How I Let Users Take Live Photos and Videos in My WordPress Forms

I used to ask people to email me their photos for my website. Profile pictures for membership sites, headshots for team pages, even simple ID verification images – and every single time, it turned into a back-and-forth mess.

People would forget to attach the file. Or they’d send a photo that was way too large. Sometimes they’d take a screenshot of a photo instead of sending the actual image, and the quality would be terrible.

Then I realized that I could let people take photos and record videos through my WordPress forms. They just need to click a button, snap a photo (or record a quick video), and that’s it.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to add this camera capture feature to your WordPress forms so you can skip all the headaches I went through.

Why Add Live Camera Capture in WordPress Forms?

Live camera capture in your WordPress forms makes it much faster and easier for people to submit photos or videos. This can lead to more users actually completing your form.

Think about what happens when you ask someone to upload a photo to your contact form. They have to stop what they’re doing, open their camera app, take the photo, close the camera, find the photo in their gallery, and then come back to upload it.

That’s a lot of steps. And every extra step is another chance for someone to give up and abandon your form.

With a live camera capture field, people can take photos or record videos without ever leaving the form. They click one button, the camera opens right there in their browser, and they’re done in seconds.

This matters more than you might think. I’ve seen form completion rates jump significantly just by removing the friction of traditional file uploads.

Here are some real situations where camera capture makes a huge difference:

Site Types	Use Cases
Customer Support Teams	Let people show their problem instead of trying to describe it in words.
Property/Real Estate Sites	Get tenants to document maintenance issues on the spot instead of texting photos back and forth.
Schools/eLearning Platforms	Collect student photos during online admissions without asking parents to email separate files.
Insurance Companies	Speed up claims by having customers photograph damage immediately.

The best part about using a plugin for this purpose is that everything gets organized automatically.

When someone submits your form, their photo or video is attached to their entry along with all their other information. No more hunting through your email inbox trying to match photos with the right person. ✨

With that said, I’ll show you all the steps to add a camera capture feature to your WordPress forms. Here’s everything I’ll cover in this guide:

• Step 1: Install and Activate WPForms Pro
• Step 2: Add the Camera Field to Your Form
• Step 3: Configure Your Form's Camera Field
• Step 4: Set Up Button Style, Storage, and Access Settings
  • Customize Camera Button Style and Text
  • Style Further with CSS Classes
  • Choose Where to Store Captured Files
  • Restrict Access to Uploaded Files
• Step 5: Set Up Form Notifications and Confirmations
• Step 6: Test and Embed Your Form
• FAQs About Capturing Live Camera Photos or Videos in WordPress Forms
• More Guides to Using WordPress Forms

Step 1: Install and Activate WPForms Pro

In this guide, I’m going to use WPForms, which is the best contact form plugin for WordPress. I picked this plugin because it has a camera capture field, which you can easily add with a simple drag-and-drop.

You can also use WPForms to create lots of different forms, including contact forms, online order forms with payments, polls and surveys, and newsletter signups.

At WPBeginner, we use WPForms for all our forms – contact forms, site migration requests, the annual readers’ survey, and more. We’re big fans of this tool, and you can learn more about it in our complete WPForms review.

First, head over to the WPForms website to create an account. Click the ‘Get WPForms Now’ button, choose a plan that fits your needs, and complete the signup.

💡 Note: You’ll need WPForms Pro to get access to the camera capture feature, plus extras like conditional logic and form themes. That said, you can still get started with the free WPForms version if you want to try out the plugin first.

After signing up, you should be able to find the plugin’s zip file and license key in your WPForms account dashboard. You can keep this tab open or store your file and key somewhere safe, like a password manager.

Now, let’s go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Plugins » Add New Plugin.

On the next screen, you can use the search bar to look for the WPForms plugin.

Click ‘Install Now’ in the search result and ‘Activate’ when it appears.

If you need help, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, go to WPForms » Settings from your admin area to activate your WPForms Pro license.

Simply copy your license key and paste it into the box. Then click the ‘Verify Key’ button.

WPForms will confirm that your license is active. You’re now ready to start building forms with camera capture.

Step 2: Add the Camera Field to Your Form

In this step, you’ll create a form with the camera capture feature.

To start, you can navigate to WPForms » Add New in your WordPress admin dashboard.

This will take you to the Setup page, where you can name your form.

This is for your reference only, but I recommend using a clear, descriptive name for easier organization as you create more WordPress forms.

Next, you’ll choose how you’ll build your form.

WPForms allows you to create forms using a blank canvas, an AI-powered form builder, or a ready-made template.

With WPForms AI, all you have to do is write a simple prompt. The AI form builder will generate it for you in a few seconds.

For this tutorial, though, I’m going to use the Simple Contact Form template.

WPForms comes with 2,000+ premade form templates, so it’s easy to find one that fits your needs.

If you want step-by-step instructions, see our guide on how to create a contact form in WordPress.

Once your form opens in the builder, look at the left sidebar where all the form fields are listed. Scroll down until you find the section labeled ‘Fancy Fields.’

Right there, next to the File Upload field, you’ll see the ‘Camera’ field. You can drag and drop it wherever you want it to appear on your form.

💡 Note: The File Upload field is best for collecting files users already have on their device, like saved photos or PDFs. For this tutorial, the Camera field works better because it lets users capture a photo or video on the spot without leaving the form.

You’ll notice a small camera icon shows up in your form preview. That’s what your users will click to capture their photo or video.

One thing I found interesting with this feature is that when someone clicks the camera button on a laptop or desktop, they’ll see a friendly 3-second countdown before capture. This gives them just enough time to smile or adjust their angle.

Here’s what it might look like in the preview:

There you have it – I told you this part was quick!

Step 3: Configure Your Form’s Camera Field

From here, you can configure your Camera field.

Go ahead and click on the ‘Camera’ field you just added to open up the ‘Field Options’ panel on the left side. This is where you’ll customize how the camera capture works.

The first thing you’ll see is the ‘Label’ setting.

By default, the field is called Camera, but you can rename it to match what you’re collecting. For example: Profile Picture, Error Screenshot, or Damage Photo, depending on your use case.

In ‘Description,’ you can add a short note with any extra details or instructions, like what should be visible in the photo or any quality requirements.

For example:

• “Use good lighting to keep the image clear,” for profile pictures.
• “Make sure all text is readable,” for error screenshots.
• “Include the whole property in the frame,” for damage reports.

This keeps the label short and scannable, and uses the description only for helpful guidance.

Then, there’s the ‘Format’ setting, where you’ll see two choices:

• Photo – works well for profile pictures, ID cards, or any situation where you need a quick snapshot.
• Video – perfect when you want people to record short introductions, testimonials, or explain something that’s easier to show than describe.

By default, WPForms sets it to ‘Photo,’ but you can switch between them at any time.

Now, you can scroll down to the ‘Max File Size’ setting, where you can control how large the user-submitted file can be.

You can enter any number of megabytes (MB) you want. If you leave this blank, WPForms will use your server’s default limit, which is usually around 64 MB. You can also increase your max file upload size if needed.

I recommend setting a reasonable limit based on what you actually need. Smaller file sizes help your forms load faster and save space on your server.

Don’t forget to toggle on the ‘Required’ button so users can’t skip this field.

If you chose ‘Video’ as your format, you’ll also see a ‘Time Limit’ option. The default is 1 minute and 30 seconds, which works well for most situations.

🧑‍💻 Pro Tip: Video files can get large and hurt your WordPress performance. This field is fine for short clips (less than 30 seconds). But if you need users to submit long videos (5+ minutes), then it’s better to have them upload to a cloud service and share the link.

See our guide on why you should never upload a video to WordPress to learn more.

You can play with these settings to suit your needs.

Step 4: Set Up Button Style, Storage, and Access Settings

Here, I’ll walk you through the advanced settings for your Camera field. This is where you fine-tune how the camera feature looks and where your captured files are stored.

To get started, switch to the ‘Advanced’ tab at the top of the Field Options panel.

Let’s break down each of these configuration options.

Customize Camera Button Style and Text

First, find the ‘Style’ dropdown. You can choose to show a button icon or display it as a simple link.

I usually stick with the button style because it’s more obvious and easier to click, but the link option works well if you want a cleaner, more minimal look.

Right below that, you’ll see the ‘Button Link Text’ field. This is your chance to make the camera button look more personal or on-brand.

Instead of the default text, you could write something like “Snap Your Picture” or “Record a Video.” I’ve even seen people use fun phrases like “Say Cheese!” for profile picture forms.

These small touches make your contact form feel more welcoming and less robotic.

Style Further with CSS Classes

Next, you’ll see the CSS Classes field. This lets you add a custom class name so you can style this camera field differently with CSS.

For example, you could add a class like custom-camera-btn here. This doesn’t automatically style the button, but it lets you (or a developer) add custom CSS in your theme settings to target this specific button later.

If you want to add more than one CSS Class, then you can separate them with spaces, like this:camera-field large-button.

I will leave this blank to keep the styling consistent with the rest of my form fields.

Choose Where to Store Captured Files

By default, WPForms saves all captured photos and videos in your site’s ‘Uploads’ folder, specifically inside the WPForms directory.

But if you prefer keeping all your media in one place, toggle on the option that says ‘Store file in WordPress Media Library.’

Just remember that files in the Media Library are often easier for the public to access, so keep this setting turned off if you are collecting sensitive documents.

🧑‍💻 Pro Tip: You can also connect WPForms with Dropbox or Google Drive if you want to store files externally. This is helpful if you’re worried about using up too much server space or if you want automatic cloud backups.

No matter where you store the files, you can always view them in your ‘Entries’ dashboard, attached right to each form submission.

Restrict Access to Uploaded Files

If your form collects sensitive information, such as ID photos or personal documents, you’ll want to lock down who can view these files. Scroll down and turn on ‘Enable File Access Restrictions.’

Once you enable this, you get two security options. The first one is that you can limit access so that only logged-in WordPress users can view the files.

The other option is to add password protection to your form for an extra layer of security.

This is especially important for forms used in healthcare, legal services, or any other context where you’re handling private information.

Without these restrictions, anyone with the file URL could potentially view the uploaded media.

You can take your time configuring these advanced options before moving on.

Step 5: Set Up Form Notifications and Confirmations

Now that your camera field is working, you need to make sure you actually get notified when someone submits your form.

To do this, you can head over to Settings » Notifications in the form builder.

WPForms automatically sets up a basic email notification that gets sent to your WordPress admin email address. Every time someone submits your form with a captured photo or video, you’ll receive an email with all the details.

You can customize who receives these notifications by changing the ‘Send To Email Address’ field. If you want multiple people notified, just enter all the email addresses, separating them with commas.

You can also use a smart tag to send notifications dynamically, for example, to the email address submitted in the form.

See our guide on how to create a contact form with multiple recipients for details.

The notification email will include a direct link to view the captured photo or video. This allows you to preview the file immediately from your inbox without logging in to the WordPress dashboard first.

💡 Note: WordPress doesn’t always send emails reliably, and sometimes form notifications go to spam or don’t get sent at all. To fix this, I recommend using the WP Mail SMTP plugin. For details, see how to fix WordPress not sending emails.

After someone submits your form, they need to know it was successful.

Let’s go to the ‘Confirmations’ panel to decide what happens after someone submits the form:

• The Message confirmation – shows a simple text message right on the same page after submission, like “Thanks! We’ve received your submission.”
• The Show Page confirmation – redirects people to a different page on your site. This works well if you want to send them to a custom thank-you page with more information.
• The Redirect confirmation – sends people to any URL you want, even on a different website. I’ve used this to send people to a booking page or a special offer after they submit.

You can pick whichever option makes sense for your situation.

I usually stick with the ‘Message’ confirmation because it’s simple and people know immediately that their submission worked.

If you want to use it too, I recommend rewriting the default message so it matches your brand’s voice:

Step 6: Test and Embed Your Form

Before you share your form with the world, you need to make sure the camera capture actually works.

Start by clicking the ‘Save’ button at the top right of the form builder to save all your changes.

Now let’s preview this form on a page so you can test it.

Go ahead and click the ‘Preview’ button to open your form preview in a new tab.

On the preview, you can fill out your form fields with dummy data.

To make sure validation is working, try entering a typo or leaving a required field blank.

Next, click on the camera button in your form.

Your browser will then ask for permission to access your camera. Go ahead and click ‘Allow this time’ or ‘Allow while visiting the site’ to grant permission.

Note: For security reasons, some browsers will block camera access if your site is not using HTTPS. Ensure an SSL certificate is installed, or else the camera button will not work.

You should now see yourself on screen with a 3-second countdown. Smile and let it capture your photo or video.

When you’ve filled out everything, hit ‘Submit’ and see if your confirmation message appears just right. You can then click the ‘View Entries’ link to see if the form submission went through.

On the next screen, you should see your submission test.

In the Actions column, click ‘View’ to see the entry.

Now, you can scroll down to see your captured photo or video attached right there.

Here’s what it looks like on my screen:

Once everything checks out, you can add this form to your WordPress website.

Click the ‘Embed’ button to launch the wizard.

This will open a popup where you can either pick an existing page or create a new one for your form.

• Select Existing Page: A dropdown will show all the pages on your WordPress site.
• Create New Page: A ‘Name Your Page’ field will appear for you to enter a title.

For this guide, I’ll choose ‘Create New Page’.

Next, enter a name for your new page, for example, I’m calling mine “Contact Form.”

Click ‘Let’s Go!’

You’ll then land on the page’s block editor with your form already loaded.

From here, you can tweak the ‘Form Settings’ in the right-hand panel.

By default, the form title is hidden, so you might want to turn it on to give visitors more context. You can also enable the description if you’ve added one.

To make it look even better, style the form to match your site’s theme.

Go ahead and choose a theme from the Themes section.

When you’re happy with how it looks, click ‘Save’.

With that done, publish or update your page and click ‘View Page’ to see the live version on your WordPress site:

For details, see our guide on how to embed forms in WordPress.

🧑‍💻 Pro Tip: Once you embed your form, make sure to open the page on your mobile device to make sure the camera opens smoothly and feels natural on a smaller screen.

FAQs About Capturing Live Camera Photos or Videos in WordPress Forms

Before we wrap up, here are answers to some common questions people have about using camera uploads and file fields in forms.

How do I collect photos in Google Forms?

Google Forms supports file uploads, but it lacks a dedicated Smart Camera field. While users can manually select a file, WPForms offers a seamless integration that triggers the camera directly, making it much faster for users to snap and submit.

Can WordPress forms have a camera?

Yes. Some WordPress form plugins, like WPForms, support a camera field that lets users take photos or record videos directly from their device and submit them with the form.

What is a file upload field?

A file upload field lets users attach files like images, PDFs, or videos when submitting a form. It’s useful for things like photo uploads, resumes, or documents.

How do I take a picture in WordPress forms?

You add a camera or file upload field to your form using a form plugin that supports it, like WPForms. When users open the form on a device with a camera, they can take a photo directly instead of uploading an existing file.

Can WordPress forms take webcam pictures?

Yes. If the form plugin supports live camera input, users can take photos using their webcam on a desktop or the camera on their phone and submit them right away.

More Guides to Using WordPress Forms

I hope this tutorial has helped you add a camera field to let users take live photos or videos directly in your WordPress forms.

Next, you might want to learn:

• How to Add Image Choices in WordPress Forms
• How to Show a Floating Contact Form in WordPress
• How to Use Contact Forms to Grow Your Email List in WordPress
• Ways to Use Conditional Logic in WordPress Forms
• Ultimate Guide to Using WordPress Forms (All You Need to Know)

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How I Let Users Take Live Photos and Videos in My WordPress Forms first appeared on WPBeginner.

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How I Went From Zero to Make.com-Like Automation in WordPress (The Easy Way)

Automating your WordPress site doesn’t have to feel like rocket science.

Tools like Make.com are powerful, but for many beginners, they can feel overwhelming. Between extra connection steps and complex setups (like webhooks), it’s easy to get stuck before anything actually works.

That’s where a plugin like Uncanny Automator makes a big difference. It lets you build Make.com–style workflows in WordPress using a simple setup that feels familiar and easy to follow.

You can connect your favorite plugins, trigger actions based on what users do on your site, and even add AI-powered tasks in just a few minutes.

In this guide, I’ll show you how I automated my WordPress site to work like Make.com.

The goal is simple: spend less time on repetitive tasks, keep things running smoothly, and focus more on growing your site instead of managing it.

💡Quick Answer: How to Add Make.com-Style Automation in WordPress

You can create Make.com-style automation in WordPress using Uncanny Automator by setting up a simple “if this happens, then do that” workflow, called a recipe. You choose a trigger, like publishing a new post, then decide what should happen next, such as generating an AI summary and saving it to Google Sheets. Once the recipe is set to Live, it runs automatically every time that trigger occurs.

Here is an overview of all the topics that I’ll be covering in this guide:

• Why I Moved Away from Make.com (And You Can Too)
  • What Make.com Does Really Well
• 🌟The Solution: Why Uncanny Automator Feels Like Make.com But Easier
  • How Uncanny Automator Saves You Money
• Real-World Workflow: How to Automate Blog Post Summaries with Uncanny Automator
  • Step 1: Install and Activate Uncanny Automator
  • Step 2: Connect OpenAI to Uncanny Automator
  • Step 3: Connect Uncanny Automator to Google Sheets
  • Step 4: Create Your Recipe in Uncanny Automator
  • Step 5: Add the OpenAI Action to Generate Blog Post Summaries
  • Step 6: Add the Google Sheets Action to Store Summaries
  • Step 7: Save and Activate Your Recipe
• Next Steps for Building Make.com-Style Workflows Right in WordPress
• Frequently Asked Questions About Uncanny Automator vs. Make.com
• Additional Resources to Take Your Automations to the Next Level

Why I Moved Away from Make.com (And You Can Too)

I moved away from Make.com because it became harder to manage as my site grew. While it’s a powerful automation tool, the setup and maintenance can feel like too much if you just want things to work inside WordPress.

Make.com is a visual automation platform that helps you connect different apps and services using workflows called scenarios.

You build these workflows by dragging and connecting blocks, so when something happens in one app, it triggers actions in another.

It’s a great tool, but for many WordPress site owners, it can feel disconnected from how WordPress actually works day to day.

Over time, I wanted something simpler and more tightly integrated with my site.

3 Challenges That Made Me Switch Away From Make.com

Make.com stopped working for me once everyday automations began taking more time to set up and maintain than the tasks themselves.

Here are the three biggest reasons I decided to move away:

Challenge	What It Means	Why It Matters
Steep Learning Curve	Even simple workflows require hours of tutorials to understand modules like Routers, Iterators, and Aggregators.	Beginners can get stuck before automations even start working.
Unpredictable Pricing	Costs depend on “operations,” which means you pay for every single internal step, filter, and logical check—not just the final result. Processing the exact same 500 WooCommerce orders can cost significantly more if you add a simple filter.	Hard to budget as your site traffic or sales grow.
Extra Complexity with WordPress	Integrating Make.com requires APIs, webhooks, and third-party connections. Workflows can break when plugins update,	Ongoing troubleshooting slows you down and adds stress.

At that point, I realized I needed an automation solution that felt simpler, more predictable, and built specifically for WordPress.

What Make.com Does Really Well

In plain English, Make.com is great when you need lots of ‘if this, then that’ paths and you’re connecting many apps outside WordPress.

For instance, it has:

• A visual flowchart builder that lets you design automations by connecting steps visually, making it easy to understand how data moves from one action to the next.
• Built-in branching and routing using Router modules, so different actions can run based on conditions you set.
• A large integration library, with access to thousands of apps and services that you can connect without building everything from scratch.
• Advanced automation logic, including Iterators and Aggregators for working with lists of data, plus filters to control when actions run.

These features are great when you need detailed control over complex workflows. However, for many everyday WordPress automations, they can feel like more than you actually need.

When Does Using Make.com Still Make Sense?

Even though I moved away from Make.com, there are situations where it still works well:

• For Apps Outside WordPress – If you need to connect tools that Uncanny Automator doesn’t support, then Make.com gives you access to thousands of apps.
• Already Heavily Invested – If you’ve built a lot of workflows in Make.com, then switching everything might not be worth it right away.
• Advanced HTTP Modules – While Automator Pro handles most webhook needs, some very advanced HTTP requests might still be easier in Make.com.

In most everyday WordPress use cases, Automator handles everything smoothly, but it’s good to know Make.com can still be useful in these scenarios.

🌟The Solution: Why Uncanny Automator Feels Like Make.com But Easier

After running into too many challenges with Make.com, I finally found a solution that checks all the boxes: Uncanny Automator.

It is the best WordPress automation plugin that lets you connect your favorite plugins, WordPress features, and hundreds of external apps. You build workflows—called Recipes—using a simple visual builder.

It works like Make.com, but everything happens inside WordPress, so setup is faster, management is simpler, and scaling your site is easier.

With Automator, you get the power of advanced automation without learning new modules, dealing with broken workflows, or watching your monthly costs spike unexpectedly.

How Uncanny Automator Saves You Money

One of Uncanny Automator’s biggest advantages is cost-effectiveness. Because you pay a flat annual fee for unlimited Recipes and actions, you avoid the unpredictable per-operation costs that Make.com can add up to.

Usage Scenario	Make.com Est. Yearly Cost	Automator Pro Yearly Cost	Annual Savings
500 complex WooCommerce orders/month	$183	$149	$34+
1,000 form submissions/month	$348	$149	$199+

💡 Key advantage: Automator lets you create unlimited workflows and actions inside WordPress. While external tools like OpenAI may still charge usage fees, you won’t pay extra to Automator just for running the automation itself.

If you want to see exactly how Automator compares to Make.com in everyday WordPress workflows—and why it’s simpler and faster—just expand the section below:

Technical Feature Showdown: Make.com vs. Automator

Feature	Make.com	Automator	Why Automator Wins
Conditional Logic	Add a Router module, configure filter conditions, and connect paths	Add Condition → select field, operator, value → actions run based on true/false	Easier to create rules based on user behavior
Processing Lists	Requires the “Iterator” module to split data lists using complex mapping	“Run an action for each item in a list” → map repeater field → create action inside loop	Automates repeated tasks like handling orders or form submissions quickly
Data Transformation	Write formulas, JSON, or RegEx	Use tokens () + visual Data Formatter (split text, math, AI summary)	Lets you change and format data visually without coding
WordPress-Native Advantage	Requires API/webhooks → slight delays	Direct database access → instant triggers	Faster, more reliable, less troubleshooting

Real-World Workflow: How to Automate Blog Post Summaries with Uncanny Automator

With Uncanny Automator, you can create complex workflows much more easily than with Make.com. You don’t need to worry about APIs or webhooks because everything happens right inside WordPress.

Here are a few examples of what you can do:

• Automatically add new WooCommerce orders to a Google Sheet for easy reporting.
• Send notifications or emails whenever a new post goes live.
• Summarize post content using AI and store it in a spreadsheet for easy reference.

In this article, I’m going to show you how to create a workflow that automatically generates an AI summary and adds it to Google Sheets whenever a new blog post is published.

Here’s how it will work:

Even if you never store blog summaries in Google Sheets, this workflow teaches you the exact pattern you’ll use for automating forms, WooCommerce orders, email reports, and AI content across your site.

Once you understand this setup, you can reuse the same steps for almost any other automation on your WordPress website.

What You’ll Need for This Tutorial:

• A WordPress website where you can install plugins (administrator access).
• Uncanny Automator. You’ll need the Pro version for this OpenAI + Google Sheets workflow.
• An OpenAI Platform account with prepaid credits added.
• A Google account with access to Google Sheets.
• A Google Sheet ready. Even a blank one works, but it helps to add column headings in advance, like Post Title, URL, Date, and Summary.

Step 1: Install and Activate Uncanny Automator

The first thing you need to do is set up Uncanny Automator on your WordPress site.

Start by signing up for an account on the Uncanny Automator website. Just click the ‘Get Uncanny Automator now’ button and follow the steps to create your account.

📍Note: The free version includes limited credits to try app integrations. However, for a permanent workflow that runs automatically like this one, you will need the Pro plan.

Next, go to your WordPress dashboard to install the plugins. First, install the free core plugin from the WordPress repository. Then, install the premium plugin using the ZIP file you can download from your Uncanny Automator account.

The premium plugin unlocks the integrations you need for OpenAI and Google Sheets. If you’re unsure how to do that, check our step-by-step guide on installing WordPress plugins.

Upon installation, it’s time to activate your license. Go to Automator » Settings in your WordPress dashboard and enter the license key from your Uncanny Automator account.

Click the ‘Activate License’ button, and your website will be ready to start creating automation workflows.

Step 2: Connect OpenAI to Uncanny Automator

For this workflow to work, you need to connect your OpenAI account to Uncanny Automator. This allows OpenAI to automatically generate summaries of your blog posts before they are added to your Google Sheets reports.

The good news is you only have to connect it once.

To get started, you’ll need your OpenAI secret key. A secret key is a unique code that tells OpenAI it’s really you using their service. It keeps your account secure and allows Uncanny Automator to access OpenAI safely.

To find your secret key, log in to your OpenAI account and go to the ‘API Keys’ tab in the left-hand menu. Here, click the ‘Create new secret key’ button.

You’ll be prompted to give it a name—this is just for your reference, so you can identify it later.

📍Important: Your OpenAI API account is completely separate from a ChatGPT Plus subscription. You must purchase pre-paid credits in your OpenAI Platform billing settings for the API key to work. Without a credit balance, the automation will fail.

Once you’ve added credits, click ‘Create Secret Key’.

OpenAI will generate the key and display it in a popup.

Copy this key and store it somewhere safe, because you won’t be able to see it again.

Next, go to your WordPress dashboard and open the Automator » App Integrations page. Then, switch to the ‘OpenAI’ tab on the left and paste your secret key into the ‘Secret Key’ field.

After that, click ‘Connect OpenAI Account’. Once this is done, your Uncanny Automator and OpenAI accounts are connected.

Now you’re ready to add triggers and actions using OpenAI in your workflows. This connection allows you to automatically summarize posts or perform other AI-powered tasks whenever a workflow runs.

Step 3: Connect Uncanny Automator to Google Sheets

The next step is to connect Uncanny Automator to Google Sheets. This will allow all your blog post summaries to be added to your chosen spreadsheet.

To get started, go to Automator » App Integrations in your WordPress dashboard and select ‘Google Sheets’ from the left-hand menu.

Click the ‘Sign in with Google’ button and choose the account you want to link. If your account isn’t listed, you can add it using the ‘Use Another Account’ option.

Next, Google will ask for permissions so Uncanny Automator can access your spreadsheets.

This is completely normal, and the plugin only uses these permissions to add new rows to the spreadsheets you select.

Once you approve, you’ll be redirected back to your WordPress dashboard with a confirmation that your Google account is connected.

Finally, click ‘Select new sheet(s)’ and choose the spreadsheet you want to use for storing your post summaries.

You can add multiple spreadsheets if needed, and all connected sheets will appear in the recipe editor when building automations.

If you want a more detailed guide, check out our tutorial on how to connect WooCommerce to Google Sheets.

Once your spreadsheet is connected, you’re ready to start building a workflow that summarizes posts and automatically sends them directly to Google Sheets.

Step 4: Create Your Recipe in Uncanny Automator

Once you’ve successfully connected OpenAI and Google Sheets, it’s time to create a recipe in Uncanny Automator.

In Automator, a recipe is what defines your automation. Each recipe has two main parts: the trigger, which starts the automation, and the action, which is what happens next.

To start, go to Automator » Add New Recipe from your WordPress dashboard. You’ll be asked to choose between a ‘Logged-in’ recipe and an ‘Everyone’ recipe. Logged-in recipes only run when a user is signed in.

For this workflow, I recommend selecting Everyone.

Here’s why: If you schedule posts to be published automatically in the future, WordPress publishes them in the background (using the system cron) rather than using a logged-in user. Selecting ‘Everyone’ ensures the automation runs reliably for scheduled posts, too.

Next, give your recipe a name that makes sense, like ‘Blog Post Summary to Google Sheets’. This will help you identify it later when you create more recipes.

After that, Uncanny Automator will show a list of all plugins and services installed on your site. Select ‘WordPress’ as the integration platform for your trigger.

Then, choose the event that should start the recipe. For this workflow, select ‘A post is published’.

This ensures that every time a new post goes live, the recipe will run automatically.

Finally, you’ll need to select the post type. By default, Uncanny Automator applies the trigger to all post types, including posts, pages, and products.

Since this workflow is only for WordPress blog posts, select ‘Post’ from the dropdown menu. Once that’s done, click ‘Save’ to activate your trigger.

Step 5: Add the OpenAI Action to Generate Blog Post Summaries

Now that your trigger is set, it’s time to add the first action for your recipe: generating a summary of the blog post using OpenAI.

To start, click the ‘Add Action’ button inside your recipe.

This will open a list of integrations for your action.

Since you’ve already connected OpenAI, click on it to select the platform.

You’ll see a list of actions OpenAI can perform.

For this workflow, select ‘Use a prompt to generate text’. This tells OpenAI exactly what content to create.

Next, choose the OpenAI model. I recommend the latest available model, as it produces the most natural and accurate summaries.

Now, set the Temperature. This controls how closely the AI sticks to the facts versus how creative it gets. For a blog summary, you want the AI to be predictable and factual, so I recommend setting the temperature to 0.

Set the maximum number of tokens next. Tokens are the units OpenAI uses to measure text. Roughly speaking, 1 token is about 1 word or 4 characters. So a 200-word summary would need around 300–350 tokens.

Tokens also affect pricing. Keep in mind that OpenAI charges for both the text it reads (your blog post) and the text it writes (the summary). Setting the Maximum Tokens to 300 ensures the summary doesn’t get too long, helping you control your costs.

Finally, set your prompt. A good prompt clearly tells OpenAI what you want. For this workflow, you could use something like:

‘Create a concise summary of the following blog post content in around 200 words. Focus on the main points and key takeaways: .‘

If you’re new to creating prompts for AI, please take a look at our guide to the best AI prompts for bloggers, marketers, and social media.

Here, the token ensures OpenAI knows exactly which blog post to summarize. This is different from an OpenAI API token (the secret key you connected earlier).

The OpenAI token grants Automator access to OpenAI, while these recipe tokens tell the AI which content to include in the generated text.

You can add these tokens by clicking the asterisk in the prompt editor. Uncanny Automator will display a list of available tokens, such as the post title, author name, publication date, and more.

Once everything is set, click ‘Save’ to store the action. Your recipe now has a trigger and a first action that generates concise, AI-powered summaries whenever a new post is published.

Step 6: Add the Google Sheets Action to Store Summaries

Now it’s time to add the second action to your workflow. This action will automatically create a row in your chosen Google Sheet and add the summary generated by OpenAI.

This is what makes the workflow truly useful because all your post summaries will be automatically stored and organized.

To add this action, click the ‘Add Action’ button again in your recipe. Select Google Sheets as the integration this time.

Uncanny Automator will then show a list of actions it can perform. For this workflow, choose ‘Create a row in a Google Sheet’.

This tells Automator to add a new row to your spreadsheet whenever OpenAI generates a summary for a new blog post.

Next, you’ll see a dropdown to select the Google Spreadsheet you connected earlier. Choose the spreadsheet where you want to store your blog post summaries.

Then, select the worksheet (tab) inside that spreadsheet.

If your file only has one sheet, you don’t need to worry. But if your spreadsheet has multiple tabs, make sure you select the correct one so your data doesn’t end up in the wrong place.

After that, scroll down to the ‘Rows’ section. This is where you map your blog post data to the columns in your Google Sheet.

Don’t worry, because mapping is simpler than it sounds. You’re just matching each column in your spreadsheet with the right piece of information from your post or the OpenAI summary.

To start mapping, click the asterisk (*) icon next to a field. This opens a list of available data that Automator can pull from the trigger (your blog post) and the OpenAI action.

Under the Triggers section, you’ll see options like post title, author name, published date, and more.

Under the Actions section, you’ll find ‘OpenAI Response’, which is the summary generated by AI.

Make sure to select ‘Response’ for the summary column in your sheet. This ensures the summary is automatically added to the correct column.

Take your time mapping each column carefully.

Once you’ve matched all the fields, click ‘Save’ to store your settings.

Step 7: Save and Activate Your Recipe

Now that both your trigger (a new post published) and your actions (generating a summary with OpenAI and adding it to Google Sheets) are set up, it’s time to make your recipe live.

Before activating, take a moment to double-check all your mappings. Make sure the columns in Google Sheets match the blog post information, and that the OpenAI summary is mapped to the correct column.

This ensures that every new post is added correctly without errors.

Once you’re confident everything is correct, toggle the Trigger and Action switches to ‘Live. Then, in the right-hand column, change the recipe status from ‘Draft’ to ‘Live’.

And that’s it! Your automation is now active.

To test it, simply go to Posts » Add New and publish a blog post (or update an existing one if you set the trigger to update).

Give it a few seconds, then check your Google Sheet. You should see a new row appear automatically with your AI-generated summary.

Next Steps for Building Make.com-Style Workflows Right in WordPress

Overall, after creating workflows with both Make.com and Uncanny Automator, I can confidently say that building complex automations with Uncanny Automator is so much easier.

Other than the blog post summary workflow I showed above, you can also create workflows like these, and they’re much simpler to set up in Uncanny Automator compared to Make.com:

Workflow Example	Why It’s Easier in Uncanny Automator	Make.com Complexity
Send automated email notifications when a user submits a form, places an order, or completes a course	Direct trigger from WordPress forms, WooCommerce, or LMS, with simple dropdowns for actions	Requires setting up webhooks, parsing JSON, and mapping multiple apps
Add new WooCommerce orders to spreadsheets for reporting or bookkeeping	Connect WooCommerce → Google Sheets in minutes, with field mapping inside WordPress	Needs multiple modules, API keys, and data parsing for each order
Generate AI-powered summaries or content for posts, emails, or internal reports	OpenAI integration directly inside WordPress, and tokens handle content dynamically	Must configure HTTP modules, API calls, and handle JSON manually
Sync user data between plugins (memberships, LMS, CRM)	Automator reads plugin data natively, and the triggers and actions are simple	Each plugin requires a separate API setup and webhooks
Schedule follow-ups automatically (membership renewals, course completions)	Native WordPress events trigger actions, with no external scheduler	Multiple modules, time delays, and extra setup per platform

Once your first workflow is live, you can confidently explore and create new automations that save time, streamline processes, and make your WordPress site smarter.

Frequently Asked Questions About Uncanny Automator vs. Make.com

Now that you’ve seen how Uncanny Automator can simplify Make.com-style workflows in WordPress, you probably have a few questions.

To make things easier, I’ve answered some of the most common questions about AI, automation, and how these tools work together:

Can Uncanny Automator handle complex workflows like Make.com?

Yes! For workflows that mostly involve WordPress and its plugins, Uncanny Automator can handle them just like Make.com—but without the extra setup, APIs, or webhooks.

Do I need coding skills to use Uncanny Automator?

No coding is required. The visual Recipe builder and tokens make creating automations as simple as point-and-click.

What’s the difference between the Free and Pro versions of Uncanny Automator?

The Free version gives you unlimited recipes with all the basic triggers and actions you need to get started.

The Pro version steps it up with conditional logic, loops, scheduled automations, over 150 integrations, and even multisite support—basically everything you need for more advanced workflows.

Will using Uncanny Automator slow down my WordPress site?

Not significantly. Automator runs actions asynchronously, so site performance is minimally affected—mostly limited by your server resources.

Will Uncanny Automator summarize my existing blog posts?

By default, this recipe only runs when a new post is published. It will not go back and summarize your old posts automatically. However, Uncanny Automator Pro includes a feature to run recipes on existing content if you need to bulk-update your site.

Can I migrate my existing Make.com workflows to Uncanny Automator?

There’s no one-click migration. You’ll need to manually rebuild workflows: Router → Condition, Iterator → Loop, HTTP → Webhook. But once set up, Uncanny Automator’s WordPress-native integration makes maintenance much easier.

Additional Resources to Take Your Automations to the Next Level

If you’re ready to get even more out of Uncanny Automator, there’s a ton you can explore.

From advanced workflows to AI-powered automations, here are some articles to help you out:

• How to Add n8n Like Automation in WordPress (Easier & Cheaper)
• How I Use AI to Autogenerate WooCommerce Product Descriptions
• How to Automatically Post to Threads From WordPress
• How to Automatically Post to Facebook From WordPress
• My Guide to Automatically Publish from WordPress to Instagram

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The post How I Went From Zero to Make.com-Like Automation in WordPress (The Easy Way) first appeared on WPBeginner.

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