Looking to create a custom user registration form in WordPress? Whether you’re building a community, managing memberships, or need a simple way for users to sign up, Ninja Forms makes the process smooth and intuitive.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to set up, configure, and test your own user registration form—no coding required. With Ninja Forms, you’ll be able to manage users, collect leads, and foster better engagement on your WordPress site.
How to create a user registration form in WordPress: a step-by-step guide
In this article, we’ll guide you through creating a custom user registration form with the Ninja Forms’ User Management add-on. It’s easy to use and straightforward, and it gives you everything you need to manage users, collect leads, and build a more personal connection with your audience.
Enable user registration in WordPress: a quick tutorial
WordPress provides basic user registration settings by default, but Ninja Forms takes customization to the next level. While membership plugins are an option, they often come with unnecessary complexity, making them feel like overkill when all you need is a simple and efficient solution.
Let’s explore how to enable user registration in WordPress using Ninja Forms.
Table of contents
- Step 1: Getting started with the User Management add-on.
- Step 2: Create your custom user registration form in WordPress using the Register User template
- Step 3: Configure the user registration form actions
- Step 4. Add the user registration form to your WordPress website
- Step 5: Testing your user registration form
✨ Prefer learning by watching rather than reading? Check out our step-by-step video tutorial on building a custom user registration form in WordPress.
Step 1: Install the User Management add-on
Before you can create your custom user registration form, you’ll need to install and activate the User Management add-on. If you don’t already have it, you can purchase an individual license for $49.00, or get it included with our Pro plan for $199/year.
Ready to install now? Follow these steps from your WordPress Dashboard:
- Click Plugins > Add New.
- Select Upload Plugin, then Choose File.
- Find the User Management add-on in your downloads folder.
- Click Install Now to activate the add-on.
For detailed instructions, check out our documentation on getting started with memberships and add-ons.
Step 2: Use the register user template
You can build your user registration form from scratch by adding custom fields and manually applying the User Management actions. However, we recommend using the pre-built template—it’s already set up with the necessary form fields and user management actions, so all you need to do is finalize the action setup.
To get started, follow these steps from your WordPress Dashboard:
- Navigate to Ninja Forms and click on Add New.
- Scroll through the templates until you find the Register User template, then click to activate it.
Once activated, the form will automatically populate with all the essential fields needed to create a new user in WordPress:
- Username
- First Name
- Last Name
- Website
- Password, and Confirm Password.
You’re free to add or remove fields as needed, but remember, each WordPress user must have a username, an email, and a password.
Step 3: Configure user registration actions
Once you’ve generated the user registration template, it’s time to configure the Register User and User Notification actions. These actions are pre-installed with the template, so setup should be quick and easy unless you need to map specific fields like user roles or passwords.
Register User action
The ‘Register User’ action maps form fields directly to WordPress’ User database. You can select the corresponding field from your form, including the Role field to assign a WordPress role to the new user.
Register User action options:
When users submit the form, their data will be mapped to the appropriate WordPress User settings:
- Action Name: Give your action a name to keep things organized.
- Username: The username users will log in with.
- Email: User’s email address.
- First Name: User’s first name.
- Last Name: Map the user’s last name.
- URL: This defaults to the ‘Website’ field. Alternatively, you can map it to a single-line text field if you want users to enter their own website.
- Password: Map a user-chosen password or assign a random one.
- Role: Select the user’s role (Admin, Editor, Subscriber, etc.). For more information on user roles, check out our [quick start guide on WordPress user roles](#).
Advanced Settings
In the Advanced settings of the Register User action, you can:
- Login user upon successful registration: Enabled by default, but can be disabled if needed.
- Refresh the page upon registration: Enable this if you prefer to reload the page after submission.
- Email credentials to newly create users ( generate random password ): Use this setting to send users a randomly generated password upon registration. This is ideal if you don’t want users to create their own password during the registration process. Enabling this option will remove the password field mapping from the form.
✨ Pro Tip: If you send randomly assigned credentials, remove the Password and Confirm Password fields from your form.
- Custom meta: Use this option to auto-populate fields between your User Registration and Update Profile forms. It allows users to easily edit their personal information after registering.
User notification action
This action allows you to send a personalized notification to your newly registered users, letting them know they’ve successfully completed the registration process.
By default, it comes with a pre-filled subject line and email message, along with your site URL. You’ll also find the usual settings available in every email action, such as CSV attachment options and advanced email fields like FROM, Address Format, and attachment settings.
For more configuration tips, refer to our User Management documentation guide.
4. Add the user registration form to your WordPress website
Once your form is set up, click Publish in the top right corner. To add the form to your page or post, you can:
- Use a Shortcode: Copy the shortcode from the paperclip icon and paste it on your page/post.
✨Want to share your form publicly? Toggle the ‘Allow a Public Link’ option to generate a shareable link.
- Gutenberg Block: Search for ‘Ninja Forms’ in the Gutenberg editor and select the user registration form from the dropdown.
- Append a Ninja Form: Add the form to the bottom of your page or post.
Once you’ve added your form using one of these methods, your custom registration page is ready to go
Step 5: Test your user registration form
Click ‘Preview Form’ in the form menu to test how it looks and functions. Remember, any preview submissions will be registered as real entries.
If you’ve added the form to a page or post, log out of your site before testing, as you may be prompted to log out if you’re already logged in as an admin.
If you’re having trouble accessing the form, it might be because you’re still logged in. Another potential issue could be your caching plugin. To test without affecting your users, you can temporarily disable the caching plugin or use the Health Check and Troubleshooting plugin to enter troubleshooting mode.
Congratulations! You’re now ready to start accepting user registrations on your WordPress site
Bonus: User registration F.A.Q
Q: How do I create a user registration form in WordPress?
A: Use Ninja Forms’ User Management add-on to build a custom user registration form with just a few clicks. Follow our step-by-step guide above to get started.
Q: How do I enable user registration in WordPress?
A: Navigate to Settings > General in your WordPress dashboard and select “Anyone can register.” This will enable user registration on your site.
Q: How do I add a user form in WordPress?
A: You can embed the form using shortcodes, a Gutenberg block, or by appending it to the bottom of a page or post using the Ninja Forms dashboard.
Boost engagement with a custom user registration form in WordPress today!
Creating a user registration form in WordPress is easier than you think, and now that you’ve learned the steps, it’s time to take action. With Ninja Forms’ User Management add-on, you can build power forms, manage user profiles, and even generate custom login forms —all without coding.
Get started today with our Pro membership plan, or purchase the add-on individually.
Looking to foster conversations and build a community? Add Front-End Posting to the mix to encourage deeper user engagement. And remember, every purchase includes priority support, so we’re here to help you every step of the way.
Ready to take your WordPress site to the next level? Start building your custom forms today!
