How to add a donation form to The7

The7 does not include a donation system, so you add a plugin and place its form with whichever builder your The7 site uses.

Short answerInstall Donor Merchant and create a Donate page. In WPBakery mode, put [donor_merchant] in a Text Block. In Elementor mode, use Elementor's Shortcode widget. In block editor mode, use the Donation Form block. If the payment fields do not appear, check the Fast Velocity Minify setup that The7 turns on.

Does The7 include a donation form?

No. The7 from Dream-Theme is a general-purpose theme. Its plugin guide lists "Give - Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform" among useful links, but that is a separate plugin, not part of the theme. So there is nothing to switch off in The7. If you already run Give and want to move, our guide to migrating a donation plugin covers what transfers.

Donor Merchant is a free WordPress plugin for one-time and recurring gifts through Stripe and PayPal. It keeps donor records, sends receipts and annual statements, and gives donors a self-service portal. Every feature is free. Install it from Plugins > Add New by searching for "Donor Merchant". It needs WordPress 6.2 or newer, PHP 7.4 or newer, and HTTPS.

Which The7 mode is my site using?

The steps depend on the builder. Starting with The7 15, the theme is built "FSE-first" (block editor first), while keeping Elementor, WPBakery and Custom modes for existing sites. The7 Dashboard > Settings has an Optimize The7 for: choice with Elementor, native full site editing, WPBakery or Custom. Check that setting, then follow the matching section below.

Where do I put the form in The7?

WPBakery mode

The7 ships The7 WPBakery Page Builder, a version of WPBakery with extra Dream-Theme elements. WPBakery's own documentation says to insert a third-party shortcode with a Text Block.

  1. Create a page called "Donate" and open it in the page builder.
  2. Click Add element and choose Text Block.
  3. Paste [donor_merchant] into the editor and save.

Elementor mode

Open the Donate page in Elementor, drag in the Shortcode widget, and paste [donor_merchant]. Save, then view the page to check the form.

Block editor mode

Add the Donation Form block to the page. You can type an optional heading in the block. To tie the form to a campaign, use the shortcode below instead.

In every mode the shortcode takes options. [donor_merchant campaign="3"] ties the form to a campaign, and [donor_merchant title="Support our work"] changes the heading. For a goal thermometer, add [donor_merchant_progress campaign="3"] above the form. Campaign IDs are listed under Donor Merchant > Settings > Shortcodes. The form is a centered white card up to 540 pixels wide, so a single column or a 2/3 column beside your appeal both work.

How do I add a Donate button to The7's header?

WPBakery or Custom mode. Go to Theme Options > Top Bar & Header. The7 calls the small header items "microwidgets," and the header has two buttons among them. Enable a button, drag it to the header area you want, then click its pencil icon to edit it. Set the button up so it reads "Donate" and links to your Donate page. The7's documentation shows options for device visibility, icon and color in the same panel.

Elementor mode. The7 builds headers as Elementor templates through the Theme Builder. Edit your header template and add The7's Button widget. In its Content tab you enter the button text and link, and in the Style tab you choose a size from Extra Small to Extra Large.

Block editor mode. Edit the header in Appearance > Editor and add a Buttons block that links to the Donate page.

In all three, link to the page. Do not place the form itself in the header.

Which The7 performance settings matter for the form?

The setting to know about is Fast Velocity Minify (FVM). The7 12.7.0 changed the theme to "Set up Fast Velocity Minify (FVM) + theme integration by default." The integration toggle is under Theme Options > Advanced in WPBakery mode and under Theme Style > Advanced Settings as FVM Plugin Integration in Elementor mode. The7 suggests "leaving the Delay value at its default state."

FVM's own plugin page says it can delay third-party scripts until the visitor interacts with the page. Stripe.js and the PayPal SDK are third-party scripts, and the card fields cannot draw until they load. If the payment fields are missing, or only appear after a scroll or click, try this:

  1. In FVM's JavaScript settings, add js.stripe.com, www.paypal.com/sdk/js and wp-content/plugins/donor-merchant/assets/js/donor-merchant.js to the ignore list. FVM added an ignore list to its JS section in version 3.0.2.
  2. Clear FVM's cache and any page cache, then reload the Donate page in a private window.
  3. If the fields still do not appear, turn the delay off for a test to confirm it is the cause.

The same fix applies if you use another cache plugin that delays or combines JavaScript. The donation page itself is safe to cache, because the form has no nonce. The donor portal and receipt links send no-cache headers automatically. See the page cache guide for common plugins.

The7 also has Image Lazy Loading. Its documentation warns that running the theme's lazy load and a cache plugin's lazy load together can conflict, so keep only one on.

Donor Merchant only loads its scripts, Stripe.js and the PayPal SDK on pages where the form appears, so the rest of your site is not slowed by them.

How do I match the form to The7's colors?

The7 sets your accent color under General Appearance: in Theme Options for WPBakery mode, or in Theme Style for Elementor mode. Copy that hex value. Then open Donor Merchant > Settings > Forms > Form style, choose Custom, and paste it. The live preview updates as you type.

For the button shape, look at The7's button settings. In Elementor mode, The7 Buttons under Theme Style controls border radius for each button size. Pick the Donor Merchant shape that comes closest: pill, rounded or sharp. The form's CSS is scoped to .dm-form, so it does not restyle the rest of your site.

What should I check before going live?

  • Connect Stripe or PayPal (Stripe setup, PayPal setup).
  • Add webhooks if you offer recurring gifts, so renewals are recorded (webhooks).
  • Choose a thank-you page under Donor Merchant > Settings > General if you want one.
  • Make a test-mode gift with FVM and your cache plugin turned on, on desktop and on a phone.
About these stepsWe checked these steps against The7's documentation in October 2026. We have not tested Donor Merchant inside every The7 version or mode. Theme menus change between versions, so if a label differs in yours, look for the equivalent element or setting.

Sources

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