Migrate Donation Forms to the Visual Form Builder

GiveWP 3.0 improves the donation form creation experience with a new Visual Donation Form Builder. Because GiveWP 3.0 is backward compatible, you can safely migrate forms to the new visual form builder without interrupting donations. This simple, 2-step process makes upgrading your existing forms quick and easy.

Why should I migrate my donation forms?

You should migrate your forms when:

1. You want to improve your donation form building process.
2. You want to use the latest features and add-ons.

The Visual Form Builder was designed to improve the entire donation form building and presentation process. Additionally, all new features and add-ons will be developed exclusively for the Visual Form Builder, making it the best option for anyone who wants to take full advantage of GiveWP’s capabilities. 

You should check before migrating when:

1. You use add-ons or payment gateways that are not yet compatible.
2. Your forms rely on customized templates or custom code.

GiveWP is still working on compatibility for some add-ons and payment gateways. If an add-on or payment gateway you use is not compatible, you can always migrate later. See the GiveWP 3.0 Compatibility Guide for details on compatibility.

The Visual Donation Form Builder includes a field for custom CSS, but you should check that your forms look and function properly in the Visual Builder before completing the migration and data transfer process.

How to migrate donation forms

Migrating to the Visual Donation Form Builder is a safe, simple process that is done in 2 separate steps, giving you the opportunity to test your form before transferring data.

Step 1: Make a copy of your form in the visual builder

Edit any form that was not created using the Visual Form Builder. Then, select the “Upgrade this form” option in the upper-right of the editor.

You’ll see a notice explaining what GiveWP 3.0 is and which add-ons and payment gateways are compatible. Select “Proceed with upgrade.”

Your form will be copied and opened in the Visual Donation Form Builder where you can check settings, test, and publish it.

Step 2: Transfer donation data to your new form

Once your form is copied, you can transfer all donation data to the new version. You can access the transfer option in the blue banner at the bottom of the Visual Form Builder or under the 3-dot menu in the upper-right.

When transferring data, your old form is automatically redirected to the new one. That means every place your form appears on your website will be updated to show the new version of your form. This won’t interfere with donations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the two form editors?

The current form editor is an option-oriented editor that presents configurable settings as a list of options. The Visual Donation Form Builder is a block-based editor that lets you build donation forms visually using a drag-and-drop interface. 

While features may vary between the two form editing experiences, both offer the same essential functions: accept donations, capture donor information, process payments, and manage subscriptions. Additionally, donations, donors, and subscriptions will remain the same across both types of forms.

Forms built using the Visual Form Builder are different from forms built using the previous editor. As such, in the future more features will be added to the new forms which will not be compatible with the old forms. Additionally, only security issues will be resolved with the old forms; bug fixes will only be applied to the new forms.

What happens to my forms after migration?

If you’ve made a copy of your form in the Visual Form Builder, but you haven’t transferred data, your original form continues to work as before. You won’t see the new copy on the website unless you publish it, and then it works separately from the original.

If you’ve made a copy and transferred the donation data to it, your old form is replaced with the visual builder copy everywhere on your website. All of the donation data is now associated with the visual builder copy of your form. If you chose to delete the old form, it is in your Trash.

How can I tell which forms use the visual builder?

Any forms built with the Visual Form Builder have this block symbol next to their name in the Donation Forms list:

What happens if I don’t migrate?

GiveWP is committed to providing continued support for forms that are not using the Visual Form Builder, including critical bug fixes and security updates. You may continue using forms that have not been migrated and creating new forms using the current form editing experience.

Eventually, the current form editing experience will be deprecated and removed in favor of the visual donation form builder. However, GiveWP 3.0 will need to meet certain compatibility and use thresholds before a time frame is established.