How To Use GravityView: A Practical Guide To Displaying Gravity Forms Data In 2026

The first time we tried to publish a client’s job board, we had 312 form entries trapped inside Gravity Forms with no way to show them on the front end. That is the exact gap GravityView fills. This guide walks through how to use GravityView in 2026, from setup to publishing, with the steps we follow on real WordPress projects here in our Miami studio.

Quick answer: Install Gravity Forms and GravityView, create a form to collect data, then build a “View” that maps your form fields into a front-end layout (Table, List, or Layout Builder). Configure permissions, embed the View on a page using the block or shortcode, and you have a live, searchable directory or dashboard.

What GravityView Does (and When You Actually Need It)

GravityView is a WordPress plugin that displays Gravity Forms entries on the front end of your site. It builds “Views,” which are front-end layouts of form data, without custom PHP.

You need GravityView when you want to:

• Publish form submissions as public directories or member-only listings
• Let users edit their own entries from the front end
• Build job boards, event listings, project trackers, or review sites
• Combine entries from multiple forms into one display
• Add search, sorting, pagination, and CSV export to entry data

For a deeper feature breakdown, our GravityView plugin review covers the extensions and pricing tiers worth knowing. Who this is for: WordPress site owners with active Gravity Forms data. Who it is not for: anyone needing only a contact form.

Before You Start: Setup and Prerequisites

You need four things in place before building your first View. Skipping any of these will block the setup wizard.

Requirements checklist:

• WordPress 6.4 or newer with admin access
• Gravity Forms plugin, installed and license-activated
• GravityView plugin from GravityKit, installed and license-activated
• At least one Gravity Form with test entries

We recommend running a quick test submission of 5 to 10 dummy entries first, which means you will see real data while configuring fields instead of empty placeholders. If you plan to extend or self-host customizations, the GravityView source repository on GitHub documents hooks and filters you can use.

Do this today: Install both plugins on a staging site, not production. Budget 15 minutes.

Building Your First View Step by Step

Creating a View takes about 20 minutes once your form is ready. The workflow follows a fixed order: pick a source, pick a layout, configure three views.

Follow these steps:

1. Go to GravityKit → New View in the WordPress admin.
2. Name your View (e.g., “Member Directory”).
3. Select a data source: the Gravity Form holding your entries.
4. Choose a View Type: Table, List, or Layout Builder.
5. Configure the Multiple Entries layout (the list page).
6. Configure the Single Entry layout (one record’s detail page).
7. Configure the Edit Entry layout if front-end editing is needed.
8. Open View Settings to set pagination, sorting, and permissions.
9. Click Publish.

Choosing the Right View Type and Data Source

Pick your View Type based on the shape of your data, not aesthetics.

• Table – rows and columns, ideal for reports or 50+ entries
• List – stacked cards, good for profiles with photos
• Layout Builder – drag-and-drop rows and columns for custom designs
• Maps (add-on) – plots entries by address

Use the Multiple Forms extension when one View must pull from two or more forms, such as combining “Vendors” and “Service Providers” into one directory.

Configuring Fields, Filters, and Permissions

Each of the three layouts has its own field configuration. Click “Add Field” inside each layout zone and drag form fields into position.

• Widgets: add a Search Bar, pagination, entry count, or CSV export to the top or bottom widget zones
• Filters: in View Settings, restrict entries by field value, approval status, or workflow step
• Permissions: limit who can view, see single entries, or edit on the front end

For a directory of 1,200 entries we built last quarter, restricting Edit Entry to the entry creator cut accidental data loss to zero.

Publishing, Styling, and Maintaining Your View

You can publish a View in three ways: a block, a shortcode, or a direct permalink.

1. Block editor: edit any page, insert the “GravityView View” block, pick your View from the dropdown.
2. Shortcode: copy the View shortcode from the View screen and paste it into Classic Editor, Elementor, or Beaver Builder.
3. Direct URL: every View has its own permalink, which you can customize or disable in View Settings.

Styling options:

• Layout Builder for row/column structure
• Custom CSS in the View editor’s code section
• Elementor with the GravityView Advanced Elementor Widget

Use Chrome DevTools to inspect View markup and target the right CSS classes, which means faster, cleaner overrides than guessing selectors. For indexable directories, follow Google’s SEO starter guide and make sure single-entry pages have unique titles and meta descriptions.

Maintenance: update GravityView, Gravity Forms, and extensions monthly. If you hit a niche error, the GravityView tag on Stack Overflow usually surfaces a working fix within minutes. Our team logs each update and runs a smoke test on staging before pushing live: full process notes are in our hands-on review of GravityView.

Do this today: publish a test View on a hidden page and share the URL internally before going public.

Conclusion

GravityView turns form data into working applications: directories, dashboards, member portals. Start with one form, one View, one page. Expand only after you measure real use. If you want a second set of eyes on your build, we map and ship these for WordPress teams every week.

Frequently Asked Questions About GravityView

What is GravityView and when do I actually need it?

GravityView is a WordPress plugin that displays Gravity Forms submissions on your website’s front end. You need it when you want to publish form data as directories, dashboards, job boards, member listings, or allow users to edit their own entries without custom coding.

What are the three main view types in GravityView?

GravityView offers Table (rows and columns for reports), List (stacked cards for profiles), and Layout Builder (drag-and-drop custom designs). Choose Table for 50+ structured entries, List for visual directories with images, or Layout Builder for maximum design flexibility.

How do I publish a GravityView on my WordPress site?

You can publish a View three ways: insert the GravityView block in the block editor, copy and paste the shortcode into pages, or access the View directly via its permalink. Test on a hidden page first before going public.

Can I restrict who sees or edits entries in GravityView?

Yes. In View Settings, you can limit viewing access, hide single entry pages, and restrict front-end editing to specific users or entry creators. Permissions control who can see and modify data, preventing accidental data loss.

What should I do before building my first GravityView?

Ensure WordPress 6.4+ is installed, both Gravity Forms and GravityView plugins are licensed and activated, and you have at least one Gravity Form with test entries. Set this up on a staging site first, not production, budgeting about 15 minutes.

How can I add search and sorting functionality to my GravityView?

In the View editor’s widget zones, add a Search Bar widget to filter entries by field value. In View Settings, configure sorting options and pagination. The GravityView review details advanced filtering with extensions like Multiple Forms and Gravity Flow for workflow-based filtering.