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HTML form backend
HTML form backend, no PHP or server code.
Set your form's action to https://splitforms.com/api/submit and add a hidden access_key field — every submission is validated, filtered for spam, stored in a dashboard, and emailed to you. No PHP, Node, SMTP, or database.
- 500 free / mo
- No server code
- 2-min setup
No server code
No PHP, Node, SMTP, or database — one action URL is the whole HTML form backend.
Spam filtered
A honeypot, a form_loaded_at time-trap, and server-side content checks screen bots before your inbox.
Stored and emailed
Every submission lands in your searchable dashboard and inbox within seconds, free on every plan.
Quick start
Point your HTML form at one backend endpoint.
Paste this into any HTML page, set the action to the endpoint, and add your access key. That's the whole integration — no PHP, no build step, no server.
<form action="https://splitforms.com/api/submit" method="POST">
<input type="hidden" name="access_key" value="YOUR_ACCESS_KEY" />
<input type="hidden" name="redirect" value="https://yoursite.com/thanks" />
<input type="hidden" name="form_loaded_at" id="form_loaded_at" />
<label>
Name
<input name="name" autocomplete="name" required />
</label>
<label>
Email
<input name="email" type="email" autocomplete="email" required />
</label>
<label>
Message
<textarea name="message" required></textarea>
</label>
<input type="checkbox" name="botcheck" style="display:none" tabindex="-1" />
<button type="submit">Send</button>
</form>
<script>
document.getElementById('form_loaded_at').value = Date.now();
</script>Setup
How to add an HTML form backend.
The whole setup is editing a handful of attributes on a <form> tag you already have — no build step, no dependency to install.
Set the form action and method
Set action="https://splitforms.com/api/submit" and method="POST" on your <form> tag — both are native HTML attributes, nothing new to import.
Add the required hidden fields
Add access_key with your key as the value, an empty botcheck honeypot input, and a form_loaded_at field set to the page-load timestamp — all three are shown in the code example above.
Add optional control fields
Drop in subject for a custom notification email subject, redirect for a post-submit thank-you URL, or replyto to set the reply-to address — no backend code for any of them.
Submit a test entry and check your dashboard
Fill out the form yourself. The entry lands in your splitforms dashboard and triggers an email notification within seconds, so you can confirm the endpoint is wired up before going live.
Backend responsibilities
What does an HTML form backend handle?
An HTML form backend is a hosted endpoint that receives your <form>'s POST request instead of a server you'd have to write yourself. Your HTML file only collects fields — splitforms handles the parts that normally require backend code. See the full HTML request/response reference for every field the endpoint accepts.
- Receives the browser POST as form-urlencoded, JSON, or multipart
- Validates required fields and confirms ownership via your access_key
- Filters spam with a honeypot, a time-trap, and content checks
- Stores every submission in a searchable, exportable dashboard
- Emails the form owner on every submission, free on every plan
- Routes Starter-and-above submissions to webhooks and integrations
When to use it
When should you use an HTML form backend?
Reach for this pattern when you want to own the page markup but not maintain the receiving server. See the static site contact form guide for GitHub Pages, Astro, Hugo, Eleventy, and Jekyll specifics, or contact form without a backend for the broader no-server pattern.
- Static sites on GitHub Pages, Vercel, Netlify, or Cloudflare Pages
- Landing pages and simple product pages with no server process
- Agency client sites and Jamstack builds you don't want to babysit
Spam protection
How do you stop spam on a plain HTML form?
The HTML form backend screens bots before anything reaches your inbox — no CAPTCHA to bolt on. The full spam stack, reserved field names, and rate limits are covered in the spam protection docs.
- Hidden botcheck honeypot rejects bots that fill every field
- A form_loaded_at time-trap flags instant machine submissions
- Per-form allowed-domain rules block key replay from other origins
- Rate limited to 6 submissions/min per IP — HTTP 429 beyond that
How SplitForms works
From form to workflow in 3 simple steps.
Connect your form, collect every submission, and send data where it needs to go — without building backend infrastructure.
Add your endpoint
Point your form to your unique SplitForms endpoint. That's it.
Receive submissions
We instantly capture and organize every submission in your inbox.
Route anywhere
Send data to email, spreadsheets, CRMs, webhooks, and 7,000+ apps.
No credit card required. Set up in under 60 seconds.
Connect & automate
Connect your favorite tools and automate everything
SplitForms works with the destinations you route to and the platforms you build on — from Slack and Sheets to WordPress, Shopify, and Next.js. And with Stripe connected, your forms can take payments too.
NewTake payments on your formsDeposits, bookings, order forms — submitters check out through Stripe and the money goes straight to your Stripe account. Included on every paid plan.See plans →Trusted by indie teams and agencies shipping forms worldwide
PETAL/COKRAFT.DELINEAR-XBUILD.DEVSTUDIO 71MERIDIANFRAME&CO
Testimonials
Loved by developers shipping at every scale.
40 quotes on record — from indie hacks to agency migrations.
“I replaced a Lambda + DynamoDB + SES contact form with six lines of HTML. It took eleven minutes, and the dashboard is better than what I was going to build.”
“We migrated 14 client sites off Formspree in a single weekend. The price is a third of what we paid, the API is more honest, and the spam filter actually works.”
“The webhook payload is signed, idempotent, and well-shaped. It reads like code from a competent team, not a CRUD app held together with duct tape.”
“I stopped reaching for Typeform on small marketing sites. splitforms covers 90% of the use case at none of the bloat.”
“I onboarded our whole agency in an afternoon. The MCP integration meant Cursor literally dropped the form straight into our client repos for us.”
“The free plan gave me 500 submissions before I paid a cent, and Pro is five dollars a month. I've spent more on coffee deciding which backend to use.”
“Spam went from forty junk entries a day to zero, with no reCAPTCHA puzzle ruining the form. The honeypot and time-trap just quietly do their job.”
“Point the form action at one endpoint and you're done. No SDK, no client library, no build step. This is how a form backend should feel.”
“Leads land in Slack the second someone submits, and a copy goes to Google Sheets for the sales team. I wired both up in under ten minutes.”
“I run a static Hugo site on a five-dollar VPS. splitforms gave it a real contact form without me standing up a single server.”
Questions
HTML form backend questions.
View all FAQsWhat is an HTML form backend?
An HTML form backend is the server-side endpoint that receives a form POST, validates the fields, filters spam, stores the submission, and can send notifications or webhooks. With splitforms, your static HTML page keeps the normal form tag and posts directly to https://splitforms.com/api/submit — there's no PHP script or server process to write.
Can an HTML form work without PHP?
Yes. Point the form action at https://splitforms.com/api/submit, add your access key as a hidden field, and the browser sends the submission to splitforms instead of a PHP script. Email notifications to the form owner are free on every plan, including Free.
Does this HTML form backend work on static hosting?
Yes. The same form works on GitHub Pages, Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, S3, shared hosting, and any site that can render HTML — the request leaves the browser and goes straight to splitforms, so the host never needs to run server code.
How do I stop spam on a plain HTML form?
Add the hidden botcheck honeypot field (it must stay empty) and a form_loaded_at hidden field set to the page-load timestamp. splitforms combines those with server-side content checks and per-form allowed-domain rules to filter spam before it reaches your inbox.
How do I send HTML form data to my email without a server?
Use a hosted backend instead of SMTP. splitforms emails the form owner on every submission, on every plan including Free — no mail server, API key, or SMTP credentials to configure. Just set the form action to https://splitforms.com/api/submit.
Can I read my HTML form submissions with code instead of the dashboard?
Yes. Call GET https://splitforms.com/api/submissions with an Authorization: Bearer header set to your personal access token (Dashboard → MCP). Filter by form, page with limit (up to 100), before, and since; the response is { submissions, has_more }, capped at 60 requests/minute.
Can an HTML form backend post to Slack, Google Sheets, or a webhook?
Yes, on the Starter plan and above. splitforms adds one-click integrations for Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, Slack, Discord, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Mailchimp, plus signed generic webhooks (HMAC-SHA256, single attempt, 8s timeout, no automatic retries).
Is there a rate limit on the HTML form backend endpoint?
Yes. Each form accepts up to 6 submissions per minute per IP address, with a sustained cap of 20 within a 15-minute window. Requests beyond that return HTTP 429, which protects your inbox from being flooded.
Simple pricing
Start free. Scale when you need more.
Choose a plan that fits your workflow — from a free form endpoint to full automations, exports, Stripe payments, and higher submission limits.
Free
$0
For side projects and indie devs.
- 500 submissions / mo
- Unlimited forms
- Email notifications included
- Honeypot spam filtering
- Submissions dashboard
- MCP setup stays free
- No credit card required
Most Popular
Pro
$5/ month
was $15 · save 67% · new-user price
For agencies and growing products.
- 5,000 submissions / mo
- Unlimited forms
- Stripe payments on your forms
- Every paid feature included
- Priority support (under 4hr)
- 10× free submission volume
- Cancel anytime
Pre-launch · founders pricing locked in
3-Year
$59/ first 3 years
was $99 · save 40% · new-user price
Pay $59. 3 years sorted.
- 15,000 submissions / mo
- Unlimited forms
- Everything in Pro
- $59 for 3 years, then $59/year
- Long-term discount
- Priority support included
- Vote on the roadmap
No credit card required on Free • Cancel anytime