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How to Add a Contact Form to GitHub Pages

8 min read
Static Forms Team
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GitHub Pages is an excellent platform for hosting static websites - it's free, fast, and integrates seamlessly with your Git workflow. However, one common challenge developers face is adding a functional contact form since GitHub Pages doesn't support server-side processing. The good news? You can easily add a professional contact form to your GitHub Pages site without writing any backend code.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll show you how to implement a fully functional contact form on GitHub Pages using Static Forms, a form backend service that handles all the server-side logic for you. Your visitors will be able to send messages, and you'll receive them directly in your email inbox.

Why GitHub Pages Needs a Form Solution

GitHub Pages serves only static files - HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. While this makes it incredibly fast and secure, it means you can't process form submissions directly. Traditional form handling requires:

  • Server-side code to process submissions
  • A database to store form data
  • Email sending capabilities
  • Spam protection mechanisms

Static Forms solves all of these challenges by providing a dedicated API endpoint that handles form submissions for you.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have:

Step 1: Create a Basic HTML Contact Form

Let's start with a simple contact form. Create a new file called contact.html in your GitHub Pages repository, or add this form to an existing page:

HTML

Important: Replace YOUR_API_KEY_HERE with your actual API key from your Static Forms dashboard.

Step 2: Understanding the Form Configuration

Let's break down the key parts of the form:

The Action Attribute

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This points to the Static Forms API endpoint that will handle your submissions.

Required Hidden Fields

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Your API key authenticates your form with Static Forms.

Optional Configuration Fields

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The @ value tells Static Forms to use the email address from the form's email field as the reply-to address, making it easy to respond to messages.

Honeypot Spam Protection

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This hidden field catches bots that automatically fill out all form fields. Legitimate users won't see or fill this field.

Step 3: Add reCAPTCHA Protection (Optional)

For additional spam protection, you can add Google reCAPTCHA. First, get your reCAPTCHA keys from the Google reCAPTCHA Admin Console.

Add the reCAPTCHA script to your <head>:

HTML

Then add the reCAPTCHA widget to your form:

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Don't forget to configure your reCAPTCHA secret key in your Static Forms CAPTCHA settings.

For more details on implementing reCAPTCHA, check out our understanding reCAPTCHA guide.

Step 4: Deploy to GitHub Pages

Now let's deploy your contact form to GitHub Pages:

  1. Commit your changes:
Bash
  1. Push to GitHub:
Bash

  1. Wait for deployment: GitHub Pages automatically deploys your changes. This usually takes 1-2 minutes.

  2. Test your form: Visit https://yourusername.github.io/yourrepo/contact.html and submit a test message.

Step 5: Customize Your Form

Custom Success Redirect

Instead of showing a success message on the same page, you can redirect users to a thank-you page:

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Create a thank-you.html page:

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Custom Email Subject

Set a custom subject line for better organization:

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Or use a visible subject field (as shown in the main example) to let users set their own subject.

Advanced Features

File Attachments

Allow users to upload files with their messages:

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Note: File uploads require encoding the form as multipart/form-data. See our file uploads guide for implementation details.

Custom Fields

Add custom fields by prefixing the name with $:

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Webhook Integration

For advanced workflows, you can connect your form to other services using webhooks (Pro feature). This allows you to:

  • Send submissions to Slack or Discord
  • Add contacts to your CRM
  • Trigger automation workflows
  • Store data in Google Sheets or Airtable

Configure webhooks in your Static Forms dashboard.

Complete Working Example

Here's a complete, copy-paste-ready contact form for GitHub Pages:

HTML

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Not Receiving Email Notifications

If you're not receiving form submissions:

  • ✅ Verify your API key is correct in the form
  • ✅ Check your spam/junk folder
  • ✅ Confirm your email is verified in Static Forms
  • ✅ Test with different email addresses

Form Submission Fails

If submissions aren't working:

  • ✅ Check the browser console for JavaScript errors
  • ✅ Ensure the API endpoint URL is correct: https://api.staticforms.dev/submit
  • ✅ Verify all required fields have the required attribute
  • ✅ Make sure the honeypot field is properly hidden

CORS Errors

If you see CORS-related errors:

  • ✅ Use HTTPS for your GitHub Pages site (enable in repository settings)
  • ✅ Ensure you're using JSON format when submitting via JavaScript
  • ✅ Include proper Content-Type header: application/json

Best Practices for GitHub Pages Forms

  1. Keep it simple - Only ask for information you actually need
  2. Validate inputs - Use HTML5 validation and JavaScript for better UX
  3. Provide feedback - Show loading states and confirmation messages
  4. Mobile-friendly - Ensure your form works well on all devices
  5. Test thoroughly - Submit test forms before going live

Conclusion

Adding a contact form to your GitHub Pages site doesn't have to be complicated. With Static Forms, you can implement a professional contact form in minutes without any backend code or complex infrastructure.

Your form will handle submissions reliably, protect against spam with built-in security features, and deliver messages straight to your inbox - all while keeping your GitHub Pages site completely static.

Ready to add a contact form to your GitHub Pages site? Sign up for Static Forms and get started today with our free tier!

For more integration examples, check out our guides for Next.js, Gatsby, and Nuxt.js.

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