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How to Change Field Names and Labels in the CFDB7 Dashboard

25 threads Sep 7, 2025 Plugin → Contact form 7 database addon – cfdb7

Content

Many users of the 'Contact Form 7 Database Addon – CFDB7' find that the column headers in the plugin's dashboard display the raw field names from their Contact Form 7 forms (e.g., your-name, your-email). This can be confusing for clients or site admins who expect to see more user-friendly labels like "Name" or "Email Address."

Why This Happens

The CFDB7 plugin is designed to store and display data based on the field names defined within each Contact Form 7 form. It does not natively use the field's placeholder text or label for display purposes in the admin table. The plugin's core functionality is to capture and present the submitted data accurately, which means it relies on the programmatic identifiers for each field.

Common Solutions

1. Rename Your Form Fields

The most straightforward method is to change the field names in your Contact Form 7 form to be more user-friendly from the start. For example, instead of using [text your-name], you could use [text name]. The plugin will then display "name" as the column header, which is much cleaner.

2. Use a Third-Party Plugin for Hidden Fields

If you need to pass a specific value (like a user ID or post title) that isn't part of the main form, you can use a companion plugin to create hidden fields. For instance, the Contact Form 7 Simple Hidden Field plugin allows you to easily add hidden fields with custom names and values. This can help keep your primary form field names clean and meaningful.

3. Custom Coding (Advanced)

For developers, the data stored by CFDB7 is serialized PHP. This means it is possible to write custom code to transform the field names after they are submitted or before they are displayed. However, this requires a good understanding of WordPress hooks and PHP. The 'Contact Form 7 Database Addon – CFDB7' team has not included a built-in hook for modifying admin column labels, so this approach involves directly interacting with the plugin's database output.

Important Limitations

It is important to note that, based on community feedback, the plugin does not currently have a built-in setting or UI to manually override field names or select which columns are displayed in the admin overview. Many requests for frontend display shortcodes, custom column sorting, and changing admin menu labels also require custom development work, as these features are not part of the plugin's core offering.

For most users, proactively naming form fields with clear, simple identifiers is the most effective long-term strategy for a clean and understandable dashboard.

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