How to Migrate from wpDataTables to TableCrafter

Updated July 2026 • 8 min read • By Fahad Murtaza • By Fahad Murtaza

wpDataTables is a capable plugin, but it requires you to maintain separate data sources, spreadsheets, database tables, or CSV files, completely disconnected from where your data actually lives. TableCrafter is built around a different premise: your Gravity Forms entries are your data source, so your tables update the moment a form is submitted with no sync step, no manual import, and no stale rows. This guide walks you through every step of moving your existing wpDataTables setup to TableCrafter, from auditing what you have today to publishing your first live table. WordPress powers 43% of all websites globally (W3Techs, July 2026), and TableCrafter bridges the gap between the data you collect and the tables your users need to see, no custom PHP, no dashboard access required for viewers. The free version on WordPress.org supports CSV, JSON, Google Sheets, and Excel. Pro adds Gravity Forms, Airtable, Notion, WooCommerce, REST APIs, inline cell editing,. Shortcode embeds remain compatible with 100% of WordPress themes regardless of page builder (WordPress Codex).

Why Teams Move Away from wpDataTables?

wpDataTables does a lot of things well, but its architecture creates friction that compounds over time. The plugin treats tables as wrappers around external data: you feed it a MySQL query, a Google Sheet, or an uploaded file, and it renders that snapshot. When the underlying data changes, you have to re-run the query, re-import the file, or set up a scheduled sync. For teams already collecting data through Gravity Forms, job applications, work orders, load tracking records, client intake sheets, that means maintaining two parallel systems that drift apart.

TableCrafter eliminates the sync layer entirely. It reads directly from the wp_rg_lead and wp_rg_lead_detail tables that Gravity Forms writes to, so every submitted entry appears in your table instantly. Edits made through TableCrafter's inline editor write back through GFAPI::update_entry_field(), so the canonical record is always the Gravity Forms entry, no custom database tables to manage.

Step 1: How Do I Audit Your Existing wpDataTables Setup?

Before touching anything, make a complete inventory of what you are running. Open wpDataTables → Tables and note the following for every table:

• Data source type, MySQL query, Google Sheets, uploaded file, or manual table
• Column count and field types, text, number, date, boolean, link, image
• Shortcodes in use, the [wpdatatable id="X"] calls and which pages or posts contain them
• Editing enabled?, whether you are using wpDataTables' inline editing feature
• Access restrictions, any role-based visibility rules you have configured
• Filters and search, which columns have dropdown filters, date range pickers, or text search

Export this as a simple spreadsheet. You will use it as a checklist to confirm feature parity after the migration.

Step 2: How Do I Install TableCrafter and Connect Your Data?

Install TableCrafter from the WordPress plugin directory (search for "TableCrafter" or install the slug gravity-tables). The free tier supports up to Free unlimited tables, columns, and rows from JSON, CSV, Google Sheets, and Excel sources, enough to fully evaluate before committing to Pro. WordPress powers 43% of all websites globally (W3Techs, July 2026), and TableCrafter bridges the gap between the data you collect and the tables your users need to see, no custom PHP, no dashboard access required for viewers, and no per-row limits on the free tier. The free version on WordPress.org supports CSV, JSON, Google Sheets, and Excel. Pro adds Gravity Forms, Airtable, Notion, WooCommerce, REST APIs, inline cell editing, export to CSV/PDF, role-based column visibility, and auto-refresh. Every table embeds on any page with a [tablecrafter] shortcode or the native Gutenberg block.

If your wpDataTables tables pull from Gravity Forms, your data is already there. Skip ahead to Step 3.

If your tables pull from other sources, here is how each maps:

• MySQL / custom queries, the cleanest path is to create a Gravity Form that mirrors the fields and import your existing rows as entries using the Gravity Forms Import Entries add-on or a CSV import plugin. TableCrafter then reads those entries natively.
• Google Sheets, TableCrafter supports Pro Google Sheets as a native data source. Go to TableCrafter → Settings → Data Sources and connect your Google account, then select the sheet when building the table.
• REST API / Airtable, both are supported as Pro data sources. Configure the endpoint and field mapping under TableCrafter → Settings → Data Sources.
• WooCommerce orders, TableCrafter includes a Pro WooCommerce source that exposes order fields directly, so you do not need a workaround query.
• Uploaded CSV / manual tables, import the CSV into Gravity Forms entries, then build the table from that form.

Step 3: How Do I Build Your TableCrafter Tables?

Go to TableCrafter → Tables → Add New to open the table builder. Select your data source (the Gravity Form, Google Sheet, or other source), then configure columns by dragging form fields into the column list.

For each column you can set:

• Label, the header text shown to users
• Width, fixed pixel or percentage
• Visibility, always shown, hidden by default (user can toggle via the column picker Pro), or hidden always
• Editability, Pro mark individual columns as editable or read-only independent of the table-level edit setting
• Data bars, Pro numeric columns can render an inline bar chart proportional to the column's max value
• Status badges, Pro map text values like "Pending", "Approved", or "Rejected" to color-coded badge styles
• Lookup fields, Pro resolve a stored ID to a human-readable label from another form or data source

Once columns are configured, set your filter options. TableCrafter supports text search, dropdown filters for choice fields, and date range pickers, functionally equivalent to wpDataTables' filtering, but driven by live Gravity Forms data with no query to maintain.

Step 4: How Do I Replace wpDataTables Shortcodes?

TableCrafter accepts three equivalent shortcode aliases so you can adopt whichever fits your naming preference:

[tablecrafter id="X"]
[tablecrafter id="X"]
[tablecrafter id="X"]

All three map to the same handler. The table ID is the post ID assigned when you saved the table in the builder, visible in the URL when editing the table (/wp-admin/admin.php?page=tablecrafter&table_id=X) and in the shortcode column of the Tables list screen.

The replacement process:

1. Note the wpDataTables shortcode ID for each table: [wpdatatable id="3"]
2. Find the corresponding TableCrafter table you built in Step 3 and copy its shortcode
3. Do a targeted find-and-replace in each page or post, do not do a global database replace, because wpDataTables IDs and TableCrafter IDs are independent integers that may overlap
4. If you use a page builder like Elementor, find the shortcode widget and update the value there

Step 5: How Do I Validate and Deactivate wpDataTables?

Work through the inventory you built in Step 1 and confirm each item:

• Every table renders with the correct columns and row count
• Sorting and search work as expected
• Dropdown filters show the right options
• If you migrated inline editing, click a cell and confirm the edit saves, TableCrafter writes back via GFAPI::update_entry_field() over a nonce-validated AJAX call to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php, so the updated value is immediately reflected in both the table and the original Gravity Forms entry
• Role-restricted tables are hidden from users who should not see them
• Export buttons (CSV, Excel, PDF) produce the expected output Pro

Once every table on your checklist is verified, deactivate wpDataTables. If you were also using wpDataTables Premium, you can cancel that renewal, TableCrafter Pro covers equivalent functionality for Gravity Forms-sourced data and adds features like auto-refresh (configurable AJAX polling interval), email alerts on data changes, bulk column-fill, and row duplication that wpDataTables does not offer.

How Does Feature Parity Reference Work?

The table below maps common wpDataTables features to their TableCrafter equivalents so you know exactly what you are getting:

This configuration interacts with any caching or CDN layer active on your WordPress installation. If you use WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, or a CDN such as Cloudflare, flush the page cache after making this change to ensure the updated configuration is reflected in the cached HTML served to visitors. TableCrafter's server-side output is regenerated on the next uncached request.

• Table display with search/sort/pagination, Free included in all plans
• Inline cell editing, Pro via GFAPI write-back
• Role-based access, Pro at table level and column level
• Google Sheets source, Pro native data source
• CSV/Excel export, Pro one-click export
• Conditional row coloring, Pro via status badges on any text column
• Charts in cells, Pro data bars on numeric columns
• Responsive mobile display, Free included
• Bulk row operations, Pro delete, export selection, column-fill
• Auto-refresh without page reload, Pro configurable AJAX interval