Your submit button is the last thing a visitor sees before they convert. If it blends into the page or clashes with your brand, some of them won’t click.
Changing the button color in WordPress doesn’t require CSS — at least not if you’re using Everest Forms. The Style Customizer handles it from inside the form builder.
This guide covers both the free and Pro approach in Everest Forms, then shows it differs from other form plugins like WPForms, Gravity Forms, and Contact Form 7.
How to Change Submit Button Color in Everest Forms (Free)
The Style Customizer is included in the free version and enabled by default. No extra installation needed.
Button color in the free version is controlled by the Color Palette. Selecting a palette applies a coordinated color scheme across your entire form — button, input fields, labels, and borders — so everything matches without manual adjustments.
Two palettes are available on free:
- Classic — a blue-toned palette with dark navy and medium blue as the dominant colors. Your submit button takes the primary blue.
- Monochrome — a greyscale palette with charcoal and mid-grey tones. Your submit button renders in dark grey to black.
Steps:
Open your form in the Everest Forms builder Click the form designer icon at the bottom right of the editor.
Go to Color Palette. Select Classic or Monochrome.
Click Save.
The button color updates instantly in the live preview before you save. If neither palette matches your brand, the Pro version gives you direct color control.
How to Change Submit Button Color in Everest Forms (Pro)
Everest Forms Pro unlocks nine additional palettes and lets you edit any palette color directly — including the button background, hover state, font color, and border.
Steps:
Open your form in the Everest Forms builder. Click the form designer icon at the bottom right
Go to Color Palette. Choose from the nine additional palettes, or click Edit on any palette
Under Button Background, you can change the color of the submit button using hex code or the color picker.
Click Publish.
Every change shows in the live preview. You can match an exact hex code, which makes this useful for sites with strict brand guidelines.
How to Change Submit Button Color in Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms, and WPForms
Not on Everest Forms? Here’s how button color works in the three most common WordPress form plugins — and where each one requires a workaround.
Contact Form 7
Contact Form 7 has no styling interface at all. Button color, border, hover state — all CSS. If you’re already managing spam protection and notifications through separate plugins on top of that, the maintenance adds up fast.
Gravity Forms
Gravity Forms has no visual style editor. Button color requires custom CSS added via your theme or the WordPress customizer. If you have multiple forms with different button colors, you’ll need separate rules scoped by form ID.
WPForms
WPForms Pro includes a Form Styler with a visual color picker for the button — background, hover, and text color — from a UI panel. On the free version, there’s no built-in color control. You’d need to add custom CSS manually.
If writing and maintaining CSS for form styling isn’t something you want to do, Everest Forms handles it from the builder — palette-based color control on free, exact hex codes on Pro.
Tips for Choosing a Submit Button Color
A few things worth checking before you publish:
- Contrast ratio matters more than aesthetics. A button that passes WCAG AA contrast (4.5:1 against the background) is both accessible and more visible. Use a free tool like WebAIM’s contrast checker.
- Avoid red for primary actions. Red signals errors and warnings on most websites. Visitors hesitate.
- Match your brand primary, not your theme accent. If your logo uses a specific blue, the button should use that blue — not whatever default the theme applies.
- Test on mobile before publishing. Button padding and font size that look fine on desktop can make the button hard to tap on a phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the submit button color in WordPress without CSS? Yes — if you’re using Everest Forms. The Style Customizer handles button color from inside the form builder. The free version gives you two color palettes that control the button alongside the rest of the form. Pro gives you direct color pickers for the button background.
Does Everest Forms free support button color changes? Yes, with the Color Palette. You can choose between Classic (blue tones) and Monochrome (greyscale). Both apply a coordinated color scheme to the full form, including the button. For a specific brand color, you need Pro.
What’s the best color for a submit button? The button should contrast clearly against the form background and align with your primary brand color. Blue and green consistently perform well in conversion studies because they signal a positive, safe action. Red tends to reduce clicks. Test with your actual audience if you have the traffic for it.
Can I have different button colors on different forms? Yes on Everest Forms Pro — each form has its own Style Customizer settings. On free, the palette applies per form, so you can set Classic on one form and Monochrome on another.
Need full control over your form design — button color, field styles, labels, and more — without writing CSS? Everest Forms handles it from the builder.