Add a contact form to an HTML site that actually sends

Why the form your AI made doesn't send

A form is two parts: the boxes people type in, and the place the message goes when they press Send. The first part is just HTML, and your AI is good at it. The second part needs a program running somewhere, usually on a server, that receives the message and emails it to you.

Sites made by AI are usually static: files only, no server. So the form has nowhere to go. Common signs:

• The form tag has no action, or action="#". Pressing Send just reloads the page.
• The JavaScript shows "Thanks, we'll be in touch!" but sends nothing. The message is gone.
• The action points at an address like /api/contact or send.php, and that file doesn't exist on a static host.

Your options

1. An email link (free, no form)

Replace the form with a button that opens the visitor's email app: <a href="mailto:you@example.com">Email us</a>. It costs nothing and always works. The downsides: your address is visible to spam robots, and visitors without an email app set up get stuck.

2. A form service

Many services receive form posts for static sites and email them to you. You sign up, get an address to put in the form's action, and paste it into your page. Compare their free limits, spam filtering, where they store messages, and what happens when you go over.

3. Your host's built-in forms

Some hosts receive forms themselves, so there's nothing extra to sign up for. Page Lemon is one of them, below.

The one-sentence fix on Page Lemon

With your AI connected to Page Lemon, ask:

• Add a contact form to my siteCopy

Or name the fields:

• Add an enquiry form with name, email, phone and messageCopy

1. Your AI adds the form to your page, styled to match, and publishes the site.
2. It sends one test message before telling you the form is live. Tests aren't emailed to you or counted.
3. Messages are emailed to you. Hit reply and you're writing to the person who sent it. They're also kept in the Page Lemon app, under the site's Inbox.

The form is plain HTML on your page, so it uses your fonts and colours, and it works without JavaScript. If your site is built with React or Vue, the same form works there too.

Forms come with paid plans, each with a number of replies a month, counted across all your sites. See pricing

Spam

Any public form gets spam. Page Lemon forms drop simple spam with a hidden trap field, a check that the form was sent from your own site, and limits on repeated sending. When a form is under attack, a quick human check switches on for it by itself, usually invisibly, and you get a notice. Whatever you use, don't add five fields of questions just to stop robots: real people give up first.

Privacy

• Collect only what you need. Name, email and message is enough for most sites.
• Add a privacy notice. If your form collects personal data, your site needs a short notice saying what you collect and why. See Privacy and your data.
• Keep nothing, if you prefer. By default Page Lemon keeps messages so you and your AI can look back at them. Say "Don't keep form replies, just email them to me" and each message is only emailed.
• No sensitive fields. Page Lemon forms refuse card numbers, bank details, passwords and ID numbers.

Questions

Can a form send email with just HTML?

No. HTML can show the form, but something has to receive the message and email it. That's a server, a form service, or your host.

Can I get messages sent to a colleague too?

On every paid plan, yes: say "Also send form replies to sam@example.com". Sam confirms by email before anything is sent to them. On Free, Site and App, messages go to your own email.

Can I read messages in the chat?

Yes. Ask "Show me all enquiries from the last 2 weeks". Your AI can also export them as a spreadsheet.

What about booking appointments?

That's a booking page, not a form. On Page Lemon, bookings come with every paid plan. See Bookings.