Title: Remove Span elements from Contact form 7 Last modified: August 20, 2016 --- # Remove Span elements from Contact form 7 * [Tom](https://wordpress.org/support/users/godsdead/) * (@godsdead) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/) * I love this simple contact form 7, although it puts in loads of un-needed html, which is conflicting and breaking my designs. * How can i stop contact form 7 from wrapping inputs in , i can see adding code to my wp-config to disable the line breaks, but nothing to get rid of this annoying SPAN! * ```

``` * it would be absolutely stupid if i have to let extra un-nessasary code bloat the fronted, and have to re-design AROUND it. Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 16 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/page/2/?output_format=md) * [Joey Kudish](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jkudish/) * (@jkudish) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/#post-2090832) * You would have to modify the plugin itself and remove it from the functions that output the extra html… * Thread Starter [Tom](https://wordpress.org/support/users/godsdead/) * (@godsdead) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/#post-2090878) * Balls, that means i wouldn’t be able to update the plugin! Looks like im going to have to design around it, unless you can recommend a better plugin? * [Joey Kudish](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jkudish/) * (@jkudish) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/#post-2090890) * For sure that wouldn’t be great for updates. * I personally use Gravity Forms for all the sites that I build – [http://jkudi.sh/gravityf](http://jkudi.sh/gravityf), it’s by far the best forms plugin and one of the best all-around plugins ever built for WordPress. It does have a price tag, but a well worth one. Note: I am not affiliated with them in any ways, just a user and fan of their product. * There’s also Grunion which is made by Automattic and a few of the core developers of WordPress. [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/grunion-contact-form/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/grunion-contact-form/) * Good luck * [kato](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kato/) * (@kato) * [15 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/#post-2091024) * Grunion is not customizable. Gravity forms costs money. Contact Form 7 adds html that can only be removed by hacking the php files. Grr. * Memo to self – do not upgrade Contact Forms 7. * in wp-contact / plugins / contact-form-7 / text.php, change line 93 from: * $html = ‘’ . $html . $validation_error.‘ ’; * to: * $html = $html . $validation_error; * in textarea.php change line 92 from: * $html = ‘’ . $html . $validation_error.‘ ’; * to: * $html = $html . $validation_error; * [kato](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kato/) * (@kato) * [15 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/#post-2091025) * P.S. – blank fields will no longer be automatically highlighted upon form validation fail. I consider this not a big deal. * Reminder to self: don’t upgrade Contact Form 7. * [dashaluna](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dashaluna/) * (@dashaluna) * [14 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/#post-2091026) * It would be great if there was a hook into the output HTML that would allow to use default Contact Form 7 HTML or strip out all additional HTML that’s added. * Is there a way to use a WP standard hook to hook into the Contact Form 7 HTML structure and strip out additional HTML? * Thanks, Dasha * [kato](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kato/) * (@kato) * [14 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/#post-2091027) * Not that I know of. * I understand the developer needs some way to identify the bad fields on validation. But the more correct way to do it would be to attach a class or ID rather than adding new html tags. i.e. input class=”validate-name” or something. * Normally adding the spans don’t present any problem, but in my case, I wanted to use jquery sliding labels with my form and the span tags broke the script. It’s working now. But not in an ideal way. * [kato](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kato/) * (@kato) * [14 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/#post-2091036) * For the record, the folder is: * wp-content/plugins/contact-form-7/modules * must’ve been high when i wrote that. * Coming back to this post as a refresher, because today I’m doing it to quiz.php also… * [Pandonym](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pandonym/) * (@pandonym) * [14 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/#post-2091038) * Hey kato, * thanks for your work. I tried the same thing, but without any success 🙂 * When I change the text.php and textarea.php as described, then my website get blank. Nothing works anymore. Any hint? When I reset the plugin (backup files) then everything is ok. * [kato](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kato/) * (@kato) * [14 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/#post-2091039) * I’m using Version 2.4.6. Are you using the same? * Could be you’re missing the semi-colon at the end? PHP loses its brain when it can’t find a statement end. * If you’re using 2.4.6 you can [download my modified files](http://db.tt/ulLVDCK) and overwrite the ones in: wp-content/plugins/contact-form-7/modules * Let me know if it works! * [Pandonym](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pandonym/) * (@pandonym) * [14 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/#post-2091040) * Yes, I am using the same version. * Semicolon is at the end of the line. Unfortunately your files didn’t change something. Pity! * Anyway I thank you 😉 * [kato](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kato/) * (@kato) * [14 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/#post-2091041) * Whoops. I checked the files and realized I grabbed them from the wrong WP install( unmodified.) * Here are [the corrected files](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2911770/Wordpress/actual.zip) if you’re willing to try again. * Sorry ’bout that. * [Pandonym](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pandonym/) * (@pandonym) * [14 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/#post-2091042) * Interesting, * today I set the report level from php to a higher level and get these error codes: * ``` Fatal error: Cannot redeclare wpcf7_quiz_shortcode_handler() (previously declared in [...]/wp-content/plugins/contact-form-7/modules/backup_quiz.php:10) in [...]/wp-content/plugins/contact-form-7/modules/quiz.php on line 88 Fatal error: Cannot redeclare wpcf7_textarea_shortcode_handler() (previously declared in [...]/wp-content/plugins/contact-form-7/modules/backup_textarea.php:11) in [...]/wp-content/plugins/contact-form-7/modules/textarea.php on line 95 Fatal error: Cannot redeclare wpcf7_text_shortcode_handler() (previously declared in [...]/wp-content/plugins/contact-form-7/modules/backup_text.php:13) in [...]/wp-content/plugins/contact-form-7/modules/text.php on line 96 ``` * I just renamed my old files as backup_*. * Now I deleted the original files and uploaded your corrected files and it works! * Thank you very much! * [Steph Wells](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sswells/) * (@sswells) * [14 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/#post-2091051) * You might want to try out Formidable. The HTML is customizable, and the forms are easier to build than Contact Form 7. FYI, I am the main developer. * [Pandonym](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pandonym/) * (@pandonym) * [14 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/#post-2091052) * I still had some problems till today! * I tested many other plugins and form-templates. None of them were like I wanted. One template didn’t allow a https-connection, I don’t know why. So I get back to contact form 7 plugin. * Now I have my problems solved. My theme has a shortcode-function “[noformat]” which removes unwanted formatting of WordPress and co. Then I get a table inside my CF7 inside the formbuilder (I hope you will understand me). * For example: _[Code moderated as per the [Forum Rules](http://codex.wordpress.org/Forum_Welcome#Posting_Code). Please use the [pastebin](http://wordpress.pastebin.com/)]_ * And so on… * Maybe this will some other people. I was so annoyed with all that stuff, but now I am happy 😀 * [@sswells](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sswells/) Thank you, but I don’t want to try out further plugins – I hope you know why 😉 * Greets Pandonym Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 16 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/page/2/?output_format=md) The topic ‘Remove Span elements from Contact form 7’ is closed to new replies. * 16 replies * 7 participants * Last reply from: [Andrew Tegenkamp](https://wordpress.org/support/users/andrewteg/) * Last activity: [14 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/remove-span-elements-from-contact-form-7/page/2/#post-2091056) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics