Support
Image description

How to Integrate Action Network Forms Seamlessly Into Your Website

In the landscape of digital organizing, Action Network has earned its place as a core utility—empowering nonprofits to mobilize supporters through email, petitions, events, and fundraising. But for all its backend power, the frontend—particularly when it comes to embedding forms on your website—can feel like a step back in time.

Forms are touchpoints. They’re the handshake at the door, the quiet contract between your message and someone willing to act. And yet, too often, Action Network forms arrive on-site looking like they just time-traveled from 2009: tight padding, misaligned labels, default system fonts. The underlying functionality may be robust, but visually, the experience risks eroding trust before the user even enters their name.

This guide is for anyone who’s ever embedded an Action Network form and sighed at the result. It’s for digital directors, developers, and designers who believe that form design should disappear into the flow of the page—smooth, branded, and frictionless.

1. Choosing the Right Embed Format

Before you even write a line of CSS, choose your weapon:

  • Raw HTML Embed: This gives you the underlying HTML structure, allowing full access to classes, inputs, and DOM. This is the preferred method for custom styling.
  • Iframe Embed: An easier plug-and-play option, but styles are sandboxed—you can’t reach inside the iframe to apply your CSS.
  • Hosted Form Links: Best used as standalone pages when you’re linking from email or social, not for embedded use.

Recommendation: Always use the raw HTML embed if you care about how your site looks.

To get it, go to your Action Network form → "Design Tools" → "Embed on Website" → Select “HTML”.

Paste the output into your CMS or template engine.

2. Let Your Site’s Styles Do the First Pass

With raw HTML, Action Network forms will inherit your site’s base CSS—if you've written it well. That means fonts, button styles, label spacing, etc., should carry over naturally.

Ensure your global styles cover the following elements:

input, select, textarea {
  font-family: inherit;
  font-size: 1rem;
  padding: 0.75rem;
  border: 1px solid #ccc;
  border-radius: 0.375rem;
  width: 100%;
  box-sizing: border-box;
}

label {
  font-weight: 500;
  margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
  display: block;
}

button, input[type="submit"] {
  background-color: #111827;
  color: white;
  font-weight: 600;
  border: none;
  padding: 0.75rem 1.5rem;
  border-radius: 0.375rem;
  cursor: pointer;
  transition: background-color 0.2s ease;
}

button:hover {
  background-color: #1f2937;
}

If you're using Tailwind CSS, you can skip custom CSS and simply apply utility classes directly inside the HTML markup returned from Action Network.

3. Structure the Layout for Clarity and Flow

Raw HTML embeds from Action Network are functional, but they often arrive unstyled, stacking inputs and labels in a rigid, vertical column. While this simplicity has its merits, it rarely aligns with the visual expectations of modern nonprofit websites. A thoughtful layout creates a more welcoming form experience and better guides the user’s eye from field to field.

To create a sense of flow, wrap your form in a container element and apply consistent spacing, padding, and maximum width. A light background color and subtle shadowing can help differentiate the form from the surrounding content without being disruptive.

.action_network form {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  gap: 1.5rem;
  max-width: 600px;
  padding: 2rem;
  background-color: #f9fafb;
  border-radius: 1rem;
  box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);
}

You’ll also want to refine the styles of the individual fields to enhance legibility and maintain consistent spacing between labels and inputs.

.action_network label {
  margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
  display: block;
}

.action_network input,
.action_network textarea,
.action_network select {
  margin-top: 0.25rem;
}

If your layout calls for columns—such as placing first name and last name side by side—use CSS Grid to support responsive behavior and maintain a clean appearance on both desktop and mobile.

.action_network .form-row {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(280px, 1fr));
  gap: 1rem;
}

4. Check for Accessibility and Add Semantic Support

Although Action Network makes an effort to follow accessibility best practices, it’s important to independently verify that your embedded form is navigable and understandable to all users. Accessibility is not a checkbox—it’s a commitment to inclusion.

Conduct a manual review of your form to ensure each input is paired with a visible <label>, and that each label is connected to its corresponding input via for and id attributes. Also check for meaningful ARIA attributes when needed, especially for screen reader users. Keyboard users should be able to tab through your form naturally, with clear visual focus states.

Tools like axe DevTools or Lighthouse can surface potential accessibility issues. When necessary, you can add semantic HTML enhancements like the following:

<label for="email">Email Address</label>
<input id="email" name="email" type="email" aria-label="Email address" />

Error messages should also be exposed to assistive technology—not just styled in red. Include proper ARIA attributes and ensure your error handling doesn’t rely solely on color or JavaScript-driven overlays.

5. Control the Confirmation Experience

When a form is submitted successfully, Action Network will usually display a generic thank-you message. While functional, this default message may not match your brand tone or campaign goals. You can create a more polished post-submission experience with custom success handling.

There are two main options: override the DOM with JavaScript or redirect the user to a branded landing page.

If you choose the JavaScript approach, you can listen for Action Network’s custom event and inject your own confirmation markup. Here’s a simple example using jQuery:

$(document).on('actionnetwork:form:submitted', function () {
  $('.action_network form').replaceWith(\`
    <div class="thank-you">
      <h2>Thanks for taking action!</h2>
      <p>We'll be in touch soon. In the meantime, follow us on social.</p>
    </div>
  \`);
});

Alternatively, set a custom “Redirect URL” within the Action Network platform. This takes the user to a completely separate page, where you can show next steps, links, social follow prompts, or even trigger a welcome email automation.

6. Eliminate What’s Not Needed

Out of the box, Action Network forms often include more fields than you need: ZIP code, phone number, address, and more. Unless these fields are essential to your workflow, consider removing them. Every additional input adds friction—and friction lowers conversion.

Start with the minimum: name and email. If your advocacy work is localized, ZIP might be helpful, but make sure it's genuinely necessary.

You should also simplify labels, button text, and any instructional copy. Replace jargon with plain language. Change “Submit” to “Sign Up” or “Take Action”—something human.

The goal is clarity and efficiency. Respect your users’ time and intention.

7. Handle Mobile With Care

Although Action Network’s raw embeds respond reasonably well on mobile, the spacing and sizing can feel tight and awkward without adjustments. A few targeted media queries can make a big difference in the mobile experience.

Here’s an example of how to adapt padding and input sizing for smaller screens:

@media (max-width: 480px) {
  .action_network form {
    padding: 1rem;
  }

  .action_network input,
  .action_network button {
    font-size: 1rem;
  }
}

Be sure to test your forms in multiple browsers and devices. Chrome’s mobile emulator, Firefox’s responsive design mode, and Safari’s developer tools are all helpful here.

Final Thoughts: Design That Disappears

A well-designed form doesn’t draw attention to itself. It doesn’t confuse, delay, or over-explain. It guides quietly. It listens and responds. It looks and feels like it belongs.

When Action Network forms are styled with care, they become part of the rhythm of your site—never a distraction or a dead-end. They communicate thoughtfulness and trust. And most importantly, they make it easier for people to say yes.

At Loopdash, we believe good design is an act of respect. Every user interaction—especially one as intimate as a signup form—deserves that respect.

Appendix: Tailwind Classes You Can Use Inline

If you’re editing the HTML of the Action Network embed directly and prefer utility-first styling, try these Tailwind examples for inputs and buttons:

<input class="w-full px-4 py-3 border border-stone-300 rounded-md text-base" />
<button class="bg-black text-white px-6 py-3 rounded-md hover:bg-stone-800 font-semibold">
  Sign Up
</button>

Need Help?

Reach out to Loopdash for accessible, mobile-first, and mission-aligned web design—built to scale, but always rooted in purpose.

Share