How To Create a Repeater Field in WordPress [3 Easy Steps!]

Looking to create a repeater field in WordPress? This guide will show you exactly how to create a WordPress form with repeatable fields today!

Approximate read time: 5 minutes

Having a repeater field in WordPress is great for customizing your form for each visitor.

Not only do they make your form look great, but it’s also more functional. But how do you create a repeater field in WordPress for your site? This guide will show you how to do that in three simple steps! x

Let’s get into it.

What is a repeater field in WordPress?

Repeater fields are form fields where you can add or remove an unlimited number as you need.

Typically, a user will click an Add or + button to add more fields. For example, if you were listing your pets and had more than one, you could use it like this:

You’ll see a repeater field in WordPress go by many names — repeating, repeatable, and repeater fields, to name a few.

But they all refer to the same things, so don’t worry.

Repeaters are important because they help your form in various ways:

• Increase form conversion
• Decrease form load time
• Improves data flexibility
• Saves time
• Looks better

But you may wonder how you'd use a repeater field in WordPress. Here are some of the most common examples.

Ways to use a WordPress repeater field

Event planners needing easy event registration aren’t the only ones who can use repeater fields.

You could use repeaters to get multiple entries on your website in many ways. Here are a few:

• Testimonials page where users can add repeater fields for different product or service reviews
• Contact page to add contact information for different teams or departments in your business.
• User-submitted news site where visitors can add as many stories as they’d like
• Job application for applicants to add additional fields for job history or education
• Pair with Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) to upgrade your field functions, create a Custom Fields repeater (ACF repeater) or nested repeater, and much more

No matter the industry, a form and a repeater field can give your forms more power.

So, now that you know what repeaters are and why you'd use them, let’s learn how to create one for your form.

How to create a repeater field in WordPress

The first thing you need is Formidable Forms.

Formidable is the most advanced form builder for WordPress, and it comes with Repeater fields (and plenty of other features) in its Basic plan.

So, head to Formidable Forms, get it installed and activated, and we’ll be ready.

It’s three easy steps to create your repeater field in WordPress form:

1. Create a form
2. Add repeater fields
3. Customize form layout (optional)

Step 1: Create a form

For example, we’ll create a wedding RSVP form for our wedding planning website, Married Memories.

So, let’s start with our form. We’ll go to our WordPress dashboard, go to Formidable → Forms, and click Add New at the top left.

We could start with a Blank form, but since we’re using Repeaters, we can access 50+ templates included with Formidable’s Basic Plan, like contact forms, registration forms, and more.

And one of those happens to be a Wedding RSVP Form Template!

So, we’ll find the template, give it a name, then click Create.

The plugin will take us to its user-friendly drag and drop form builder, which makes it easy to get our form up and running quickly.

Most fields have been created since we have the Wedding RSVP Form Templates. But you can drag and drop the Repeater field if it's not on the form already.

We just want to make one change before adding our Repeaters: We need to ask if the guest is bringing a gift to the wedding.

So, we’ll add a Radio field and change the label to Are you bringing gifts? and the radio buttons to Yes and No. We’ll also make it a required field.

Now, let’s get to our repeater fields.

Step 2: Add repeater fields

So, we want to add two sets of repeater fields to our form.

There will be one for the guests (because our customers don’t mind a big party) and one for the gifts if they bring more than one.

So, first, let’s delete the Guest Name field.

Next, we’ll replace it with a Repeater field, adding a Name and Radio field. This way, we can collect guests’ names and preferred meal selections. Then, there’s a nice Add Button and Remove Button. The add row button allows you to easily add rows of data about the guest, regardless of field type.

Then, we’ll update the labels and radio field options to match the form.

Also, we want to add a repeater field to the gifts, so we’ll drag another Repeater field group beneath the Are you bringing gifts? field.

A simple description will do, so we’ll add a Text field so guests can enter the type of gift.

Now, our form is ready to go. However, when we checked the Preview, it was a bit bloated. So, we’d like to simplify things for the guest.

Step 3: Customize the form’s layout (optional)

Keeping things simple is best with your online forms.

So, we want to adjust a few settings on our form to customize it even more for the guest. And for this, we’ll use Conditional Logic. Another amazing feature you get with Formidable’s Basic Plan.

If you’re unfamiliar with it, it’s an easy way to show or hide different fields based on a user’s selections, like this:

First, we’re adding Conditional Logic to both Repeaters, so the repeater field won’t show unless the guest selects Yes.

Also, we’ll add Conditional Logic to the main fields so that they only display if the guest decides to attend the wedding. Otherwise, they’ll remain blank.

All of this is easily done by selecting the field and choosing Add Conditional Logic in the field settings.

So, for our main fields, we set up the conditional logic like this:

And, for our repeater fields, it looks like this:

So, now our form has a much cleaner look based on the guest's settings, making it much easier for the guest to complete.

If the guest chooses they’re coming, the form will show more options for them. 

This way, we keep things simplified unless we need more information.

And if they choose to bring a guest or gift, the repeater fields will show.

Then, guests can add as many guests and gifts as they want.

There are plenty more customization options within Formidable Forms, but this guide helped give you the basics.

Are you ready to get your repeater field WordPress plugin?

And there you have it.

WordPress form repeatable fields are powerful tools that can be used in various ways. We’re excited to see what you come up with.

If you use Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) and want an easy way to update your repeater fields, check out this guide on ACF repeater fields.

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