Email Gate and Double Opt-In

Email gate is a feature that requires respondents to verify their email address before they can access and fill out your form. Combined with a double opt-in consent checkbox, this creates a GDPR-compliant data collection flow that ensures you only receive submissions from verified, consenting users.

What Email Gate Is

When email gate is enabled, visitors who open your form link see an email input screen instead of the form itself. They enter their email address and receive a verification email with a unique link. Only after clicking that link can they access the actual form. This ensures every submission is tied to a verified email address.

Email gate is particularly useful for:

• Lead generation forms where you need verified contact information
• Internal surveys where only employees with company emails should participate
• Gated content where form access is the value exchange for an email address
• Preventing spam submissions from bots and bad actors

Enabling Email Gate

Open your form and go to Settings > Access > Email Gate. Toggle it on and configure the following options:

• Welcome message: The text displayed on the email input screen. Customize this to explain why you are asking for their email and what they will get access to.
• Verification email subject: The subject line of the verification email.
• Verification email body: The email content including the verification link. You can customize the text around the link.
• Link expiry: How long the verification link remains valid (default: 24 hours).

Verification Email Flow

When a respondent enters their email:

• WittyForm sends a verification email to the address they entered.
• The email contains a unique, time-limited link.
• The respondent clicks the link, which opens the form in their browser.
• Their email is pre-filled in the form and cannot be changed.
• They complete and submit the form as normal.

If the respondent does not receive the email, they can click a "Resend" button on the waiting screen. If they try to use an expired link, they are prompted to request a new one.

Double Opt-In Consent Checkbox

For GDPR compliance and email marketing best practices, you can add a consent checkbox to the email gate screen. This checkbox asks the respondent to explicitly agree to receive communications from you before proceeding. The consent is recorded with a timestamp and the respondent's IP address for your records.

Enable this in Settings > Access > Email Gate > Consent Checkbox. Customize the consent text to match your privacy policy (e.g., "I agree to receive emails from [Your Company] and have read the Privacy Policy").

GDPR-Compliant Data Collection

Email gate with double opt-in helps you meet GDPR requirements by ensuring:

• Verified identity: The respondent proved they own the email address by clicking the verification link.
• Explicit consent: The respondent checked the consent box before accessing the form, providing a clear record of their agreement.
• Audit trail: WittyForm records the consent timestamp, IP address, and the exact consent text that was displayed. This data is available in the submission details and can be exported for compliance audits.

While email gate and double opt-in are powerful compliance tools, consult your legal team to ensure your overall data collection practices meet the specific requirements of your jurisdiction.