How to Mark Form Submissions as Read or Unread

Understanding Read and Unread Submissions

Every form submission in Auto Form Builder has a read status that helps you track your review workflow:

• Unread — a new or unreviewed submission that needs your attention. Unread entries are visually highlighted in the submissions list.
• Read — a submission you have already reviewed or processed. Read entries move out of your unread queue.

When you open the Submissions page, the default view is the Unread tab — so you always see what is new first. Tab badges show counts for each status, including an unread badge when new entries are waiting.

Read/unread status is separate from other organization tools like Starred, Spam, and Trash. You can star an unread submission for follow-up, or mark a read submission as unread if you need to revisit it later.

Where to Find the Submissions Inbox

1. Log in to your WordPress admin area.
2. Click Auto Form Builder in the left sidebar.
3. Click Submissions.

Across the top of the page, status tabs let you switch between Unread, Starred, Read, Spam, Trash, and All. Each tab displays a count so you know how many entries are in each category.

Method 1: Mark as Read by Viewing a Submission

The fastest way to mark a submission as read is to open it. Click the view icon (eye) in the Actions column of any unread row. Auto Form Builder automatically marks that submission as read when you view it from the list — no extra click needed.

The row updates instantly without a full page reload, and the unread styling is removed. Tab counts update to reflect the change.

Note: Opening a submission directly via its detail page URL does not auto-mark it as read. This gives you manual control when you want to review an entry without changing its status. Use the Quick Actions on the detail page to mark it read or unread manually.

Method 2: One-Click Read/Unread Buttons in the List

Every submission row includes read/unread toggle buttons you can use without opening the entry:

In the Status Column

Next to the status badge, click the envelope icon button:

• On an unread submission — click to mark as read
• On a read submission — click to mark as unread

In the Actions Column

The Actions column also has a dedicated read/unread button with the same envelope icon. Click it to toggle the status instantly.

Both buttons update the submission via AJAX — the row refreshes in place, status badges update, and tab counts adjust without reloading the page. A brief success message confirms the action.

Method 3: Bulk Mark as Read or Unread

When you have many submissions to process at once, use bulk actions:

1. On the Submissions page, check the boxes next to the entries you want to update. Use the header checkbox to select all submissions on the current page.
2. Open the Bulk actions dropdown at the top or bottom of the table.
3. Choose Mark as Read or Mark as Unread.
4. Click Apply.

A confirmation message appears at the top of the page, such as “5 submissions marked as read” or “3 submissions marked as unread.”

Tip: Filter or search first to narrow the list — for example, filter by form or date range — then bulk-mark the visible entries. This is useful after reviewing a batch of contact form submissions from the same campaign.

Method 4: Mark Read or Unread on the Submission Detail Page

When viewing a single submission’s full details, use the Quick Actions panel in the Submission Status & Actions section:

• Mark as Read — shown when the submission is currently unread
• Mark as Unread — shown when the submission is currently read

Click the appropriate button to update the status. This is useful when you open a submission to review its full details — including field values, metadata, IP address, browser info, and source page — and want to control the read status yourself rather than having it change automatically.

The detail page also includes buttons to star, mark as spam, move to trash, or restore entries — all alongside the read/unread controls in one place.

Method 5: Change Status with the Dropdown

Each submission row includes a status dropdown in the Status column. Select a new status from the list — including options that affect read state — to update the entry without using bulk actions. The change applies immediately via AJAX.

This dropdown is helpful when you want to change a submission’s overall status (such as moving it to spam or trash) while managing its read state at the same time.

Filter Submissions by Read Status

Use the status tabs to focus on the entries you need:

• Unread tab — shows submissions that have not been reviewed. This is the default view when you open the Submissions page.
• Read tab — shows submissions you have already marked as read or processed.
• All tab — shows every submission regardless of read status.

Combine status tabs with other filters for precise views:

• Search — find submissions by name, email, phone, or any field value
• Form filter — show entries from one form only
• Date filter — today, this week, last 30 days, and more
• Sort order — newest first, oldest first, or by form name

For example, open the Unread tab, filter by your Contact Form, and sort by newest first to see today’s unreviewed leads at the top.

A Recommended Read/Unread Workflow

Here is a practical daily workflow using read and unread status:

1. Start on the Unread tab — open Submissions and review what is new.
2. Click to view each entry — opening a submission from the list marks it as read automatically.
3. Star important leads — mark high-priority unread or read submissions with a star for follow-up.
4. Bulk-mark remaining entries — after scanning the list, select any entries you have reviewed and bulk-mark them as read.
5. Mark as unread when needed — if you need to come back to a submission later, mark it unread so it reappears in your Unread tab.
6. Check the Read tab periodically — revisit processed entries or search for a specific submission you handled earlier.

Read/Unread vs. Other Submission Statuses

Auto Form Builder tracks multiple status dimensions on each submission. Here is how they relate:

• Read / Unread — tracks whether you have reviewed the entry (is_read flag)
• Starred — flags important submissions for follow-up (independent of read status)
• Spam — marks unwanted submissions separately from read state
• Trash — soft-deletes entries without permanently removing them

A submission can be starred and unread at the same time — for example, a new high-priority lead you have not yet opened. Marking it as read does not remove its star.

Who Can Mark Submissions as Read or Unread?

Submission management including read/unread status requires the manage_options capability — typically WordPress Administrators. Editors, authors, and other roles cannot access the Submissions inbox or change read status unless they have been granted administrator permissions.

Get Started with Free Submission Management

Read and unread tracking is included in the free Auto Form Builder plugin — along with the full submissions inbox, search, filters, bulk actions, starring, spam handling, export, and print.

Install from WordPress.org:

https://wordpress.org/plugins/auto-form-builder/

Last updated: Last update 21 August

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