How to Use a Donation Form Shortcode in WordPress

Find the shortcode for your form

FundCollector is a free WordPress donation plugin that accepts credit cards, PayPal and bank transfers, sends automatic emails and keeps donor records in its own admin area in WordPress. Donation plugins usually show the shortcode in the form’s administration screen. Copy it instead of typing it, because the form identifier and the punctuation must be exact. In FundCollector, a form shortcode has this pattern:

[fundcollector_donation_form id=your-form-id]

Keep the brackets exactly as they are, and change the identifier only when you want to show a different form. The real identifier is supplied by the plugin when you create or view the form. Some WordPress tools also offer a block editor option, which can be easier when you want a visual preview while editing.

Add it with the block editor

Open the page where the form should appear and add a Shortcode block. Paste the code into it, update or publish the page, then view the public page while logged out. Keep the shortcode in its own block instead of inside a paragraph of text: it is easier to find later and safe from accidental formatting changes.

Put a short campaign message before the form and practical reassurance after it, such as a privacy link, contact details and what happens after payment. Resist adding the same form several times to make it more visible.

Use shortcodes in other WordPress areas

In a classic widget area, use a widget that explicitly accepts shortcodes. In a page builder, use its dedicated Shortcode widget if it has one. A theme template can also run shortcodes through WordPress functions, but that needs code changes and should be handled by someone who can test the theme safely.

Choose the location with care. A full donation form often needs more room than a sidebar offers, and in a header or footer a Donate button linked to a dedicated page is usually clearer than squeezing every payment field into a narrow space.

Avoid duplicate forms and test the public result

Use each form instance only once on a page unless the donation plugin documents a different behavior. With FundCollector, multiple forms can appear on one page, but the same form ID must not be rendered twice, because duplicate embeds can cause confusing validation or payment behavior.

After inserting the shortcode, test the public page on mobile and desktop. Confirm that the code itself is not visible, the form is styled correctly, required fields work and the payment path returns to a useful confirmation page. The donation form creation guide covers the earlier setup steps.