Route public URLs for submits and redirects

This guide is for a developer or technical admin who controls Apache (or compatible) rewrites for the site. You will confirm the canonical POST path for forms, reachable thank-you and not-sent targets, and (when needed) WordPress-safe rule order. Operators do not need this page unless they edit server config.

Visitors POST to a single public route; the server must route that request to WCKD Forms without stripping the body.

  1. Open the site root rewrite config.
  2. Confirm a rule maps /form-submit to WCKD Forms. Use the rewrite example included with your package.
  3. If your install includes package-level rewrite rules, confirm the package-local form-submit route still reaches WCKD Forms for requests that enter the package first.

Important. If this rule is missing, the browser returns 404 or the wrong script and submissions never reach intake.

Lite sites use the same public path but a different target. On a site running WCKD Forms Lite, route /form-submit to Lite using the rewrite example included with the Lite package.

Lite intake uses a routed public API URL. The main dashboard exposes a versioned route such as /v1/intake for Lite. Your web server maps that route internally; do not document or share internal server paths.

See WCKD Forms Lite for the full setup flow.

Intake redirects the browser to your configured success or failure URL; those URLs must return HTTP 200.

  1. During install, either publish default pages into the site root or supply custom URL paths you already host.
  2. After install, override per form under Settings → Forms when a template needs different destinations.
  3. Compare each configured URL with the real scheme, host, and path (leading slash, HTTPS vs HTTP).

A CMS front controller must not answer POSTs meant for /form-submit.

  1. Open the WordPress rewrite example included with your package.
  2. Copy the WCKD block (form-submit, thank-you, not-sent, and package routes as shown there).
  3. Paste that block above the WordPress rewrite block so WordPress does not swallow /form-submit.
  4. Clear server and CDN caches, then repeat a browser submit test.

Pretty dashboard URLs can rewrite internally. A 301 from a direct PHP URL to an extensionless URL is normal when both exist.

You reduce accidental indexing of admin URLs.

  1. Keep your robots rules disallowing dashboard URLs.
  2. Decide separately whether public thank-you or not-sent pages should carry noindex meta (common for conversion pages).

You observe the full request flow from browser to inbox.

  1. Submit a test lead from a page that calls wckd_form() (see Embed forms).
  2. Confirm the browser lands on your thank-you URL, not the not-sent URL.
  3. Open Inbox and confirm the new submission row exists; if the URL contains ?wckd=, use Troubleshooting.

Common mistakes

  • POST hits WordPress 404: WCKD rules sit below the CMS catch-all; move them up per Step 3.
  • Thank-you 404: installer published pages to the wrong location or the per-form URL has a typo under Settings → Forms.
  • HTTPS redirect loops on localhost: root rewrite config may force HTTPS; use an exempt local host or test with TLS locally.

Related pages