# Black Bean Forms — Getting started

## 1. Prerequisites

1. Activate **Black Bean Tables**
2. Activate **Black Bean Forms**
3. A sample Contact form is created on activation

## 2. Create or edit a form

1. Open **Forms** in wp-admin (All forms / Form builder)
2. Add fields, configure email / spam / webhooks
3. Save and note the form ID / slug

## 3. Embed on a page

**Shortcode:**

```
[blackbean_forms id="contact"]
```

**Block:** insert **Black Bean Forms** and pick a form.

## 4. Review entries

1. Open the form’s **Entries** inbox
2. Export CSV if needed
3. Optional: enable board routing so submissions appear on a Tables board

## 5. Customer portal (optional)

```
[blackbean_forms_portal id="contact"]
```

Shows submissions for the logged-in user when portal routing is configured.

## 6. Docs sync

Source docs live under `docs/` and `CHANGELOG.md`. After editing:

```bash
docker compose exec wpcli wp bb-docs sync --plugin=blackbean-forms
```

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Fix |
|---------|-----|
| Plugin won’t activate | Activate Black Bean Tables first |
| No sample form | Re-activate Forms or create a form manually |
| Emails not sending | Configure SMTP / Mailpit locally |
| Board routing empty | Check Tables board slug + form router settings |