Overview
An application form allows prospective members to submit their information and create an account in your Member Splash system. Using Gravity Forms with the User Registration Add-On, you can collect applicant information and automatically create member accounts that are either:
Waitlist accounts requiring them to wait until space is available
Active accounts with immediate access to the member portal
💡Important Note: During your initial Member Splash onboarding, we set up your application/join form for you with all the proper field mappings and settings configured. There are typically very few reasons for clubs to need to adjust these settings or create a new application form.
This form is for NEW members only. Existing members do not need to rejoin annually through this form, and you do not need to recreate this form each year. This form creates new accounts in your system - renewals are handled separately through the member portal.
This article is primarily for:
Understanding how your existing application form works
Troubleshooting issues with account creation
Making minor adjustments to form fields or notifications
Advanced users who need to create specialized application forms for specific membership types
🚨If you need to make changes to your application form and are unsure about the technical details, please contact Member Splash support for assistance to avoid disrupting your account creation process.
Common Edits You Can Safely Make
You can safely make these changes to your existing application form without affecting account creation:
Form Fields:
Add or remove optional fields (e.g., "How did you hear about us?")
Change field labels or descriptions
Update placeholder text
Reorder fields on the form
Mark optional fields as required (or vice versa)
Add instructional text or section breaks
Notifications:
Edit email subject lines and message content
Add or remove admin notification recipients
Update confirmation messages
Change the confirmation page redirect
Form Appearance:
Update form title and description
Membership Information Fields:
Add descriptive text about membership types or benefits
Update wording in instructional sections
Add optional fields to collect preferences or interests
💡Note: If you include a membership type dropdown on your form, it is for informational purposes only to let admins know what type the applicant is interested in. The actual account type assigned to new members is determined by the Default Account Type setting in Member Splash Settings, not by the form submission.
⚠️ Do NOT Change Without Support:
Critical Settings That Break Account Creation:
User Registration Feed settings (especially field mappings)
Username or email field mappings
User Meta field mappings (first_name, last_name, billing fields, etc.)
User Role settings
The actual field types for required fields (e.g., changing Email field to Single Line Text)
Deleting required fields (First Name, Last Name, Email, Username)
Conditional logic on the User Registration Feed
If you need to modify any of these settings, contact Member Splash support first.
How Application Forms Create Accounts
Before You Begin
Prerequisites:
Gravity Forms plugin installed and activated
Gravity Forms User Registration Add-On installed and activated
Admin access to your WordPress dashboard
Understanding the Process
When a prospective member submits your application form, here's what happens:
Form Submission: The applicant fills out and submits the application form
Account Creation: The User Registration Feed automatically creates a WordPress user account
Field Mapping: Information from the form is mapped to the appropriate Member Splash user fields
Account Status: The account is created according to your Default Account Type setting in Member Splash Settings
Notifications: Emails are sent to the applicant and admins (based on your notification settings)
Portal Access: If the account type is Active, the member receives login credentials and can access the member portal
Required Form Fields
At minimum, your application form must include these fields to create a Member Splash account:
Required Fields:
First Name (Single Line Text)
Last Name (Single Line Text)
Email Address (Email field)
Username (Single Line Text) - can be auto-generated from email if preferred
Recommended Fields:
Address (Address field)
Phone Number (Phone field)
Password (Password field) - if you want users to set their own password
Optional Fields:
Emergency contact information
Family member details
"How did you hear about us?"
Custom fields specific to your organization
The User Registration Feed
The User Registration Feed is the connection between your Gravity Form and Member Splash's account creation system. This feed was configured during your onboarding and contains all the critical field mappings that make account creation work.
Key Feed Settings (configured during onboarding):
Action: Create User
Username: Mapped to Username field or auto-generated from email
Email: Mapped to Email field
Role: Subscriber (standard WordPress role for members)
Password: Either mapped to Password field or auto-generated
User Meta: Custom field mappings that populate Member Splash member data (address, phone, etc.)
⚠️ Do not edit these settings without contacting Member Splash support. Incorrect mappings will prevent accounts from being created properly.
Editing Notifications
You can safely edit the content of email notifications sent after form submission.
To edit notifications:
Go to Forms > [Your Application Form]
Click Settings > Notifications
Click on the notification you want to edit
Common Notifications:
Admin Notification - Alerts staff of new applications
Edit recipients, subject line, and message content
Include merge tags like {First Name}, {Last Name}, {Email}
User Notification - Confirms receipt to applicant
Edit subject line and message content
Can include login instructions if providing immediate access
Sample User Notification Message:
Hi {First Name}, Thank you for applying for membership at [Organization Name]. [For Waitlist Accounts:] We have received your application and added you to our waitlist. You will be notified when a membership becomes available. [For Active Accounts:] Your account has been created! You can log in to the member portal at [portal URL] using: Username: {Username} Password: [sent in separate email OR the password you created during registration] If you have any questions, please contact us at [contact email]. Best regards, [Organization Name]Editing Confirmation Messages
The confirmation is what the applicant sees immediately after submitting the form.
To edit confirmations:
Go to Forms > [Your Application Form]
Click Settings > Confirmations
Click on the confirmation you want to edit
Confirmation Options:
Text: Display a message on screen
Page: Redirect to a specific page (e.g., "Application Received" page)
Redirect: Send to member portal login page or another URL
Sample Confirmation Text:
Thank you for your application! You will receive a confirmation email at {Email}. [For Waitlist Accounts:] We will contact you when a membership becomes available. [For Active Accounts:] You can now log in to the member portal using the credentials sent to your email.Waitlist vs. Active Accounts
The account type created by your application form is determined by the Default Account Type setting in your Member Splash Settings, not by the form itself.
Waitlist Accounts
If your Default Account Type is set to a waitlist status:
Accounts are created but cannot access the member portal
Members wait until space becomes available
Admins can manually convert waitlist accounts to Offered Membership when ready
💡For more information on how the waitlist works, see: Understanding the Automated Waitlist (link to upcoming article)
Offered Membership Accounts
If your Default Account Type is set to an active status, such as Offered Membership:
Accounts are created with immediate portal access
Members receive login credentials right away
No admin approval needed
Applicants can log in and manage their account immediately
To change which type of account is created, update your Default Account Type setting in Member Splash Settings. Contact support if you need assistance.
Testing Your Application Form
If you make changes to your form fields, notifications, or confirmations, test the form before directing members to use it:
Submit a test application using a test email address
Verify the account was created in Users > All Users
Check that all information populated correctly in the user profile
Test logging in with the new account (if creating active accounts)
Verify all email notifications were sent correctly
Check the confirmation message displays properly
After testing, delete the test account to avoid clutter.
Troubleshooting
Problem: Accounts aren't being created
Possible causes:
User Registration Add-On is not activated
User Registration Feed is not properly configured
Required fields are missing from the form
There's an error in field mappings
Solution: Contact Member Splash support - this requires technical review of your feed settings.
Problem: Some form information isn't appearing in Member Splash
Possible causes:
User Meta fields are not mapped correctly in the User Registration Feed
Field names don't match Member Splash's expected field names
Custom fields need to be created in Member Splash first
Solution: Contact Member Splash support to review your field mappings. Do not attempt to edit User Meta mappings yourself without guidance.
Problem: Form displays error message on submission
Possible causes:
Gravity Forms license expired
Plugin conflict
User Registration Add-On issue
Server error
Solution:
Check that Gravity Forms license is active
Review Gravity Forms system status for errors
Contact Member Splash support for assistance