---
title: Feedback form and inbox
description: Let visitors report an accessibility barrier or ask for content in another format. The Accessibility feedback form block and shortcode, the Feedback inbox with reference numbers, statuses, replies and notes, spam protection, and how personal data is kept and removed.
---

# Feedback form and inbox

Accessibility laws such as the European Accessibility Act expect a way for people to tell you about a barrier, and to ask for content in a format they can use. Lumtera gives you a feedback form for your site, and an inbox in WordPress to handle what comes in. Everything is stored on your own site.

## Add the form

Add the form to a page, such as your accessibility statement or contact page:

- **Block:** add the **Accessibility feedback form** block.
- **Shortcode:** `[lumtera_feedback]`, for the classic editor, widgets and page builders.

The form works without JavaScript, and it is safe in cached pages. It asks:

- **What can we help with?**: **Report a barrier**, **Request an accessible version of content or a document**, or **Something else**
- **What went wrong?**: the visitor's message
- **Page address**: the page where they had the problem. The form fills it in when it can, and the visitor can change it.
- **Preferred format for our reply**, for requests for another format: for example large print, easy read, audio or Braille
- **Your name** and **Your email address**, both optional, *"Only if you would like a reply."* A visitor who gives them ticks a box to agree that you may store them to reply.

After sending, the visitor sees *"Thank you, your feedback was sent. Your reference is A11Y-2026-0001."* Errors are listed at the top of the form with links to each field, and move focus there.

Link to the form from your statement: the **Accessibility statement link** block, and `[lumtera_statement_link link="feedback"]`, can link straight to it. The [statement](/statement) finds the page with your form and links it as the feedback form, unless you give another address.

## The Feedback inbox

Go to <span class="screen-path">Lumtera → Feedback & statement → Feedback</span>. The menu shows the number of new messages.

Each message gets:

- a **reference**, such as **A11Y-2026-0001**, numbered per year
- a **Status**: **New**, **In progress**, **Answered** or **Closed**
- the **Type**, the **Page**, the **Preferred reply format**, and the visitor's name and email when given
- **Internal notes and history**: every status change, reply and note, with who and when

Filter the list by status (**All**, **New**, **In progress**, **Answered**, **Closed**) and **Type**, or search messages and references.

### Reply, update and note

Open a message to:

- **Reply by email.** Write your reply and click **Send reply**. It is sent from your site, like its other emails, with the subject *"Your accessibility feedback (A11Y-…)"*. A copy is kept with the message, and the status becomes **Answered**. If the visitor left no email address, the inbox says so: record what you did in an internal note instead.
- **Update status.**
- **Add an internal note.** Only people who handle feedback see notes. They are never sent to the visitor.

**Delete this feedback** is for spam only. It asks first (*"Delete A11Y-… and its history for good? This cannot be undone."*), because it removes the record and its history. Close real requests instead, so you keep a record of how they were handled.

### With Lumtera Pro

[Response targets](/pro/feedback-targets) add your own reply goals per request type, an **Overdue** view and alerts, **Assigned to me**, assigning a request to a colleague, and creating a fix task from it.

## Settings

Go to <span class="screen-path">Lumtera → Settings → Feedback</span>. Only administrators can change these.

![The Feedback settings: recipients, how long to keep personal data, and the Akismet check](/screenshots/feedback-settings.webp)

| Setting | Default | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Email new feedback to** | Empty | Addresses to email when a message arrives, separated by commas. The subject is *"[Site name] New accessibility feedback A11Y-…"*. Leave it empty to send no email; the inbox still lists every message. |
| **Keep personal data for (months)** | 24 | After this, the visitor's name, email address, message and your replies are removed. The reference, type, page, status and dates stay, as a record of how the request was handled. The form tells visitors this period. |
| **Check messages with Akismet** | Off | Sends each message to Akismet to check for spam. Needs the Akismet plugin, active and connected. |

If an address in **Email new feedback to** isn't a valid email address, Lumtera says which ones were left out when you save. If none are valid, it warns that no email will be sent for new feedback, rather than switching the emails off without telling you.

Changes apply to new messages.

## Spam protection

Without Akismet, the form still protects itself:

- a hidden field that people don't see and bots fill in
- a time check, so a form sent too quickly is refused
- a limit per visitor, 5 messages an hour by default

The visitor's IP address is not stored. A scrambled form of it is kept for up to an hour, only to count messages for the limit.

## Who can handle feedback

People with the **Handle accessibility feedback** permission can open the inbox. By default, that's administrators and editors, and shop managers when WooCommerce is active. Feedback can hold visitors' names and email addresses, so give this only to people who answer it. Change it under <span class="screen-path">Lumtera → Settings → Permissions</span>. See [Roles & permissions](/permissions).

## Privacy

- Messages are stored on your site only. Nothing is sent anywhere else, unless you turn on the Akismet check.
- Personal data is removed after the retention period you choose, by a daily clean-up.
- Feedback is included in WordPress's personal data export and erase tools, as "Lumtera accessibility feedback". Erasing removes the name, email address, message and replies, and keeps the record.
- The privacy policy guide (<span class="screen-path">Settings → Privacy</span>) has suggested text about the form.
- Uninstalling Lumtera deletes all feedback. Export anything you need to keep first.

## For developers

The form posts to `POST /lumtera/v1/feedback` (public, sanitised and rate-limited). The capability is `lumtera_manage_feedback` (filter `lumtera_feedback_capability`). Filters include `lumtera_feedback_rate_limit`, `lumtera_feedback_client_ip` and `lumtera_feedback_is_spam`, and the actions `lumtera_feedback_received` and `lumtera_feedback_updated` fire when a message arrives or changes. See [Hooks & filters](/developers/hooks) and [REST API](/developers/rest-api).