To bulk update Gravity Forms entries, choose a bulk editor or a trigger form. You can also export, edit and re-import a CSV file. Developers can use GFAPI or WP-CLI. Match the method to your skills, update frequency and target records. CSV updates need an importer that supports existing entries.
A workshop date changes. Two confirmed attendees need the new date. Pending registrations must keep the old one. The task is simple to describe. The update method must still find the right records and protect the rest.
This comparison explains five ways to change saved entry values. We tested four workshop entries. Two entries got the new date. Two kept the old date.
What core Gravity Forms entry tools can do
Core Gravity Forms lets you review and filter submissions. You can also edit a single record. Its entry list tools support several bulk actions. You can mark entries as read, add stars or send them to trash. You can also resend notifications.
Those actions do not provide a general bulk editor for saved field values. If you need to correct one submission, use the entry detail screen. If you need to change a field across many submissions, compare the methods below.
Before you bulk update entries
Make a backup before changing stored data. Follow the WordPress backup guidance and test the update on a separate site first. The Gravity Forms staging guide explains the purpose of that test environment.
- Write down the conditions that identify the entries to change.
- Count the expected matches and record the current field values.
- Include test entries that should stay unchanged.
- Check date formats and field mappings. Review any notifications or integrations the method may trigger.
- Confirm how you would restore the data if the update is wrong.
Keep an untouched export for comparison, too. A CSV file can help you inspect changes, but it is not a full backup of your WordPress site.
Compare five ways to update multiple entries
Use this table to narrow the options. Scale depends on the tool, your data and the server. Check the chosen method on a small sample before increasing the batch size.
| Method | Skills needed | Repeatability | Scale checks | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk-edit add-on | Admin skills | Repeat selection and review | Field support and batch handling | Selecting the wrong entries or fields |
| Trigger form | Form and feed setup | Reuse conditions and mappings | Completion and background processing | Conditions match too many records |
| CSV export and import | Spreadsheet and importer setup | Reuse a checked configuration | File size and import validation | Wrong IDs or overwritten data |
| GFAPI | PHP development | Reuse custom logic | Pagination and error handling | Faulty selection or update code |
| WP-CLI | Terminal and scripting | Reuse checked scripts | ID selection and batching | Wrong parameters or null values |
1 Bulk edit selected entries with an add-on
A bulk editor helps an admin change a field across a group of records.
For example, GravityActions bulk editing starts on the Gravity Forms Entries page. You select entries, choose Bulk Edit Entries, pick fields and enter the new values. A review step shows the number of entries and fields affected.
Its guide makes an important distinction: each selected entry gets the value you type. The editor does not replace merge tags with each entry’s own values. Check the documented behavior if you need a different result for each record.
Also check which field types GravityActions supports. The tool excludes some field types. An inline editor changes one record at a time. A bulk editor applies a value across a group.
Choose this route when visual selection and review fit the job. The main risk is selecting the wrong records or updating the wrong field.
2 Update matching entries from a trigger form
GravityWP Update Multiple Entries uses a form submission to start an update. A feed selects the target form and finds matching entries. It then writes the mapped values.
This route suits a task that should follow the same rules each time. An internal form can collect a new workshop date, for example. The saved feed then applies it to the matching registrations.
How target conditions and field mapping work
Target Entry Conditions decide which records qualify. Field Mapping decides which values change. Our test required both of these conditions:
- Workshop is Advanced Workshop.
- Status is Confirmed.
The rules used AND. An entry had to match both to qualify. We mapped the target Workshop Date field to New Workshop Date in the trigger form. The other target fields had no mapping.
The feed settings documentation explains these controls. Treat matching rules as part of the update itself. A correct new value still causes trouble if the conditions select the wrong entries.
What our workshop date test showed
We created four dummy registrations in Workshop Registrations Test. Each entry had a workshop date of November 10, 2026. Two matched both conditions. The other two tested the exclusions.
We entered 2026-11-17 in New Workshop Date. After the trigger form submission, the target entry list showed this result:
| Attendee | Workshop | Status | Before | After |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test Attendee A | Advanced Workshop | Confirmed | Nov 10, 2026 | Nov 17, 2026 |
| Test Attendee B | Advanced Workshop | Confirmed | Nov 10, 2026 | Nov 17, 2026 |
| Test Attendee C | Advanced Workshop | Pending | Nov 10, 2026 | Nov 10, 2026 |
| Test Attendee D | Beginner Workshop | Confirmed | Nov 10, 2026 | Nov 10, 2026 |
Both confirmed Advanced Workshop entries now showed November 17. The pending entry and the Beginner Workshop entry kept their dates. This four-entry test showed the date change and both exclusions. It did not measure performance on a large batch.
The input used the Y-m-d date format. See the date-field update guidance. The target form displayed dates as MM/DD/YYYY.
For the full setup, follow our Gravity Forms bulk update tutorial. For larger jobs, GravityWP documents background processing. Verify completion on your own data before relying on the result.
3 Export Gravity Forms entries and import CSV updates
A spreadsheet can help when several records need different corrections. Export the relevant entry data and edit it in Excel or another spreadsheet. Then use an importer that can update saved records.
Export the entries and preserve their IDs
Open Forms, then Import/Export. Select Export Entries to export Gravity Forms entries. Choose the form and required fields. Use the available filters to narrow the export.
Keep the Entry IDs with the data and save an untouched original. Review how the spreadsheet handles dates and identifiers. A change to a CSV file affects that file; it does not change the entries in WordPress.
Choose an importer that supports existing entries
Core Gravity Forms has no built-in entry importer. Its entry import documentation describes other routes, including third-party plugins.
GravityImport can update existing entries when the CSV contains valid Entry IDs. You choose the target form and map the columns to its fields.
WP All Import also documents an export, edit and re-import workflow. You also need its Gravity Forms import add-on. Check that product’s matching and update settings before you run the import.
Check overwrite behavior before importing
GravityImport warns that an update overwrites the entire entry. This includes fields you have not mapped. Do not assume omitted fields will keep their values.
Prepare the complete data needed to preserve each entry. Do not assume another importer uses the same rules. Test the import process on a small set. Inspect the results and compare them with the original export. Expand the import after those checks.
Choose this method when a spreadsheet helps you review the changes. Allow time for data preparation, field mapping and result checks.
4 Update entry data with GFAPI and custom PHP
GFAPI is the PHP API class included with Gravity Forms. It gives developers methods for changing entries through custom code.
The GFAPI entry update reference lists the methods. Use GFAPI::update_entries() for an array of entry objects. Use GFAPI::update_entry_field() to change one field or input in one entry.
Code must select the right records and prepare the new values. It also needs to handle errors. For large jobs, fetch and process the records in batches.
Choose GFAPI when the update needs custom rules. Plan who will maintain the PHP code. Check the entry IDs and field IDs before writing data. Also check records outside the intended group after a test run.
5 Run entry updates with command line scripts
WP-CLI is the WordPress command-line interface. The Gravity Forms CLI add-on provides commands for managing entries from a terminal.
The official WP-CLI entry update documentation describes wp gf entry update. The command targets an entry ID and accepts field values or a JSON entry. To update a group, a script must supply the intended IDs and changes.
Take care with –entry-json. The documentation warns that unspecified values become null. Review the data the command will write before using that option.
Also check how the script lists entries. The list command has pagination options. Account for every intended record when the script fetches entries. Log failures and compare the final data with the expected result.
Choose this route for technical maintenance. It needs terminal access, scripting skills and a recovery plan. Test the script before using it on live entries.
How to choose your update method?
Start with who will run the update. An admin who needs to select entries visually can investigate a bulk editor. A team that repeats the same matching rules can investigate a trigger form. Spreadsheet work needs an importer with suitable update behavior. Developers can use GFAPI or WP-CLI for custom tasks.
Then check the field types, expected record count and recovery needs. Run a small test with both matches and exclusions. Compare the results before scaling up.
Need one form submission to change a group of matching entries? See Update Multiple Entries for that workflow.
Frequently asked questions
Open the form’s Entries list, select the record and use Edit on the entry detail screen. Save the change, then check the stored value. The entry detail documentation covers the native editing controls.
Yes. You can use a bulk editor, a trigger form or custom update code. Check that the method supports the target fields. Define which entries should change before you run it.
No. An export creates a separate copy of the data. Use an importer that supports updates to write the changes back to WordPress.
A form import transfers the form definition, such as its fields and settings. An entry import brings in submission data. Choose an update-capable entry importer when the goal is to change saved submissions. Importing a form definition does not perform that entry update.
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