying on a conditionally visible field.

Extending Dynamic Population with Add-Ons

The core dynamic population methods handle most scenarios, but complex data requirements may call for specialized tools:

• Populate Anything (Gravity Wiz): Populates field choices and values from WordPress posts, users, taxonomies, Gravity Forms entries, Google Sheets, and external databases. Supports lazy loading for large datasets (thousands of entries) without degrading form performance.
• Gravity Flow: Uses dynamic population within automated workflow steps, enabling forms to route to different assignees or populate approval fields based on previous step data.

If you use dynamic population to pass data between multiple forms — keeping customer records consistent across submissions — our plugin Field Sync for Gravity Forms automates the process of keeping related entries synchronized. When data changes in one form, related entries update automatically without manual intervention.

Performance Considerations

For most forms, dynamic population adds negligible overhead. However, two scenarios deserve attention:

PHP hook population with database queries: If your filter function runs complex database lookups (such as querying thousands of entries), cache the result using WordPress transients or object caching to avoid running the query on every page load.

Populate Anything with large datasets: Loading tens of thousands of dropdown options crashes browser performance. Use Populate Anything’s lazy-loading feature (combined with Advanced Select) to load options on demand as users type, rather than loading everything upfront.

Quick Reference: Choosing the Right Method

Scenario	Best Method	Why
Tracking ad campaign sources	Query String	Values come from external links you control
Same form on multiple event pages	Shortcode / Block	Each page sets its own context
Pre-filling logged-in user data	PHP Hook	Requires server-side user lookup
Pulling data from ACF or post meta	PHP Hook	Requires database access
Chaining two forms together	Query String + Redirect	Merge tags in redirect URL pass data forward
Populating from external databases	Populate Anything add-on	Built-in connectors handle complex sources

Dynamic population transforms a basic contact form into a smart, context-aware data collection tool. Whether you are tracking marketing attribution with hidden fields, pre-filling user profiles to reduce friction, or chaining multi-step workflows, the four methods covered here give you the flexibility to handle virtually any scenario — from zero-code URL parameters to fully custom PHP hooks.