Install the ActiveCampaign plugin from the WordPress plugin directory, open Settings, ActiveCampaign and enter your connection details, then add your forms with the AC Forms block, a widget or the [activecampaign form=ID css=1] shortcode. You can also switch on site tracking so page visits are recorded against contacts.
If you've been pasting form HTML into pages and wondering why it looks odd on mobile, the plugin is the fix. ActiveCampaign says it avoids copy-pasting HTML, which can cause odd display issues depending on your theme. You must be using the ActiveCampaign email platform for it to work.
Connecting the plugin to your account
- In WordPress go to Plugins, use Add New and search for activecampaign, then install and activate it. You can also upload the activecampaign zip in the Plugins section.
- Open Settings, then ActiveCampaign, fill in your connection details and click Update.
- In ActiveCampaign, create a subscription form under the Integration section if you haven't already.
- Add the form to your site with the AC Forms block, the widget or the shortcode.
- Choose whether to use ActiveCampaign's form CSS and whether to switch on Ajax submit.
- Turn on site tracking if you want page visits sent to ActiveCampaign, then submit a test entry and check the contact arrives.
Block, widget or shortcode: where each fits
The AC Forms block
If you use the Gutenberg block editor, all your forms and CSS options are available in the AC Forms block. It's the simplest choice for a form inside a post or a landing page.
The widget
With the Classic Editor, you choose which subscription forms to use in the widget and the CSS settings for each, then click Update Settings again. It suits a sidebar or footer sign-up that appears across the site.
The shortcode
The shortcode [activecampaign form=ID css=1] shows a form anywhere shortcodes work, including page builders. Setting css=1 or css=0 overrides the plugin's Use ActiveCampaign's form CSS setting for that one form, and you can put several forms on one page. Shortcodes can be copied from the plugin's settings section.
Whichever placement you choose, you can mix them: a block in a post, a widget in the footer and a shortcode in a page builder can all point at different forms in the same account.
What happens after someone subscribes
After a submission, the visitor goes to the ActiveCampaign confirmation message or to a custom URL set on the form. If you'd rather they stay on the page, the plugin's Ajax option submits without a page reload.
For double opt-in, tick the Opt-in confirmation setting in the form's settings in ActiveCampaign. That's a good default if you're building a list for a lead magnet; this guide on how lead magnets grow an email list covers the offer side.
Tracking page visits
Switching on site tracking in the plugin sends page visits to ActiveCampaign, so you can see which pages a contact has read and use that in automations. If you run a shop, a separate WooCommerce plugin turns on tracking in a few clicks.
Connection failed usually means no form yet
The WordPress.org plugin page lists two causes for a Connection failed message: wrong login information, or no Integration form created yet in ActiveCampaign. The plugin only lists forms that already exist, so a brand-new account with no form will fail even when the details are right. Create one form under Integration, then try again.
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Other email plugins for WordPress
Brevo's WordPress plugin lists compatibility with major form builders including Elementor, WPForms, Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms and Ninja Forms, as well as WooCommerce. Mailchimp for WordPress, known as MC4WP, creates sign-up forms or hooks into existing contact, comment or checkout forms. For a wider view, see my list of email platforms that compete with ActiveCampaign.
My advice for your first form
Build one form in ActiveCampaign under Integration, connect the plugin, and place it with the block on your most visited post. Switch on opt-in confirmation and Ajax submit, turn on site tracking, and send yourself a test sign-up. Once that works, add the widget for a site-wide sign-up.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need a plugin to connect ActiveCampaign to WordPress?
The plugin is the documented route. The alternative is pasting form HTML by hand, which can cause display issues.
Where do I create the forms?
In ActiveCampaign, under the Integration section.
How do I show a form in a post?
Use the AC Forms block or the [activecampaign form=ID css=1] shortcode.
Can I track visits?
Yes. Switch on site tracking in the plugin.
Why does it say Connection failed?
Check your login details and that you've created at least one Integration form.
