Duplicate form submissions are not always caused by multiple users.
Sometimes, the same user submits the same form multiple times — intentionally or by mistake.

The Unique entries per user in WordPress feature solves exactly this problem.

Instead of blocking duplicate values globally, this option ensures that a single user cannot submit the same entry more than once, while still allowing different users to submit identical values.

What Does Unique Entries per User Mean?

When you activate Unique entries per user in WordPress, the plugin uses browser cookies to track submissions.

Here’s how it works:

• A user submits a form.
• A cookie is stored in their browser.
• If the same user tries to submit the same entry again, the submission is blocked.
• Other users can still submit the same value without restrictions.

This ensures fair usage without over-restricting your forms.

Why This Feature Is Useful

This option is ideal when:

• You run polls or voting forms.
• You offer limited submissions per person.
• You want to prevent repeated entries from the same visitor.
• You want better control without blocking legitimate users.

Unlike global unique validation, this feature focuses on user-based duplicate protection, not database-wide restrictions.

How to Activate Unique Entries per User

To enable this feature:

1. Go to the plugin settings.
2. Locate Unique entries per user.
3. Click Activate this function.
4. Configure the cookie duration.
5. Save settings.

That’s it.

Cookie Persistence – Number of Days

This feature works using cookies.

You can define how long the restriction remains active using:

Cookie persistence – Number of days

Example:

If you set it to 4 days, the same user will not be able to submit the same entry again for 4 days.

After the cookie expires:

• The user can submit again.
• A new cookie will be created.

Important Notes About Cookies

Because this system uses browser cookies:

• If the user clears their browser cookies, the restriction resets.
• If the user switches devices or browsers, they can submit again.
• Incognito mode will bypass previous cookies.

This is normal behavior and expected for cookie-based tracking.

When to Use This Instead of Global Unique Validation

Use Unique entries per user in WordPress when:

✔ You want per-user control
✔ You don’t want to block identical entries from different users
✔ You want lightweight tracking without heavy database validation

Use global unique validation when:

✔ The value must be unique across the entire database
✔ Example: email registrations, account creation, coupon codes

Best Practice Recommendation

For most sites:

• Use Global Unique Fields for critical data (like emails).
• Use Unique entries per user in WordPress for voting, surveys, or limited submissions.

This gives you both data protection and user flexibility.