FormLedger Help & Documentation

What FormLedger Does

FormLedger converts individual form submissions into structured records.

• Groups submissions by a unique identity (like email)
• Creates a timeline of activity for each person
• Stores submission snapshots for reporting and exports

Quickstart

1. Install FormLedger (Free) and activate it.
2. Install Fluent Forms (required for ingestion + field detection) and activate it.
3. Install FormLedger Pro (optional) and activate it.
4. Register a form: FormLedger → Forms → Register.
5. Enable CSV export for that form: FormLedger → Forms → Edit → Exports → check “Enable Submission CSV Export for this form”.
6. Submit one test entry to populate/export field snapshots.
7. Export: Records page → Export CSV / Export PDF (Pro).

Requirements

• WordPress 6.0+ (newer recommended)
• PHP 7.4+ (PHP 8.1/8.2 supported)
• Fluent Forms installed and active for ingestion and schema/field detection
• For Pro PDF exports: Pro includes required libraries (vendor folder)

Installation

First-time Setup

1) Confirm Fluent Forms

FormLedger uses Fluent Forms for: ingestion, submission lookup, and field/schema detection.

2) Register forms

Go to FormLedger → Forms and register the forms you want tracked.

3) Enable Submission CSV Export

FormLedger requires per-form export enabling. See: Enable Submission CSV Export.

4) Submit a test entry

Submitting one test entry helps FormLedger detect fields and populate export configuration screens.

Forms: Register & Configure

Register a form

1. FormLedger → Forms
2. Find your Fluent Form
3. Click Register
4. Select the Identity field (usually an email field)
5. Save

Edit a registered form

1. FormLedger → Forms
2. Find a Registered form
3. Click Edit

Enable Submission CSV Export

Exports and some form actions appear only after export is enabled per form.

How to enable

1. FormLedger → Forms
2. Click Edit for a registered form
3. Scroll to Exports
4. Check: Enable Submission CSV Export for this form
5. Click Save Export Settings

Records & Submissions

FormLedger groups submissions into Records (one per person/entity), based on your configured Identity field.

Records list

• Filter/sort records
• Open a record to view linked submissions
• View submission snapshots

Soft dependency behavior

If Fluent Forms is missing, FormLedger still displays existing records stored in WordPress, but cannot ingest new submissions and may not be able to look up live Fluent Forms entry details.

Exports (CSV & PDF)

Export CSV (Free + Pro)

• Records page → Export CSV
• Exports one row per record or per submission (depending on export type)

Export PDF (Pro)

• Records page → Export PDF
• PDF exports require a valid Pro status (trial or paid license)

Export configuration (Pro)

Pro allows per-form export column selection and custom column labels.

Identity (Linking Submissions)

Identity is the key to how FormLedger works. It determines how multiple submissions are grouped into records.

Recommended identity fields

• Email address (most common)
• Member ID / Customer ID (if stable and unique)
• Phone number (only if reliably unique)

Identity Migration (Pro)

Pro includes tools to migrate records from one identity field to another (e.g., email → user ID), safely and with validation.

Typical migration workflow

1. Choose new identity field
2. Review migration analysis (counts, collisions, missing values)
3. Run migration
4. Verify records and submission linking

Licensing, Trial & Renewal

Statuses

• Trial: Pro features enabled for a limited time after first activation
• Active: Valid paid license key
• Expired: License key present but expired
• Inactive: No key and no trial remaining

Where to enter a license key

WP Admin → FormLedger → License

Renewal (annual license)

Licenses are valid for one year. Renewal provides a new license key (or updated expiration) which you enter on the License page.

Troubleshooting

“No actions/exports appear for my form”

1. Confirm Fluent Forms is active
2. Confirm the form is registered in FormLedger → Forms
3. Confirm “Enable Submission CSV Export for this form” is checked in FormLedger → Forms → Edit
4. Submit one test entry to populate field snapshots

Exports show blank / no download

• Ensure the form has at least one submission
• Try exporting again after a page refresh
• Disable admin-page optimization/caching plugins temporarily

SiteGround / Speed Optimizer notices or admin behavior

“Fluent Forms dependency notice appears everywhere”

• FormLedger scopes Fluent Forms dependency notices to FormLedger screens
• If a third-party plugin causes notices to stack or display globally, temporarily disable it to confirm

Debugging without logs

If server logging is unreliable, use deterministic UI checks:

• Confirm menus and pages load
• Confirm notices appear only where expected
• Confirm export buttons link to the expected endpoints
• Confirm behavior on a clean staging site

Webhook/Email delivery (license emails)

• Ensure WP Mail SMTP is configured
• Confirm sending domain and SPF/DKIM are correct
• Check mail logs in your SMTP provider

Common First-Time Mistakes

• Forgetting to set an identity field → no records created
• Expecting imports to include submissions without identity values
• Not submitting a test entry → fields not detected
• Not enabling CSV export per form

FAQ

Do I need Fluent Forms?

Fluent Forms is required for ingestion and field/schema detection. FormLedger can still display existing records if Fluent Forms is temporarily unavailable.

Why do I need to enable “Submission CSV Export” per form?

It allows fine-grained control and prevents accidental exports for forms that should not be exported.

Why are CSV columns empty on a brand-new form?

Field detection is based on stored snapshots. Submit one test entry, then refresh the export configuration page.

Does Pro require a license key immediately?

Pro may start in Trial mode after activation. After trial, a paid license is required.

What happens when my license expires?

Pro features (PDF export, advanced identity tools) are disabled. Free features remain available.

Is there a nonprofit discount?

Yes. Use the nonprofit discount code provided on the purchase page (honor system).

Changelog Template

Keep a simple changelog on your site and inside plugin readmes. Here’s a starter template:

FormLedger 1.0.0
- Initial release

FormLedger Pro 1.0.0
- PDF export
- Advanced identity tools
- License & trial system

Support

Need help? Include the following in your message:

• Your WordPress version
• Your PHP version
• Whether Fluent Forms is active
• Whether you are on Trial / Active / Expired
• Steps to reproduce the issue
• Screenshots of the FormLedger page you’re on