📘 FormWatch docs
FormWatch Privacy and Data Handling
Exactly what FormWatch stores, what it never stores, and how to delete it.
In short
FormWatch records that things happened, not what was said. It keeps everything in your own WordPress database, contacts no outside server, needs no account and uses no tracking.
What FormWatch stores
| What | Example |
|---|---|
| The time of an event | October 13, 2026 12:04 am |
| The kind of event and its status | Form, OK |
| Where it came from | Contact Form 7, WordPress Mail |
| A short description | A form’s name, or “SMTP connect failed” |
| Daily counts | Mail handoffs, failures and form submissions per day |
| The last form submission | When it happened, from which plugin, and the form’s name |
| Your settings | Alerts on or off, alert addresses, how long to keep events |
What it never stores
- What visitors type into your forms. FormWatch does not read form fields at all.
- Visitors’ names, email addresses, phone numbers, messages or files from your forms.
- Visitors’ IP addresses or browser details.
- The text or subject of the emails your site sends.
Email addresses in error messages
When WordPress reports that an email failed, its error message sometimes includes an address. Before FormWatch saves a description, it replaces anything that looks like an email address with [email] and shortens the text to 160 characters. It does not look for other kinds of personal details, which are very rare in these messages.
Where the data lives and who can see it
- It is stored in your WordPress database, in a small number of settings entries whose names start with gfw_.
- Only administrators, meaning users who can manage site options, can open the FormWatch dashboard, change its settings, export the log or clear it.
- Failure alert emails go to the addresses you set. They contain the site name, a count, up to five events and a link to the dashboard. They never contain form contents.
No outside connections
- FormWatch does not contact Gaemster or any other server.
- It does not need an account or a license key.
- It loads no outside scripts, fonts, images or tracking tools. Its dashboard is built from files inside the plugin.
- The documentation links in the plugin are ordinary links that open this website only if you click them.
If Gaemster ever offers optional online services for FormWatch, they will be separate, will connect only if you choose to set them up, and will say what they send before you do.
Keeping and deleting data
- Events are kept for the number of days you choose, 14, 30 or 90, and then removed automatically.
- Clear log removes all events and counts at any time.
- Export CSV gives you a copy first if you want one.
- Deleting the plugin from the Plugins screen removes all of its data from your database.
Your visitors and the law
FormWatch is designed so that it does not collect visitors’ personal information. Your forms and your email service still handle that information, so your own privacy policy needs to cover them. This page describes what the plugin does and is not legal advice. How Gaemster handles information on this website is in our Privacy Policy.
Stuck, or something here is wrong? Visit Support or email support@gaemster.com. We reply within 1–2 business days.