Overview

What is Template to Form?

Template to Form works in reverse from the normal workflow. If you already have a GravityMerge AI template but haven’t yet built the matching Gravity Forms form, this plugin creates the form for you. It parses the template to extract every merge tag, conditional block, and loop structure, then intelligently infers the best Gravity Forms field type for each.

When would I use it?

  • When someone else created the template and you need to build the matching form
  • When you designed the template in Word first and want to generate the form afterwards
  • When converting templates from another system and you want the form generated automatically

Requirements

  • WordPress 6.0 or later
  • PHP 8.0 or later
  • Gravity Forms installed and active
  • No API key required — Template to Form uses deterministic parsing, not AI

Using Template to Form

Accessing the plugin

After activation, open Template to Form in the WordPress admin menu.

Step 1: Upload a template

Upload a .docx file containing GravityMerge AI merge tags. The plugin scans the document and extracts all {{ field }} substitution tags, {% if %} / {% endif %} conditional blocks, and {% for %} / {% endfor %} loop structures.

Step 2: Review detected fields

The review table shows each detected field with:

  • Merge tag — the field name as it appears in the template
  • Suggested field type — such as Text, Email, Date, Phone, Number, Address, Radio, or Dropdown
  • Confidence level — high, medium, or low, indicating how reliable the inference is

Field type inference is intelligent. For example:

  • A tag named “Email address” maps to an email field
  • A tag named “Start date” maps to a date picker
  • A tag used in a condition like {% if Country == "New Zealand" %} becomes a dropdown with “New Zealand” as one of the choices
  • Tags with more than five options inferred from conditions become dropdowns; fewer become radio buttons

Before creating the form, you can:

  • Include or exclude individual fields
  • Change the suggested field type
  • Mark fields as required
  • Edit the form title

The review also shows any loop structures (mapped to Gravity Forms List fields with the correct columns) and a summary of all conditional rules found in the template.

Step 3: Create the form

Click Create Gravity Form. The plugin uses the Gravity Forms API to create a complete form with all detected fields typed, labelled, and configured. A success message shows the form name and provides a link to edit it in Gravity Forms.

Common questions

Do I need GravityMerge AI to use Template to Form?

Gravity Forms is required for form creation. The forms Template to Form creates are designed to work with GravityMerge AI templates.

Do I need an API key?

No. Template to Form uses rule-based parsing, not AI. No API calls are made.

What merge tag format does it recognise?

GravityMerge AI merge tags: {{ field_name }} for basic substitution, {% if %} / {% elif %} / {% else %} / {% endif %} for conditionals, and {% for row in Field %} / {% endfor %} for loops.

How does it know what field type to use?

The plugin applies a set of naming rules and contextual analysis. Tag names are matched against patterns for common field types (email, phone, date, address, etc.), and tags used in conditional expressions are analysed to infer choice-based field types with pre-populated options. You can override any suggestion before creating the form.

Does it handle list/repeater fields?

Yes. Loop structures in the template ({% for row in Field %} / {% endfor %}) are detected and mapped to Gravity Forms List fields with the appropriate columns.

Can I run it multiple times on the same template?

Yes. Each run creates a new form. It never modifies or overwrites existing forms.

What if the plugin guesses a field type incorrectly?

Change it in the review table before creating the form. Every suggestion is editable.