When new form submission received in Contact Form 7, set meta value using Metabox integration
Each Contact Form 7 submission writes a value into a Meta Box custom field on a post, term or user you specify, so a simple form can update site content without anyone opening the WordPress editor.
Contact Form 7
Metabox2 steps Setup ~5 min Used on 532 sites Free to import
What this workflow does
Meta Box custom fields often hold small pieces of content that change: an opening-hours note, a stock status, a featured message on a page. Giving someone editor access just to change one field is more than they need. With this workflow, a Contact Form 7 form becomes the way to set that field.
The Contact Form 7 trigger fires on each new submission and passes the form's fields to FlowMattic. The Meta Box step then runs Set Meta Value, which sets a meta value on any object type that Meta Box supports: a post, a term or a user. You tell the step which object and which field to write, and map a form answer as the value.
Every submission runs the step, and a later submission overwrites the value an earlier one set, so treat this as a form for people you trust. Lock the form page behind a login or keep its URL private. Test it on a known post or user first and confirm the field changed in the WordPress editor.
Shop notice updated by staff
A Contact Form 7 form on a private page lets staff type today's notice. The text is saved to a Meta Box field on the home page that your theme displays.
Event status on a single event post
Organisers pick Open, Full or Cancelled in the form, and the choice is written to a status field on that event's post.
Profile detail kept on one user
A coordinator submits a phone number for the on-call contact, and it is stored in a Meta Box field on that staff member's user profile.
How this workflow runs
What happens at each step once the workflow is on, and what you need before you import it.
Contact Form 7 New Form SubmissionRuns every time a Contact Form 7 form on your site is submitted. Each field the visitor filled in is passed on, so its value can go into the Meta Box field.
- Metabox Set Meta Value
Sets a Meta Box meta value on the post, term or user you point it at. Choose the object and the field, then map the form answer you want stored. Check a test run to confirm what it wrote.
What you need
- FlowMatticCore
- Contact Form 7 PluginPlugin
- Metabox PluginPlugin
After importing, map your own data. To keep the template universal, not every step is pre-filled. Open each step in the builder and connect your accounts and fields (channels, lists, sheets, recipients) before you switch the workflow on.
Make it yours
Changes worth making after you import it.
- If your site has other Contact Form 7 forms, check in a test run whether they also start this workflow. If they do, add a Filter on a field only this form has, so other forms can't change the meta field.
- Need to store more than one answer? Add a second Meta Box Set Meta Value step and point it at another field on the same object.
- Keep the form behind a login or on a private page. Contact Form 7 accepts submissions from any visitor who can reach it, and each one overwrites the field.
- Use Meta Box's Add Meta Value action instead if you want each submission added as a new value rather than replacing the old one.
Questions about this workflow
Which post or user does the Contact Form 7 data get written to?
The one you specify in the Meta Box step. As imported it isn't set, so pick the object before you activate the workflow and test it on a known post, term or user.
Does the Meta Box field have to exist already?
It should be a field you've registered with Meta Box for that object type, so it shows in the editor and your theme can read it. Confirm the value appears after a test submission.
What happens when two people submit the Contact Form 7 form?
Both runs set the same meta field, so the value from the later submission is what remains. Task History lists both runs.
Do I need Meta Box and Contact Form 7 on the same site as FlowMattic?
Yes. Both are WordPress plugins and FlowMattic runs inside that WordPress install, so the value is saved on your own site.
More Developer Tools workflows
Other ready-to-import templates from the same category.
Import this workflow into your WordPress site
Download the JSON, import it from the Workflows screen and connect your accounts. Every run stays on your server, with no per-task fees.
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