Why Is Contact Form 7 Sending Blank Emails? (And How to Fix It)

Introduction: Why Is Contact Form 7 Sending Blank Emails?

Contact Form 7 is a popular plugin for WordPress websites. It helps users easily create and manage contact forms. Many site owners and developers trust it because it’s free, flexible, and reliable.

However, sometimes Contact Form 7 sends a blank email to the admin. The email arrives with no user message or form data inside. This can confuse users and cause missed leads or support requests.

You’re not alone. Many website owners in the U.S. have faced this problem. They open an email and find that the message content is empty. Even though the form was submitted, no data shows up in the email body.

This article explains why the Contact Form 7 blank email issue happens. It also guides you to fix it step by step. We’ll also show ways to stop it from happening again.

If you’ve searched for:

• Contact Form 7 email content is empty
• Contact Form 7 email missing message content
• Fix Contact Form 7 blank email

…then you’re in the right place. Let’s start by understanding what this issue really means.

Understanding the Issue: What Does a Blank Email Mean?

When Contact Form 7 sends an email, it should include form data. This data might include the user’s name, email, message, or other form fields. A normal email from the form looks like this:

• Name: John Doe
• Email: [email protected]
• Message: Hello, I need help.

But when something goes wrong, the email arrives with missing content. This is known as the Contact Form 7 empty email body issue. Instead of showing the form data, the email shows blank fields or no message at all.

Some common signs include:

• The email has only the subject, with no content inside.
• Fields like name or message are missing in the email.
• The email shows no form data at all, just a header or footer.
• It might also contain only default text without user input.

These issues can lead to:

• Missed customer inquiries
• Poor user experience
• Lost business leads

In short, the form is working on the front end, but the email fails on the back end. This is often confusing because everything else looks fine. But the email content doesn’t reflect what the user submitted.

Why Contact Form 7 Sends Blank Emails

When Contact Form 7 sends a blank email, there’s always a cause. Sometimes it’s a small error. Other times, it’s a deeper conflict. Let’s look at the most common reasons this happens.

1. Misconfigured Mail Tab Settings

This is the most common reason. The Mail tab controls what the email includes. If it’s not set up correctly, the email may show no content.

Many users forget to add the right form tags to the mail body. For example, if your form uses [your-message], the mail tab must include the same tag.

If it doesn’t, the result is a blank email.

Make sure:

• The tag in the form matches the one in the email body.
• You don’t have extra spaces or typos in the mail template.
• The message field is not left out or commented by mistake.

2. Missing or Incorrect Form Tags

Sometimes, the form field exists, but its tag is missing in the email body. Or worse, you may have deleted or renamed it unknowingly.

Here’s what happens:

• You use [your-name] in the form.
• But in the email, you write [yourname] (without the dash).
• The email system doesn’t recognize this tag, so it sends a blank field.

Always double-check that:

• Every field has a unique and matching tag.
• You copy-paste tags correctly from the form to the mail tab.

3. JavaScript or AJAX Conflicts

Your WordPress theme or another plugin could block form scripts. This usually happens due to JavaScript errors on the page.

As a result:

• The form looks like it submitted correctly.
• But no data is actually passed to the server.
• So you get a blank email.

You can open your browser’s developer tools to check for errors. If you see red error messages in the console, that’s a good clue.

4. Spam Bots Submitting Empty Fields

Spam bots often fill out your form without real data. Or they bypass required fields and submit the form anyway.

This results in:

• Blank fields in the email body.
• No real user message, just empty content.

Adding Google reCAPTCHA or a honeypot field can stop this. We’ll cover that in the fix section.

5. Plugin or Theme Conflicts

Contact Form 7 may conflict with other plugins or custom themes. These conflicts can prevent form data from being processed properly.

To test this:

• Disable all other plugins.
• Switch to a default theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four).
• Try the form again.

If the issue goes away, the problem is a conflict.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide

Now that we know why Contact Form 7 sends blank emails, let’s fix it. This guide will walk you through simple steps to find and solve the problem.

These steps work even if you’re not a developer. Just follow each one carefully and test the form after each fix.

1. Check the Mail Tab Settings

This is the first place you should look. In your WordPress dashboard:

• Go to Contact > Contact Forms.
• Click the form you’re using.
• Go to the Mail tab.

Make sure the email body includes all field tags. These must match the ones used in your form.

For example:

Form Field:

<label>Your Name</label> [your-name]

Mail Body:

Name: [your-name]

If you use a wrong tag, like [yourname], it won’t work.

What to do:

• Copy tags directly from the form tab.
• Don’t leave the message area blank.
• Check that every form field is represented in the email body.

2. Make Sure Fields Are Not Empty

Contact Form 7 will still send the form even if fields are left blank. This can happen if:

• Required tags are missing.
• Validation rules are not applied.

Check your form field setup. Use the “required” option for key fields like name and message.

Example:

[text* your-name] – the asterisk (*) means required

Why it helps:
 It forces users to fill out fields before submitting.

3. Switch to a Default WordPress Theme

Sometimes your theme blocks form scripts from working properly. To test:

• Go to Appearance > Themes.
• Activate a default theme like Twenty Twenty-Four.
• Submit the form again.

If it works now, the issue is theme-related.

What to do:

• Contact the theme developer.
• Or use a child theme and manually fix the conflict.

4. Disable All Other Plugins Temporarily

Other plugins may conflict with Contact Form 7. Security, caching, or JavaScript-heavy plugins are often the cause.

Try this:

• Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
• Deactivate all plugins except Contact Form 7.
• Test your form.

If the email works, turn plugins back on one by one. This helps find the one causing the issue.

Tip: Clear your site cache and browser cache each time.

5. Use Browser Developer Tools

Open your site in Google Chrome. Right-click and choose Inspect, then click on the Console tab.

Now submit your form. If there’s a JavaScript error, it will show here in red.

Common signs:

• “Uncaught error” or “AJAX failed”
• Form doesn’t send data even when it looks like it did

What to do:

• Note the error message.
• Look it up online or ask the plugin developer for help.

6. Use Debugging Plugins

Sometimes it helps to log what’s actually being sent. Install plugins like:

• WP Mail Logging – to see every email sent
• Query Monitor – to check AJAX requests
• WP Debug Log – to catch PHP issues

These tools help you see what’s missing or broken behind the scenes.

7. Test on a Staging Site

Make changes on a copy of your site. This helps avoid downtime or errors on your live site.

You can use:

• A staging environment from your host
• A plugin like WP Staging

Advanced Fixes and Prevention Tips

If you’ve tried basic troubleshooting and the problem still exists, don’t worry. In this part, we’ll cover advanced fixes that go deeper. We’ll also share best practices to stop Contact Form 7 from sending blank emails again.

1. Log Raw Form Submissions Using PHP

Sometimes the form is working, but email is not. In that case, you can log raw data using a PHP snippet.

This lets you check what is actually submitted.

Here’s how to do it:

• Open your theme’s functions.php file.
• Add the following code:

This saves form data to your error log. You can check if anything is being sent at all.

Helps identify invisible issues behind the blank email problem.

2. Use WP Mail Logging Plugin

This plugin records every email sent by WordPress. You can check if:

• The email was created correctly
• The email body had content
• Any field was skipped or broken

Steps to use:

• Install and activate WP Mail Logging plugin
• Submit a test form
• Go to Tools > WP Mail Log
• Open the latest log and review the message body

This will help confirm if the blank email is coming from the form or the email delivery process.

3. Add Google reCAPTCHA or Honeypot

Spam bots are a common cause of blank emails. They skip fields or fill them with junk. The best way to stop this is by adding:

• Google reCAPTCHA: Helps verify human users
• Honeypot: A hidden field only bots fill, and it flags them

To enable reCAPTCHA:

• Go to Contact > Integration
• Set up Google reCAPTCHA keys (v3 is recommended)
• Add the integration shortcode to your form

To add a honeypot:

• Install Contact Form 7 Honeypot plugin
• Add [honeypot your-website] to your form

Helps reduce fake or empty submissions completely.

4. Use Custom Validation Filters (Advanced Users)

You can create custom validation in functions.php to block blank fields even if required rules fail.

This makes sure even spammy or buggy submissions don’t go through if the message is empty.

5. Keep Everything Updated

Outdated plugins or themes can create hidden conflicts. Make sure:

• WordPress is up to date
• Contact Form 7 is on the latest version
• Your theme and other plugins are updated

Always check the changelog before updates. Sometimes, recent updates fix email-related bugs.

6. Best Practices to Avoid Blank Emails

Here’s a quick list of habits to follow:

• Always match form fields with email tags
• Use required fields for key inputs
• Test forms after every plugin/theme update
• Back up your site before major changes
• Use a staging site for experiments
• Monitor logs using WP Mail Logging

These tips help avoid Contact Form 7 blank email issues long-term.

When to Seek Help

If you’ve followed all the steps and the problem still exists, it may be time to involve an expert. Persistent issues with Contact Form 7 emails can affect customer experience and lead quality.

As a trusted WordPress and WooCommerce service provider, WooHelpDesk specializes in solving complex plugin issues like this. Our experienced team can:

• Audit your Contact Form 7 setup
• Identify plugin or theme conflicts
• Configure mail delivery settings properly
• Ensure all form data is captured and delivered correctly

Instead of spending hours troubleshooting, let our professionals take over. We ensure your contact forms run smoothly, reliably, and securely.

Conclusion

A blank email from Contact Form 7 can be frustrating and confusing. It often results in lost inquiries and poor communication. Fortunately, the issue is both common and fixable.

By applying the solutions we’ve covered, you can restore proper form functionality and improve user trust on your website.

Still facing problems? Don’t let form issues affect your business.
Reach out to WooHelpDesk — your expert partner in WordPress and WooCommerce support.

We’re here to make sure your forms—and your business—keep moving forward.