*** SOLVED *** form processing - slow response after clicking "submit" button

[leon_vas@hotmail.com]

I wonder if someone could advise. I have created a contact form (https://copperbeechclinic.co.uk/contact.php). When someone completes required fields and click "send" button, it takes a while to change to "success page" and get re-directed to the main page. Any advice is greatfully received.
The page uses the built in php email processor

many thanks in advance.

[Pablo]

Maybe the server is slow?
or maybe the custom (ggole) script you have added slow down the page?
Did you try a basic form without any other content on the page?

[leon_vas@hotmail.com]

thank you Pablo. Google script had been there for at least 6 months. Only recent change was that I removed all "old files and scripts" from the host and uploaded a "fresh" version of the website (wwb 18).

[Pablo]

I doubt that this has anything to do with the WWB.
I think it's a server related issue.

Did you try a simple form? If that's is also slow then you can be use it's a server issue.

[leon_vas@hotmail.com]

ok. I found a solution by copying and pasting a working form another part of my webiste (https://copperbeechclinic.co.uk/implants.php) to the contact page (https://copperbeechclinic.co.uk/contact.php). Working form was created at the time with WWB 17. Whatever the simple php forms I created with WWB18 throws up below errors (checked the server side and that is working)

errors:
[29-Jan-2023 00:04:36 UTC] PHP Warning: require(/home/sh9qor4x66e7/public_html/PHPMailer.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/sh9qor4x66e7/public_html/contact.php on line 93
[29-Jan-2023 00:04:36 UTC] PHP Fatal error: require(): Failed opening required '/home/sh9qor4x66e7/public_html/PHPMailer.php' (include_path='.:/opt/alt/php56/usr/share/pear:/opt/alt/php56/usr/share/php') in /home/sh9qor4x66e7/public_html/contact.php on line 93

[29-Jan-2023 00:04:45 UTC] PHP Warning: require(/home/sh9qor4x66e7/public_html/PHPMailer.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/sh9qor4x66e7/public_html/contact.php on line 93
[29-Jan-2023 00:04:45 UTC] PHP Fatal error: require(): Failed opening required '/home/sh9qor4x66e7/public_html/PHPMailer.php' (include_path='.:/opt/alt/php56/usr/share/pear:/opt/alt/php56/usr/share/php') in /home/sh9qor4x66e7/public_html

when I checked the hosting server, home/sh9qor4x66e7/public_html/contact.php and /home/sh9qor4x66e7/public_html/PHPMailer.php files do exist. I tried simple forms (without Captcha) with just two fields and a send button but for whatever the reason, they fail to send emails. Any further suggestions?

Many thanks in advance

[Pablo]

Are you sure the PHP mailer files are in the correct folder on the server?
Is the PHP version on the server higher than PHP 5.6?

Note that forms in WB17 and WB18 work exactly the same.
So, if you see a difference then this is most likely related to the form's settings.

[leon_vas@hotmail.com]

yes, php files are in the correct folder on server side. Only difference is that the server runs PHP 8.1. Should I downlgrade to 5.6?

[Pablo]

The latest version of PHP Mailer (included with WWB 18.0.6) is compatible with PHP 8.1, so that should work.
There may be a server configuration error, because no one else has reported any issues with this.

Also, you wrote:

Whatever the simple php forms I created with WWB18 throws up below errors (checked the server side and that is working)
errors:
[29-Jan-2023 00:04:36 UTC] PHP Warning: require(/home/sh9qor4x66e7/public_html/PHPMailer.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/sh9qor4x66e7/public_html/contact.php on line 93

However, by default WWB does not use PHP mailer, so it's not just a 'simple' form.
The same settings in WWB18 should give the same result as in WWB17.
Maybe there are errors in your form configuration? For example, maybe you have configured the wrong SMTP server or used invalid credentials?

[johnsmith0251]

In certain situations I actually have this problem as well. So far, I have noticed that it only happens when the form data is being sent to a Gmail address, or a domain that's email is managed in Google Workspace. To work around this - I simply send the form data to a forwarding email on my domain (my domain email is self hosted) that shoots the form data over to my client's google serviced email.

This resolves the form submission from taking forever to process - or making it look like nothing is happening at all - and pushes the delay to the backend.

Just curious - is the form data going to a google serviced email address?

[Hornbydd]

I would like to add my experience to this thread. I have created a very simple form in WB19 that uses the inbuilt php mailer and whilst it all works as intended, it takes at least 20 seconds for my success page to appear after clicking on the submit button. It seems from Pablo's suggestions that the bottle neck is at the hosting end? I was wondering if anyone reading this has any experience in tweaking php settings on a hosted website run by https://www.123-reg.co.uk/ or is it something that they do?

For the record I'm no expert in server settings!

[Pablo]

It should not take this long.

What do you consider a 'simple form'. What are your exact setitngs?
Did you check the PHP log on the server for errors?

[Hornbydd]

Hi, Just following up on my query. Pablo's response kind of said it all so I contacted the hosting company to see if they could shed some light on the matter. This spurred them on to do what ever it was and now the response time is about 4-5 seconds. So the issue was server side and not WB19 which I suspected was the case. The moral of this story is don't ask don't get!

[johnsmith0251]

But they did not tell you what adjustments they made?

I know for me - google emails are an issue. When someone has a google email or is using google to host their business email ... theres a delay. I have a work around, but thats not ideal. So I'd like to know what is causing the processing delay. I also do know that Google recently changed their spam rules - they are a bit more stict now. They are really pushing Email authentication, but i always had that so its not my issue.

Hi, Just following up on my query. Pablo's response kind of said it all so I contacted the hosting company to see if they could shed some light on the matter. This spurred them on to do what ever it was and now the response time is about 4-5 seconds. So the issue was server side and not WB19 which I suspected was the case. The moral of this story is don't ask don't get!