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How to Fix Spectra Form Block Email Reply-To Issues and Common Configuration Problems

18 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Spectra gutenberg blocks – website builder for the block editor

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If you're using the Spectra Form Block on your WordPress site, you might have encountered a common yet frustrating issue: when you receive a form submission and hit "reply," your email client wants to send the response back to your own site's email address instead of to the person who filled out the form. This guide will explain why this happens and walk you through the most common solutions and workarounds for this and other frequent Spectra form configuration challenges.

Understanding the Core Problem

The Spectra Form Block, by default, sends emails using your WordPress site's default mailing system (typically PHP mail). A significant limitation identified in user reports is that the plugin does not natively set the Reply-To header in the email it sends. The Reply-To header is what tells your email client which address to use when you click the reply button. Without it explicitly set to the submitter's email address, it defaults to the "From" address, which is often a generic address like [email protected].

Common Spectra Form Queries and Solutions

1. The Reply-To Email Problem

The Issue: You cannot easily reply directly to the person who submitted the form.
The Reason: As confirmed by the Spectra team in support threads, this functionality is not currently built into the Form Block's options. It has been noted as a popular feature request.
Current Workarounds:

  • Manual Copy-Paste: The most straightforward, though inefficient, method is to manually copy the submitter's email address from the form data within the email you receive and paste it into the "To" field when replying.
  • Investigate SMTP Plugins: Some third-party SMTP and email management plugins for WordPress offer global settings to override or set email headers. A plugin like WP Mail SMTP may provide more control over how emails are sent from your site, though integration specifically with Spectra's form data may require advanced configuration.

2. Changing the "From" Name and Email

The Issue: Form notification emails show a generic sender like WordPress <[email protected]>.
The Solution: This is a general WordPress setting, not specific to Spectra. You can change the default WordPress from name and email address by adding code to your theme's functions.php file or by using a dedicated plugin. The Spectra team has previously directed users to external guides on this common WordPress task.

3. Ensuring Form Emails Are Delivered (Not Marked as Spam)

The Issue: Form submissions are not received or go to spam folders.
The Reason: WordPress's default PHP mail function is often unreliable and not well-trusted by email providers.
The Solution: It is highly recommended to use an SMTP plugin to route your WordPress emails through a proper mail server. The Spectra team has explicitly stated that an SMTP plugin is needed for the forms to work reliably. Plugins like WP Mail SMTP can configure your site to send email via your web host's SMTP service or a third-party service like Gmail, SendGrid, or Mailgun, which greatly improves deliverability.

4. Translating or Changing Form Field Labels and Text

The Issue: You need to change static text like "Submit" or "Select option" to another language.
The Solution:

  • Submit Button: Click directly on the button text in the block editor to change it, just like editing any other text in Gutenberg.
  • "Select option" Placeholder: Based on user reports, the Spectra team has acknowledged this string was hardcoded and not easily translatable. However, they have also indicated that a fix for this has been developed and was slated for a future update. Check your Spectra plugin version to see if this has been resolved. If not, translation may require a plugin like Loco Translate to find and override the specific string.

5. Setting a Default Country Code for Phone Fields

The Issue: The phone field's country code defaults to the UK (+44) and you need it to default to another country (e.g., India +91).
The Status: This has been reported as a bug to the Spectra developers. As per support threads, it has been added to their to-do list for a future update. There is no built-in option to change this default currently.

Summary and Outlook

Many of the limitations discussed here, such as the missing Reply-To header, the inability to save submissions to the database, and the lack of direct integration with services like Mailchimp, are known to the Spectra team. User feedback indicates these have been logged as feature requests for the development team to consider in future updates.

For now, users must rely on the workarounds mentioned or explore alternative form plugins if these specific features are critical to their website's operation. When troubleshooting, always ensure you are using the latest version of the Spectra plugin, as fixes and new features are regularly added.

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