Gravity Forms Read-Only Premium Add-on

Video walkthrough

1:06

Make Gravity Forms Fields Read Only (Show Values Visitors Can’t Edit)
Video walkthrough: making Gravity Forms fields read only with the Read Only add-on. Watch on YouTube

The Gravity Forms Read-Only Fields Add-on enables administrators to lock input values on individual form fields with a single click in the form editor. This guide covers installation, configuration, field support, and best practices for protecting your form data without breaking form submission workflows.

Understanding Read-Only Fields in Gravity Forms

When building advanced WordPress forms—such as customer profile review pages, B2B quotation approvals, or member onboarding portals—you often need to display critical information that the user must see but must not alter.

System Requirements & Prerequisites

Before installing the add-on, ensure your hosting environment meets the following baseline requirements:

• WordPress Core: Version 5.8 or higher.
• Gravity Forms: Version 2.5 or higher (fully optimized for 2.7+ and Orbital theme).
• PHP Version: PHP 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, or 8.2+.
• Active License: A valid GravityExtra license key for automatic plugin updates.

Installation & License Activation

Follow these quick steps to get the add-on running on your WordPress site:

1. Download the latest plugin ZIP file from your GravityExtra Account dashboard.
2. Navigate to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin in your WordPress admin.
3. Choose the downloaded ZIP file and click Install Now, then click Activate Plugin.
4. Navigate to Forms → Settings → Read Only and paste your GravityExtra License Key to enable one-click automatic updates.

How to Configure Read-Only Fields

Locking any supported form field takes less than 10 seconds directly inside the Gravity Forms visual editor:

1. Open your desired form in the Gravity Forms Editor (Forms → Edit).
2. Click on the field you wish to protect to open its Field Settings panel on the right.
3. In the General tab, locate the Read only checkbox option.
4. Tick the Read only checkbox to lock the field.

5. If the field should contain default or pre-populated information, configure its Default Value or enable Allow field to be populated dynamically under the Advanced tab.
6. Save your form settings by clicking Save Form.

Supported Field Types

The Read-Only Fields Add-on has been engineered with deep integration across 10+ standard and advanced Gravity Forms field types:

New in Version 1.1: More Field Types, Server Lock and Normal Look

More field types. The Read only checkbox (General tab of a field) is now also offered on Date, Time, Website, Multi Select, Address, List, Quantity, Consent and the post fields (Body, Excerpt, Tags, Custom Field). On a read-only Date field the calendar does not open; on a read-only List field the add and remove row buttons are switched off.

Lock the value on the server. When you tick Read only, two options appear under it. With Lock the value on the server, the form page carries a signed copy of the value the field shows (its default value, a value from dynamic population such as ?ref=Q-55, or a value your site filled in). When the form is sent, the server puts that value back, so a value changed with the browser tools or a crafted request is never saved. If the signed copy is missing or was changed, the field shows “This field cannot be changed. Please reload the page and try again.” It works with AJAX forms, multi-page forms and validation errors.

• Use it for prices, account or order numbers, plan names and anything a visitor must not edit.
• Submissions that do not come from the form page (the Gravity Forms REST API, GFAPI::submit_form()) cannot carry the signed copy, so they are refused for locked fields. Leave the lock off on forms you submit from code, or use the gfro_skip_value_lock filter.
• Rich text Paragraph fields and Multi Select fields with the enhanced user interface keep the plain read-only behaviour.

Normal look (not faded). Read-only fields are shown faded by default. Tick Normal look (not faded) to show the field at full colour with a light grey input, so it reads like a summary.

Fields without the new options work exactly as before. The new options need an active licence.

Real-World Use Cases & Practical Applications

• Customer Account & Profile Updates: Pre-fill verified customer IDs, registered email addresses, or usernames from WordPress user meta, allowing clients to update only their contact details without corrupting user identifiers.
• Fixed-Rate Quotations & Invoicing: Present fixed pricing tiers, calculated subtotals, or agreed hourly rates that clients must review before confirming an order without allowing client-side price tampering.
• Verification & Legal Agreement Forms: Display non-negotiable policy clauses, license key strings, or transaction reference numbers in readable form fields for clear sign-off.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

.gform_wrapper .read_only_class input {
    background-color: #f1f5f9 !important;
    border-color: #cbd5e1 !important;
    cursor: not-allowed !important;
}