How to Create a Simple Contact Form with Captcha for WordPress

There are many contact forms available for WordPress but most use a third party captcha service. The contact form on my website uses the following custom plugin that has a basic math captcha, no third party required.

Why Use Simon’s simple contact form Plugin?

• ✅ Easy to Use: Just install and use the shortcode [simple_contact_form] .
• 📱 Mobile-Responsive: Works great on all screen sizes.
• 🔒 Built-in Spam Protection: Includes a simple math captcha.
• ⚡ Lightweight: No bloat, just a clean and functional contact form.

How to Install the Plugin

1. Step 1: Open your WordPress Admin Dashboard and go to Plugins > Plugin File Editor or use an FTP client.
2. Step 2: Create a new file in the wp-content/plugins folder called simons-simple-contact-form.php
3. Step 3: Copy and paste the following PHP code into that file:

   [simple_contact_form]
    to display the form.
   Version: 1.0
   Author: Simon Ward
   Author URI: https://simonward.net
   License: GPLv2 or later
   License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html
   */
   
   // Prevent direct access
   defined('ABSPATH') or die("No direct access allowed");
   
   function scf_form_shortcode() {
       session_start();
       $_SESSION['captcha_num1'] = wp_rand(1, 9);
       $_SESSION['captcha_num2'] = wp_rand(1, 9);
       $_SESSION['captcha_answer'] = $_SESSION['captcha_num1'] + $_SESSION['captcha_num2'];
       
       ob_start();
       ?>
       
   
           
           Name:
           
           
           Email:
           
           
           Subject:
           
           
           Message:
           
           
           Solve:  = ?
           
           
           Send
       
       
           
   Message sent successfully!
           
       
   
       
           
   Captcha incorrect. Please try again.
           
       
       \r\n" .
                      "Reply-To: " . esc_attr($email);
   
           wp_mail($to, esc_attr($subject), esc_textarea($message), $headers);
           $_SESSION['scf_success'] = true;
       }
   }
   add_action('wp', 'scf_handle_form_submission');
   

4. Step 4: Go to Plugins in your WordPress admin and activate Simon's Simple Contact Form.
5. Step 5: Create or edit a page/post and add the following shortcode where you want the form to appear:

   [simple_contact_form]
   

You’re Done!

Your simple, secure, mobile-ready contact form is now live on your site. Messages will be sent to the admin email address configured in your WordPress settings.