Let’s set up your very first Form!
What is a Form?
Forms are a series of steps that you put in a logical order so the user knows what to do and the people who receive the form, be it you or someone else on your team, know what to do with the form.
Form vs Submission
Form: Every permit, license, etc. created in ClearForms is known as a Form
Submission: When an applicant launches a specific Form is known as a Submission.
Create a new Form
Create a New Form under any Team of which you are a Member. Select Create New Form to begin.
Pro Tip: Start a Form quickly by selecting a Template to begin. The Template will provide the Step Outline that is typical with that type of Form.
- Select a Template or Select Blank Form to begin.
- Select Create New Form to enter the Form and start editing Steps.
For additional information on Templates, see our help & support article Using Templates in ClearForms
Assign Someone to the Form
You can use the Assign Someone step in a form to make sure that the right people add information into a submission at the right time, so the submission moves forward.
A staffer reviews each request and then uses the "Assign Someone" step to make sure the correct person responds. Once assigned, that person is responsible for all internal Collect Information steps for the remainder of the submission (unless someone else is assigned).
The Assign Someone step type is perfect to use when you can't tell in advance who needs to be added to the submission from inside your organization. (When you know in advance who exactly will need to review a submission, it probably makes sense to use a Review step instead).
Name Your Form
- From the Form tab, select Create New Form under the appropriate team name.
- Using the pencil icon to the right of the Form title, give your form a name.
Pro Tip: Starting with a Template lets you get started quickly!
What is a Step?
Instructional step
An Instructional step is just that. Usually used for directions or to give the applicant instructions, you can also and admin instructions.
You begin this step by identifying who should fill out the information - be it a team member or the Applicant. The Applicant is the default.
You can add applicant instructions, admin instructions, an overview description, a timeframe and you can send emails to the user who launched the submission or to admin when users start the survey or when they complete it.
For additional information on the Basic Step, see our help & support article: Customizing an Instructional Step
Review Step
You will choose this option if you want to have a role or person review the application before moving on to the next step.
For example, you may need a plumber, electrician, zoning commissioner, or a finance person to approve plans or blueprints.
For additional information on the Review Step, see our help & support article: Customizing a Review Step
Survey Step
We created the Survey step type to allow for the inclusion of feedback or information from a group of people who are not the applicant, the form administrators, or the reviewers.
For example, the Survey step is used as part of Special Event / Block Party permits so that neighbors can give their consent to close their street for a proposed block party.
For additional information on the Survey Step, see our help & support article: Customizing a Survey Step
Collect / Record Information Step
Choose this option if you want a user to input field information into the application like name, phone, will they need venue space, etc. This step can be internal (for staff) or external for applicants.
Pro Tip: Sections can be set up with conditional logic to only show if a previous field response is answered a certain way. For example, you might be asking if the contact information for a person is the same as the company's information. If they respond no a new section will show up asking for contact information. For additional information about using Logic with Collect Record Information Step, see our help & support article Customizing an Information Collection Step to be Used in a Formula
You can also include:
- Applicant Instructions
- Admin Instructions
- An overview description
- A timeframe
- Send emails to the user who launched the submission or to the admin when users start the survey or when they complete it.
There are various field types that determine the type of information you collect. The field types include text, phone numbers, emails, and you can even accept file uploads. There are 14 different field types available as part of the Information Collection step.
For additional information on the Information Collection Step, see our help & support article: Customize the Information Collection Step
Payment
You will use this step to collect payments from your applicants. Choose between (A) variable or (B) fixed payments.
Variable allows the applicant to decide what to pay. Whereas, Fixed is an amount set by you. In a bit, we will talk about Formulas that can be incorporated into your Fixed payments.
For additional information on Payments, see our help & support article: Setting up a Payment Step
Assign Someone
You can use the Assign Someone step in a form to make sure that the right people add information into a submission at the right time, so the submission moves forward.
A staffer reviews each request and then uses the "Assign Someone" step to make sure the correct person responds. Once assigned, that person is responsible for all internal Collect Information steps for the remainder of the submission (unless someone else is assigned).
The Assign Someone step type is perfect to use when you can't tell in advance who needs to be added in to the submission from inside your organization. (When you know in advance who exactly will need to review a submission, it probably makes sense to use a Review step instead).
Setting up the First Step
Add a Basic Step and decide who will fill out the information. Select the radio button next to who will fill out the information.
- The Applicant - a non-team member who launched the submission
- A team member - someone internal to your organization
For our dog license example, we will have the Applicant fill out the information.
Applicant Instructions
Let's give our Applicant some instructions on what to do. Instructions should be simple and easy to follow.
Add an Instructional Step and Title it “Instructions”.
- Select the Add Applicant Instructions button.
- Type the Applicant instructions into the text box. Instructions should be clear and easy to read.
- Select Save Instructions
For additional information on the Basic Step or Applicant and Admin Instructions, see our help & support article: Customizing an Instructional Step
Add Another Step
Select +Add Step to create a new step. We will want to collect information from the Applicant so let's choose an Information Collection step.
Select the "Untitled Step" on the left and give it a name.
For additional information on the Collect Record Information Step, see our help & support article: Customize the Collect Record Information Step
Section & Fields
Let's add a New Untitled section to start gathering information about the Applicant's dog.
Which fields do you want? Perhaps the dog's name, breed type, and home address.
- Start by titling this section - let's call it "Pet Info"
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Now, select +Add field and enter a field title - such as "Dog's name"
- For something such as a name, a text field is appropriate, but you can change the type of data this field expects by changing the field type by clicking on the dropdown next to the word text.
- For other fields, such as the "Dog's Age", select, from the dropdown menu, the appropriate field type. In this case, a number (no decimal) would be appropriate.
- Continue adding fields as needed.
- Below each field, you can set if you set the field to be required or not.
- You can use Advanced Settings to set a Default Value, such as a state or city, for that field.
- You can also, under Advanced Settings, set a Max length for the field.
For additional information on fields for the Collect Record Information Step, see our help & support article: Customize the Collect Record Information Step
Publish the Form
Continue to add sections and fields until you have gathered all the information you need.
When you are done, it is time to add another step!
Note: In order to Publish a Form, all steps and fields must be named and have completed information.
Have more questions or need assistance?
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