How to Add a Radio Button in WordPress

Have you ever wondered about the origins of the radio button field? It turns out that this form element draws its inspiration from the classic physical radio button tuning. When the driver chose a specific station, all the buttons would pop out, leaving only one button pressed.

And just like drivers of yesterday selected their preferred stations, the radio button in WordPress is designed to allow users to choose a single option from a group of options.

In today’s article, we’ll show you how to add a Radio Button in WordPress. We’ll also help you understand when to use this field on your forms, and as a bonus, you’ll learn how to make your radio buttons horizontal without a need for styling plugin. Let’s dig in!

Table of contents

1. How to add a Radio Button field in WordPress
2. When to use a Radio Button List field in your form
3. Best practices for using a Radio List field
4. How to style a Radio List field in WordPress

1. How to add a Radio Button field in WordPress

Unlike some other WordPress form builders out there, Ninja Forms give you a full access to all existing form fields including the Radio Button field. This way, you can enjoy form-building to the fullest!

If you want to add a Radio List field to your form, you’ll find it under the Common Fields. With our contact form builder, you have the flexibility to either drag and drop the Radio Button List field directly onto your form or simply click on it, and it will automatically show up on your form.

Once you add a Radio List field to your form, you’ll discover a range of settings this form field provides. If you don’t have a developer mode enabled, you won’t be able to see all the existing features. But don’t worry you can unlock it for free!

The Radio List field is used when user is required to select one option only from a group of options. Unlike with a Checkbox list or Multi-select list, you can’t select multiple options with a Radio Button List field.

When a user clicks on a radio button that wasn’t previously selected, it will automatically unselect any other button that was previously chosen in the list. This popular field is commonly used for Likert Scale surveys or forms collecting a customer feedback.

3. Best practices for using a Radio List field

With so many form fields available in your WordPress forms, it’s important to adhere to specific rules pertaining to their intended use. For example, a Single Checkbox field is ideal for answering true/false questions. The Select field is a great way to provide multiple options to select from such as states, car models, etc.

The Radio Button field should be used in situations involving a list of two or more options mutually exclusive, and the user must make only one selection. In addition to this, there are other essential rules you should keep in mind when working with the Radio List field in WordPress. Let’s explore six best practices below:

Should you set default selection?

Default selections can make the user experince better by reducing the number of clicks requred to complete a form. However, a default selection might lead to incorrectly submitted form entries. We recommend you to use your own judgement here.

While Ninja Forms’ Radio List does not have a default selection set, you can easily change the default selection and mark one of your list choices as a default option.

All you need to do is click the checkbox for the option you want to set as a default, located next to the Calc Value settings.

Layout your Radio list vertically

Displaying your radio list vertically provides a clear and easily scannable layout. When you present each option in a new line, it makes it easier for users to read and understand the choices. Especially when your options have longer text or descriptions.

A vertical layout is consistent with how we naturally read and scroll, from top to bottom. It aligns with the typical reading flow for users, making it more intuitive. Vertical lists are space-efficient, especially on mobile devices and narrow form designs.

If you still need a horizontal layout with multiple options per line, make sure to space the buttons and labels so that it’s absolutely clear which choice goes with wich label and make them large enough.

You also want to make sure text is not too long, and you want to limit the number of options.Try to avoid horizontal layout if majority of your users are on their mobile devices when browsing your site.

Use Radio List when you have less than 5 options

The Radio List stands out as the optimal design choice when you intend to present fewer than five options. Its simplicity and clarity make it an excellent choice for reducing the errors on your form and for enhancing the user experience. When the number of options exceeds this threshold, the Dropdown Select field proves to be more efficient and space-saving alternative.

Sort your options logically

One of the rules for adding a Radio List field to your form is structuring list options in a logical order. Options should be arranged in a sequence that makes sense to the user and ensures clarity. The recommended best practice is to organize these choices from the simplest operation to most complex, or least risk to most as shown below.

Additionally, make sure the text on your radio list options is comprehensive and users clearly understand the vocabulary you are using.

Consider offering “Other” option

When the existing options do not apply to the user from the radio lists, you may want to provide an “Other” option in your WordPress form. While you can certainly include the “Other” choice as is, it may not provide you with meaningful data.

The solution lies in combining this option with the conditional logic functionality. By doing so, when a user selects the “Other” option, you can dynamically reveal an additional field where the user can input their specific response. This approach equips you with the necessary data to inform your business decisions effectively.

4. How to style a Radio List field in WordPress

Have you ever wanted to make your Radio Buttons horizontal rather than vertical? Perhaps you are also thinking about changing the color of your Radio Buttons or the text displayed within each radio list option. Either way, with Ninja Forms, everything is possible.

If you want to create inline Radio Buttons (display them horizontally), you can easily do that with our simple styling trick located under the Display tab of the Radio List field. The great news is that you don’t need to buy styling plugin. It’s free as is our core plugin.

To learn step-by-step how to make your Radio Buttons horizontal, check our tutorial How to Create Inline Radio Buttons in WordPress. In this guide, you’ll also learn how to change the color of your Radio Buttons using the Layout & Styles add-on.

Want more styling tips for your WordPress forms? Make sure to check Our Favorite Ninja Forms Tutorials for Styling Your WordPress Forms!

You’ve just become proficient in using a Radio List field!