# Add a contact form to a static site in 5 minutes

> A step-by-step guide to a working contact form on any static website with plain HTML, no server and no JavaScript required.

Guide

A step-by-step guide to a working contact form on any static website with plain HTML, no server and no JavaScript required.

By [Venkatesh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ageven/) 29 October 2026 · 1 min read

![Cover image: Add a contact form to a static site in 5 minutes, a FormDoc guide](https://www.formdoc.dev/images/blog/contact-form-static-site.png)

Static sites are fast and simple, but a contact form needs something to receive the message. This guide sets one up with FormDoc using only HTML.

## What you need

-   A static website you can edit (any generator, or plain HTML).
-   An email address to receive messages.

## Step 1: get an access key

Open [app.formdoc.dev/new](https://app.formdoc.dev/new), enter your email address and confirm it from the email you receive. You’ll get an access key that starts with `fd_`.

## Step 2: paste the form

Add this to your contact page and replace `YOUR_ACCESS_KEY`:

```html
<form action="https://api.formdoc.dev/v1/submit" method="POST">
  <input type="hidden" name="access_key" value="YOUR_ACCESS_KEY">
  <label for="name">Name</label>
  <input type="text" id="name" name="name" required>
  <label for="email">Email</label>
  <input type="email" id="email" name="email" required>
  <label for="message">Message</label>
  <textarea id="message" name="message" required></textarea>
  <input type="checkbox" name="botcheck" style="display:none" tabindex="-1" autocomplete="off">
  <button type="submit">Send</button>
</form>
```

Each field’s `name` becomes its label in your email, so use names that make sense to you, such as `phone` or `company`.

## Step 3: choose where visitors go next

After sending, visitors see a hosted thank-you page with a link back to your site. To use your own page, add:

```html
<input type="hidden" name="redirect" value="https://example.com/thanks/">
```

## Step 4: test it

Publish your page, send yourself a message and check your inbox. If nothing arrives, check that you confirmed your email address; the [FAQ](https://www.formdoc.dev/faq/) lists the other common causes.

That’s it: a working contact form with spam protection, no server and no code to maintain.

Want a different form? Copy one of the [form templates](https://www.formdoc.dev/templates/), such as a [quote request](https://www.formdoc.dev/templates/quote-request/) or a [newsletter signup](https://www.formdoc.dev/templates/newsletter-signup/). Using a site generator or builder? The [platform guides](https://www.formdoc.dev/platforms/) cover it step by step.

Written by**[Venkatesh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ageven/)**