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An HTML form cannot send email by itself. It collects named fields and submits them to a receiver; a hosted form service or server-side endpoint must process the request and send or trigger an email. For a static site, a hosted form handler is usually the simplest route. If you need custom validation, routing, storage, or integrations, use a server-side handler you control.

How the form-to-email process works

The browser sends a form submission to the URL in the form’s action attribute. The receiver processes the submitted values and handles notifications. The form markup does not send mail on its own. See the official guides for HTML forms with Formspree and Netlify form setup.

There are two common ways to provide that receiver:

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  • Hosted form service: The service provides an endpoint and submission management, so you do not have to operate your own form backend.
  • Your own server-side endpoint: Your server or serverless function validates the request and uses an email delivery mechanism. This offers more control but makes you responsible for operating and securing the endpoint and delivery.

Option 1: Send submissions to a hosted form service

This approach suits static sites and projects that do not need a custom backend. Create and configure an account with the provider, copy the endpoint it assigns to your form, and use method="POST". Give each field you want submitted a name attribute. The provider’s documentation explains its current endpoint and notification setup; for example, see Formspree’s HTML form instructions and its guide to building an HTML form.

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<form action="YOUR_ASSIGNED_ENDPOINT" method="POST">
  <label for="name">Name</label>
  <input id="name" name="name" required>

  <label for="email">Email</label>
  <input id="email" name="email" type="email" required>

  <label for="message">Message</label>
  <textarea id="message" name="message" required></textarea>

  <button type="submit">Send</button>
</form>

Replace YOUR_ASSIGNED_ENDPOINT with the actual endpoint provided for your account. It is illustrative text, not a working URL. A field without a name is not identified as a submitted value in the usual form data. Check the service’s documentation for its endpoint format, notifications, spam controls, file handling, data retention, and account limits.

Option 2: Receive submissions with Netlify Forms

If your site is deployed on Netlify, its form feature can detect forms at deploy time and manage submissions. Follow the provider’s current form setup instructions; the basic sequence is:

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  1. In your site’s Forms settings, enable form detection.
  2. Add data-netlify="true" or the netlify attribute to the form, and give it a unique form name, such as contact.
  3. Add a name attribute to each field that should be submitted.
  4. Deploy the site so Netlify can parse the form.
  5. In Netlify, open Forms > Submission notifications and configure where notifications should go.
<form name="contact" method="POST" data-netlify="true">
  <label for="name">Name</label>
  <input id="name" name="name" required>

  <label for="email">Email</label>
  <input id="email" name="email" type="email" required>

  <label for="message">Message</label>
  <textarea id="message" name="message" required></textarea>

  <button type="submit">Send</button>
</form>

Configure notifications separately from the form markup. Netlify sends the notification from its service; including a field named email is recommended if you want the submitter’s address used as the notification’s reply-to value. That lets you reply to the visitor, but it does not automatically send a confirmation email to them. See Netlify’s notification documentation.

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AJAX submissions and uploads

Netlify documents AJAX submission as well. The form still needs the Netlify attribute. If JavaScript generates the form and there is no hidden form-name field, include the form name in the request body. For file uploads, use the provider’s specific upload instructions rather than assuming a regular URL-encoded form example covers the file data.

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Option 3: Build a server-side handler

Use a server-side route or serverless function when you need project-specific validation, routing, storage, or integrations. The browser posts the values to your endpoint; the handler checks and processes them, then uses an email delivery mechanism. The framework and email provider determine the implementation details, so there is no single code example that applies to every stack.

Keep SMTP credentials and secret API keys on the server, never in HTML or browser-side JavaScript. Anything delivered to a visitor’s browser can be inspected and should not be treated as secret.

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Choose a route that fits the project

Approach Best fit Main trade-off
Hosted form service Static sites or projects where avoiding backend operations is more important than custom processing. Behavior, storage, notifications, file handling, and limits depend on the provider and account.
Server-side handler Projects requiring custom validation, routing, storage, or integrations. You must operate and secure the endpoint and its email delivery.
Netlify Forms Forms on sites deployed to Netlify that fit its setup and submission workflow. Requires form detection, deployment-time parsing, and separately configured notifications.

Before choosing a hosted service, check that it supports your hosting setup and review how it handles notifications, spam, stored submissions, retention, file uploads, and account limits. Current prices and quotas are not established here; consult the provider’s current plan documentation rather than assuming a particular allowance.

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Protect the form and its submissions

  • Validate on the receiving side. Browser-side required fields and input types help visitors, but they do not replace checks by the receiver.
  • Plan for spam. Netlify documents spam filtering and optional reCAPTCHA; see its spam filter guidance. Other providers have their own controls.
  • Collect only what you need. Avoid asking visitors for sensitive information without a clear reason. A visitor-entered email address is useful for replying, but does not verify the person’s identity.
  • Set a data-handling policy. Netlify’s submission guidance recommends regular export and deletion of personally identifiable information (PII) submissions and additional protection for PII in uploads. Netlify also describes sanitizing submitted code. These are platform-specific practices, not a general compliance determination.
  • Treat uploads separately. Review where uploaded files are stored and who can access them. A notification email alone is not a file-data policy.

Check that delivery is working

  1. Confirm that the form has the correct provider endpoint or the required Netlify attributes and a unique name.
  2. Check that each value you expect to receive has a name attribute.
  3. Submit a test entry and check the provider’s submission area as well as the configured notification inbox.
  4. If a notification is missing, verify the notification settings and check spam or filtering in the destination inbox. For Netlify, review the form’s setup and notification configuration in its official setup and notification guides.

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