How to Create a WordPress Form That Automatically Sends a PDF 

Think about how many times this happens in a typical business week.

Someone submits a quote request form. The data lands in your inbox. You open a Word document, copy the name and project details across, format the quote, save it as PDF, and email it back. Fifteen minutes. Every single time.

Or someone books a consultation through your contact form. You manually create a booking confirmation PDF. Or a job applicant submits their details and you generate a PDF summary for the hiring team. Or a client completes an onboarding form and you spend twenty minutes turning their responses into a professionally formatted project brief.

Every one of those manual steps is completely unnecessary.

When your WordPress form connects to a PDF generator, the sequence changes. Someone submits. A professionally formatted PDF is created instantly, populated with their data. It lands in their inbox as an email attachment and is saved automatically to your cloud storage. The entire process takes less time than it took you to read this paragraph.

This guide covers exactly how to build that workflow in WordPress using SureForms: the use cases worth automating, the complete step-by-step setup, and what to do with the generated PDFs once they are flowing automatically.

Why Automatic PDF Generation Matters for Your Business

The business case for automating form-to-PDF workflows is stronger than most people realize before they calculate it.

The Time Cost of Manual Document Creation

A single quote request that requires manually copying submitted data into a formatted template takes an average of 15 minutes of administrative work. If your business receives 20 quote requests per week, that is 5 hours of manual work every week, 260 hours per year, spent on a task that a properly configured form can handle in zero seconds.

Scale that across all the forms on your site that currently require manual document creation afterward: intake forms, booking confirmations, application summaries, service agreements, order confirmations, membership certificates. The cumulative time reclaimed from automation often surprises business owners when they add it up.

The Quality and Consistency Problem

Manual document creation introduces human error and inconsistency that automated PDF generation eliminates entirely.

• Typos when copying data from a form submission into a Word document
• Formatting inconsistencies between documents created by different team members
• Missed fields when building complex documents from long form submissions
• Delays when the team member responsible for creating documents is unavailable

Automated PDF generation produces identical, error-free documents every time. The same template, the same formatting, the same data pulled from the exact fields submitted. No manual steps, no inconsistencies, no delays.

The Trust and Professionalism Angle

Clients and customers receiving an instant, professionally formatted PDF within seconds of submitting a form experience your business as organized, efficient, and trustworthy. They feel their inquiry was taken seriously from the moment they clicked submit.

Compare that experience to receiving a plain-text email saying “Thanks, someone will be in touch,” followed by a manually created document days later. The automated PDF workflow creates a better first impression without any additional effort.

What SureForms PDF Generation Does 

SureForms includes PDF generation as a native feature in every paid plan. There is no separate addon to purchase, no third-party plugin to install, no middleware to configure.

Core Capabilities

• Template-based PDF creation. You design a PDF template once using SureForms’ built-in editor. Every subsequent form submission populates that template automatically with the submitted data.
• Two template editing modes. Visual Mode provides a WYSIWYG editor for designing templates without writing code. HTML mode allows custom layouts using HTML with inline CSS for complete control over the document design.
• Smart Tags for dynamic data. Insert placeholders into your template that correspond to specific form fields. When a submission comes in, SureForms replaces each placeholder with the actual submitted value.
• Automatic email attachment. Configure SureForms to attach the generated PDF to the notification email that fires on every submission. The PDF lands in your inbox (and the submitter’s inbox) automatically.
• Manual download from entries. Every generated PDF is accessible from the SureForms entries dashboard. Download any submission’s PDF at any time for record-keeping, sharing, or review.
• Cloud storage upload. Route generated PDFs automatically to Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3 alongside any other file uploads from the same submission.

The mPDF Library

SureForms uses the mPDF library to generate PDF documents. mPDF is a well-established PHP library for converting HTML/CSS templates into PDF files. It supports Unicode (meaning it handles non-Latin scripts like Arabic, Chinese, and Cyrillic correctly), handles right-to-left text, and supports common formatting including tables, images, headers, footers, and inline styles.

Because mPDF is downloaded to your server rather than connecting to a third-party service, your PDF documents are generated locally. Submission data never leaves your server during PDF creation.

What It Does Not Do

SureForms PDF generation creates documents from form submission data. It is not a PDF editor, a PDF filler for existing documents, or an e-signature platform in the traditional sense. For workflows that involve having visitors sign an agreement within the form, SureForms’ digital signature field captures the signature and includes it in the generated PDF, which covers the most common signature use cases.

SureForms PDF Generator feature page
SureForms PDF Generation documentation

Use Cases: The Forms That Benefit Most from Automatic PDF Generation

Before configuring anything, it helps to identify which form on your site has the highest time cost for manual document creation. That form is your best starting point.

Quote and Pricing Request Forms

A visitor fills out a pricing calculator or quote request form. SureForms generates a formatted quote PDF automatically: company logo at the top, submitted project details in the body, a calculated price total at the bottom, and your contact information in the footer. The PDF attaches to the notification email and arrives in the visitor’s inbox within seconds of submission.

No manual quoting work. No delay. The visitor has a professional document to share with their decision-makers immediately.

Client Intake and Onboarding Forms

Agencies, consultants, coaches, and service businesses collect a significant amount of information from new clients before work begins. An intake form that generates a formatted project brief PDF serves two purposes: it gives the business team a clean summary document to work from, and it gives the client a professional record of what they submitted.

Booking and Appointment Confirmations

A booking form that generates a PDF confirmation creates a document the visitor can save, print, or share. This is more trustworthy and useful than a plain-text email confirmation for events, appointments, service bookings, or reservations.

Job Application Summaries

A job application form typically collects more information than a hiring manager wants to review in a plain email notification. A PDF summary document formatted like a candidate profile, with the applicant’s details organized clearly, is significantly easier to review and file than a raw form notification email.

Event Registration Certificates

Events, courses, workshops, and webinars can auto-generate registration certificates or tickets on form submission. The attendee receives a branded PDF certificate or ticket by email. No manual certificate creation required.

Service Agreements and Engagement Letters

A client onboarding form that includes the project scope, fees, and terms can auto-generate a PDF service agreement populated with the submitted project details. Combined with SureForms’ digital signature field, the client can sign the form and receive the signed agreement PDF automatically.

Order Confirmation Forms

For businesses taking orders through forms rather than a full e-commerce system, an order confirmation PDF provides the customer with a professional order record and gives the business team a clean document to process against.

Grant and Application Forms

Non-profits, educational institutions, and community organizations using forms to collect applications or grant requests benefit significantly from automatic PDF generation. Applications that generate a clean PDF summary are easier to review by committees than raw form notifications.

Prerequisites: What You Need Before Setting Up 

Before configuring PDF generation in SureForms, confirm these requirements are in place.

SureForms Pro

PDF generation is a Pro feature. It is included in every paid SureForms plan from the Solo plan at $59 per year. Every paid plan includes the same feature set with no tier restrictions.

See SureForms pricing

The mbstring PHP Extension with mbregex Support

SureForms’ PDF library (mPDF) requires the PHP mbstring extension with mbregex support enabled on your server. This extension handles multibyte character encoding, which mPDF uses for unicode text rendering in PDFs.

How to check if mbstring is enabled:

• Install a plugin like PHP Info Display and view the PHP info output. Search for “mbstring” in the results.
• Alternatively, ask your hosting provider: “Is the PHP mbstring extension with mbregex support enabled on my account?”

If it is not enabled: Most shared hosting providers enable mbstring by default, as it is required by many popular WordPress plugins. If your host does not have it enabled, contact their support team and request it. Almost all hosting providers can enable it within minutes from their control panel.

A Form to Connect the PDF To

The PDF template connects to a specific form in your SureForms library. Build the form first, name your fields clearly (the field names become your Smart Tag references), and save it before configuring the PDF template.

Step 1: Set Up PDF Generation in SureForms Global Settings 

PDF generation configuration starts in SureForms’ global settings, where you download the required PDF library to your server.

Download the PDF Library

• Navigate to SureForms > Settings > General Settings in your WordPress dashboard.
• Scroll down to the PDF Generation section.
• You will see the Get PDF Resource button.
• Click Get PDF Resource to download the mPDF library files to your server.
• Wait for the download to complete. The button will update to confirm the library is installed.

This download only needs to happen once. The library remains on your server for all future PDF generation.

What the PDF Library Downloads

The mPDF library is approximately 30 to 60MB depending on the version. It installs into a directory within your SureForms plugin files. The library handles all PDF rendering on your server locally, meaning submission data is never transmitted to a third-party service during PDF generation.

If You Need to Remove or Re-Download the Library

• In the same PDF Generation section of global settings, click Delete PDF Library.
• A confirmation dropdown appears with Cancel and Delete options.
• Confirm the deletion.
• Re-download the library at any time by clicking Get PDF Resource again.

This is useful if the library becomes corrupted or if you are migrating to a new server and need to reinstall it.

Step 2: Create Your Form 

If you have not already built the form whose submissions should generate PDFs, do this now.

Build the Form with Clear Field Names

Good field naming practice makes PDF template configuration significantly easier. When you add fields to a SureForms form, you can set a custom field ID or key in the advanced field settings. Use descriptive, consistent names:

• Instead of the default text_1, name it client_name
• Instead of text_2, name it project_description
• Instead of number_1, name it project_budget

These names become the Smart Tags you use in your PDF template. A template that reads Dear {client_name} is immediately understandable. One that reads Dear {text_1} is not.

Use the AI Form Builder for Faster Setup

If you are building a complex form like a detailed intake form, quote request, or job application, describe it to the SureForms AI form builder:

• Go to SureForms > Add New and select Create with AI.
• Describe your form: “A client project intake form for a web design agency. Collect client name, company name, email, project type, project description, timeline, and estimated budget. This form will generate a project brief PDF.”
• The AI generates the field structure, labels, and logical ordering.
• Review and adjust field names in the advanced settings before building the PDF template.

AI form builder documentation

Publish the Form

Once the form is built and field names are set, publish it. PDF templates can only be configured on published forms.

Step 3: Build Your PDF Template 

The PDF template is the layout of the document SureForms generates on every submission. You define it once, and every submission uses the same template with different data populated via Smart Tags.

Accessing the PDF Template Editor

PDF template configuration happens at the individual form level, not in global settings.

• Open your form in the SureForms editor.
• Click the Form Settings dropdown at the top of the editor.
• Select PDF Generation from the dropdown options.
• The PDF Generation settings panel opens.

Creating a New PDF Configuration

• Click Add New in the PDF Configuration section.
• Give your PDF configuration a name. Use something descriptive that identifies both the form and the document type: for example, “Project Intake Brief” or “Quote Confirmation PDF.”

Choosing Between Visual Mode and HTML Mode

SureForms offers two template editing modes:

Visual Mode

Visual Mode provides a simple WYSIWYG editor for creating PDF templates without writing code. It works similarly to the WordPress post editor: add text, format headings, add tables, and insert Smart Tags using a point-and-click interface.

Visual Mode is the right starting point for most users. It covers the majority of common document layouts without requiring any HTML or CSS knowledge.

HTML Mode

HTML Mode provides a code editor where you write the template using HTML with inline CSS. This gives you complete control over the document layout, typography, spacing, and visual design.

Use HTML Mode when you need:

• Precise multi-column layouts
• Complex table structures
• Specific typography and color choices
• Logo images embedded in the document header
• Custom page formatting with headers and footers

Note on CSS in HTML Mode: mPDF supports a subset of CSS properties. Use inline CSS styles on HTML elements rather than external stylesheets or style blocks. Properties like color, font-family, font-size, font-weight, text-align, padding, margin, border, and background-color work reliably. Complex CSS features like flexbox and grid layouts have limited support in mPDF.

Designing a Professional PDF Layout

Regardless of which mode you use, a well-designed PDF template for business use typically includes:

Header section:

• Your company logo (or client’s company name pulled from a form field)
• Document title (e.g., “Project Brief,” “Quote,” “Booking Confirmation”)
• Document date (can be auto-populated using a date Smart Tag)
• A unique reference number if needed

Body section:

• Submitted form data organized into logical sections
• Clear labels for each piece of information
• Tables for structured data like pricing breakdowns or service lists

Footer section:

• Your company name and contact details
• Submission date and timestamp
• Any legal text, terms of service snippet, or confidentiality notice

Step 4: Use Smart Tags to Pull Form Data into the PDF 

Smart Tags are the bridge between your form fields and your PDF template. They are placeholders in the template that SureForms replaces with real submitted data when generating the PDF.

How Smart Tags Work

In your PDF template, a Smart Tag looks like this: {field_name} or using SureForms’ Smart Tag syntax for form fields.

When a submission comes in, SureForms scans the template, finds every Smart Tag, and replaces it with the corresponding value from the submission.

A template line that reads:

Dear {client_name}, thank you for submitting your project request.

Generates as:

Dear Sarah Johnson, thank you for submitting your project request.

Available Smart Tags in SureForms PDF Templates

SureForms Smart Tags in PDF templates can reference:

• Form field values: Pull the submitted value of any field by its field key
• Submission metadata: Submission date, submission time, form name, entry ID
• Site information: Site name, site URL

Access the available Smart Tags by clicking the Smart Tags icon in the PDF template editor. This displays all available tags with their exact syntax so you can insert them without typing errors.

Name Your Fields Consistently Before Building the Template

This is worth repeating because it is the most common setup mistake. If your form has a field named field_47, the Smart Tag in your template will be {field_47}. If you later rename the field, the Smart Tag breaks.

Name every field with a clear, descriptive key before you start building the template. Fix field naming in the form editor first, then build the template.

Example Template Structure Using Smart Tags

Here is a sample HTML Mode template for a project intake brief:

<div style=”font-family: Arial, sans-serif; padding: 40px;”>

  <h1 style=”color: #2c3e50; border-bottom: 2px solid #2c3e50; padding-bottom: 10px;”>

    Project Brief

  </h1>

  <p style=”color: #666; font-size: 14px;”>

    Submitted: {submission_date} | Reference:

  </p>

  <h2 style=”color: #2c3e50; margin-top: 30px;”>Client Information</h2>

  <table style=”width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;”>

    <tr>

      <td style=”padding: 8px; font-weight: bold; width: 200px;”>Client Name</td>

      <td style=”padding: 8px;”>{client_name}</td>

    </tr>

    <tr style=”background-color: #f8f9fa;”>

      <td style=”padding: 8px; font-weight: bold;”>Company</td>

      <td style=”padding: 8px;”>{company_name}</td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

      <td style=”padding: 8px; font-weight: bold;”>Email</td>

      <td style=”padding: 8px;”>{client_email}</td>

    </tr>

  </table>

  <h2 style=”color: #2c3e50; margin-top: 30px;”>Project Details</h2>

  <table style=”width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;”>

    <tr>

      <td style=”padding: 8px; font-weight: bold; width: 200px;”>Project Type</td>

      <td style=”padding: 8px;”>{project_type}</td>

    </tr>

    <tr style=”background-color: #f8f9fa;”>

      <td style=”padding: 8px; font-weight: bold;”>Timeline</td>

      <td style=”padding: 8px;”>{timeline}</td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

      <td style=”padding: 8px; font-weight: bold;”>Budget</td>

      <td style=”padding: 8px;”>{project_budget}</td>

    </tr>

  </table>

  <h2 style=”color: #2c3e50; margin-top: 30px;”>Project Description</h2>

  <p style=”line-height: 1.6;”>{project_description}</p>

  <div style=”margin-top: 40px; border-top: 1px solid #eee; padding-top: 20px; 

              font-size: 12px; color: #999;”>

    Generated by Your Company Name | yourwebsite.com

  </div>

</div>

Adjust field keys, colors, and layout to match your actual form fields and brand.

Step 5: Configure PDF Delivery via Email 

Once your PDF template is built, configure SureForms to attach the generated PDF automatically to the notification email that fires on every submission.

Setting Up PDF Attachment in Notification Emails

• In your form settings, navigate to Email Notifications.
• Open the notification rule for which you want to attach the PDF. This might be the admin notification (sent to you), the submitter confirmation (sent to the visitor), or both.
• Look for the PDF attachment option in the notification settings.
• Enable the PDF attachment toggle.
• Select which PDF configuration to attach (you may have multiple PDF templates per form).
• Save the notification settings.

Sending the PDF to the Submitter

For most use cases, you want to send the PDF to the person who submitted the form, not just to yourself.

Configure a submitter-facing notification in the email settings:

• Set the To field to the dynamic tag for the email field in your form.
• Write a friendly, professional confirmation message in the email body.
• Enable PDF attachment for this notification.
• Save.

When a visitor submits, they receive an email with your confirmation message and the professionally formatted PDF of their submission attached. The experience feels instant and professional.

Sending the PDF to Your Team

The admin notification (sent to you or your team) can also include the PDF attachment. This means your team receives a clean, formatted document with every submission rather than a plain-text notification email.

For teams where different types of submissions should go to different people, use SureForms’ conditional notification routing: route project inquiry PDFs to the project team, support request PDFs to the support team, and sales inquiry PDFs to the sales team, all from a single form.

Notification email settings documentation

Step 6: Send PDFs to Cloud Storage Automatically 

Emailing the PDF covers immediate delivery. For organized, long-term storage and team access, route generated PDFs to cloud storage automatically on every submission.

Connecting Google Drive

SureForms connects natively to Google Drive. When configured, uploaded files and generated PDFs from form submissions land in a designated Google Drive folder automatically.

• In your form settings, go to the Integrations tab.
• Select Cloud File Storage and choose Google Drive as the destination.
• Authenticate your Google Drive account.
• Select or create the destination folder.
• Configure which fields and PDF outputs should be included in the upload.

Every submission generates the PDF, attaches it to the notification email, and uploads it to the configured Drive folder simultaneously.

Google Drive integration documentation

Connecting Dropbox

The Dropbox integration works identically to Google Drive in terms of configuration:

• In the form’s Integrations tab, select Cloud File Storage and choose Dropbox.
• Authenticate your Dropbox account.
• Select or create the destination folder.
• Include the PDF output in the upload configuration.

Dropbox is particularly well-suited for workflows involving large PDF files or teams already working in the Dropbox ecosystem.

Dropbox integration documentation

Connecting Amazon S3

For organizations running infrastructure on AWS or with compliance requirements around data storage location, SureForms connects to Amazon S3 for PDF storage.

Amazon S3 integration documentation

Why Cloud Storage Is Worth Configuring

A PDF emailed once and stored nowhere else creates a fragile archive. Emails get deleted. Inboxes get reorganized. Team members leave and take their archives with them.

A PDF routed automatically to Google Drive or Dropbox on every submission creates a persistent, searchable, shareable library of every document generated by your forms. The HR team can browse through job application PDFs in a shared Drive folder. The project team has every intake brief organized by submission date. The admin team has every booking confirmation in one place.

Step 7: Download PDFs Manually from the Entries Dashboard

Beyond automatic delivery and cloud routing, SureForms stores every submission in the entries dashboard, and generated PDFs are downloadable from there at any time.

Accessing PDFs from Entries

• In your WordPress dashboard, go to SureForms > Entries.
• Select the form whose entries you want to view.
• Find the specific submission you want.
• Open the entry detail view.
• Download the PDF directly from the entry.

This is useful for accessing PDFs for specific submissions on demand, printing documents for physical records, sharing specific submission PDFs with team members, and reviewing documents for quality assurance after making template changes.

The entries dashboard gives you an independent record of every generated PDF regardless of whether the email attachment was delivered or the cloud storage upload succeeded.

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Advanced: Combine PDF Generation with Digital Signatures 

For workflows that require a signed document, such as service agreements, consent forms, contractor agreements, or waivers, SureForms’ digital signature field captures the visitor’s signature directly within the form and includes the signature image in the generated PDF.

How the Signature Field Works in PDF Generation

• Add a Digital Signature field to your form.
• In your PDF template, include the Smart Tag for the signature field.
• When a visitor signs the form and submits, SureForms renders the signature image at the correct position in the PDF template.
• The generated PDF includes the typed or drawn signature alongside the submitted form data.

What This Creates

A client who completes your onboarding form, reviews the terms displayed in the form, and signs the digital signature field receives a PDF that functions as a record of their agreement. The document includes their submitted details, the terms content you included in the form, the date and time of submission, and their digital signature.

This is not a legally binding e-signature in the formal sense (which requires specific compliance with regulations like eIDAS or the US ESIGN Act), but it creates a meaningful record for most standard business agreement purposes. For formal legal contracts requiring certified e-signature, use a dedicated e-signature platform and refer to your legal counsel.

Digital Signature field documentation

Advanced: Use Conditional Logic to Generate Different PDFs 

SureForms supports multiple PDF configurations per form. Combined with conditional logic, different types of submissions can generate different PDF templates automatically.

When Multiple PDF Templates Help

• A service inquiry form where residential clients receive a residential services quote PDF and commercial clients receive a commercial services quote PDF
• A job application form where applications for different roles generate role-specific summary PDFs formatted for the relevant hiring team
• An event registration form where attendees receive different confirmation PDFs based on the ticket type or session they registered for
• A support form where different issue types generate different summary documents for different support teams

How to Set Up Multiple PDF Configurations

• In your form’s PDF Generation settings, add a second PDF configuration with a different template.
• Name it clearly to distinguish it from the first (for example, “Residential Quote PDF” and “Commercial Quote PDF”).
• Use SureForms’ conditional logic settings to control which PDF is attached to which notification based on the submitted field values.

This capability turns a single form into a sophisticated document routing system without any custom development.

Real-World Workflow Examples 

Here are three complete workflow examples showing how automatic PDF generation connects with other SureForms features in real business scenarios.

Example 1: Web Design Agency Project Intake

Form: Project intake form collecting client name, company, email, project type, budget range, timeline, and a detailed project description.

PDF template: A formatted project brief document with company header, organized client and project details, and submission metadata.

Workflow:

• Client submits the intake form.
• SureForms generates the project brief PDF immediately.
• The client receives a confirmation email with the PDF attached (they can review what they submitted and share it with their team).
• The agency’s project team receives the admin notification with the same PDF attached (no inbox parsing required, the brief is ready to act on).
• The PDF also uploads to the agency’s Google Drive “New Projects” folder automatically.

Time saved: 15 to 20 minutes of manual brief creation per inquiry.

Example 2: Health and Wellness Appointment Booking

Form: Appointment booking form collecting patient name, contact details, appointment type, preferred date and time, and any relevant medical notes.

PDF template: A formatted appointment confirmation with clinic header, appointment details, and preparation instructions for the appointment type selected.

Workflow:

• Patient submits the booking form.
• SureForms generates a confirmation PDF customized to the appointment type (using multiple PDF configurations with conditional routing).
• The patient receives the confirmation PDF by email within seconds.
• The clinic receives the booking summary PDF.
• All booking PDFs route to the clinic’s Dropbox “Appointments” folder organized by date.

Time saved: Manual appointment confirmation creation eliminated entirely.

Example 3: Freelance Contractor Agreement

Form: A service agreement form presenting the project scope, deliverables, payment terms, and contract clauses within the form content, followed by a digital signature field at the bottom.

PDF template: A formatted service agreement document including all project details submitted in the form and the captured digital signature.

Workflow:

• Client reviews the terms in the form, fills in their project details, and signs the digital signature field.
• SureForms generates a signed agreement PDF with all submitted details and the signature image.
• The client receives their copy of the signed agreement by email.
• The freelancer receives the signed agreement for their records.
• The agreement PDF uploads to Google Drive in a client-specific folder.

Time saved: Manual contract creation, data entry into contract templates, and manual signature collection all eliminated.

Conclusion 

Automatic PDF generation from WordPress forms is not a complex technical undertaking. It is a configuration task that most business owners can complete in under an hour. The effort is one-time. The time savings are every submission, forever.

Start with the form on your site that currently produces the most manual document work after submission. Configure a PDF template, set up email delivery, and route to cloud storage. Test it with a submission of your own. Then move on to the next form.

SureForms’ PDF generation is a native Pro feature included in every paid plan from $59 per year, with no additional addon or plugin required. The mPDF library generates documents locally on your server, Visual Mode makes template design accessible without code, and Smart Tags make field data mapping straightforward.

When you are ready to extend further, combine PDF generation with digital signatures for agreement workflows, multiple PDF configurations with conditional logic for document routing, and cloud storage integration for organized long-term archiving.

Explore SureForms PDF generation.
See all features and pricing.

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