The ultimate question…When should our organization use one form or many forms to collect information? While below is not an exhaustive list, the hope is to give you some food for thought.
You need to use separate forms if...
- The renewal processes are different. For example, one type of business license is renewable and another does not need to be renewed or the renewal deadlines are different time frames.
- When you need to have separate/different/conditional outputs
You may want to use separate forms if...
- You are using several conditional form fields
- You use a good deal of conditional logic to manage reviewers
- You think it would be confusing to Applicants to combine multiple forms
- You want unique Submission Start Pages with different FAQs.
- You want to sort submissions separately by form
Factors to consider
Organizational/Tracking Purposes
By using separate forms you will be able to track with more detailed metrics in the back office dashboard and the public search. It’s compelling to view the metrics individually based on form type and use case. Using one form for more complex situations you may lose those granular details for reporting purposes.
Consider if you would like to see submissions separated by being grouped by form, so they can be easily sorted. Submissions will be grouped by form in the following places:
- Metric Dashboard
- Form Submission Tab
- Form Outputs Tab
- Reports under the Exports Tab
Renewals
Renewal settings are configured on a per-form basis. For example, a form with an auto annual renewal would be perfect for annual licenses or applications. However, if there is no ability to renew, you would need to separate into another form to have control over those renewal settings.
For additional information on utilizing Renewals in ClearForms, see our training and support article Utilizing Renewal Options in ClearForms
Output Type
Each Form has unique Output settings that determine the type of output for all Submissions in that Form. If a unique Output is required for only specific submissions, then it might be best to separate based on what type(s) of Outputs you need. For example, if a Form is configured to have a custom output or fillable PDF, then all submissions will default to that output type. In the case that one form might require a default Output instead of a PDF, then you would separate those forms.
For additional information on Output types and Fillable PDFs, see our training and support article Outputs and Custom PDFs
Assignees/Reviewers
It is best practice to consider how you will assign users from your organization to work in ClearForms. How will they be added to a Review Step? Will you want to utilize roles or any conditionals in the assigning of a reviewer? Consider separating forms to assign users in a more precise manner.
For additional information on managing users and roles in ClearForms, see our training and support article Permissions - Creating Roles in a Team
Submission Start Page and FAQs
Every form has a unique Start Page on ClearForms, with information about how to complete the form and can optionally include FAQs or Frequently Asked Questions. Consider separating forms if you would like to present two separate portals to the form, with unique Frequently Asked Questions. This will provide the most clear instructions to an Applicant completing the form.
For additional information on how to customize the Submission Start Page, see our training and support article Customizing the Submission Start Page
For additional information on how to add FAQs to your Submission Start Page, see our training and support article Support Settings and Adding FAQs.
Fees and Payments
Consider Payment steps in your forms and how complex they are. If a fee or payment is only required in specific instances or requires conditional logic, it is best to create a unique form for that specific type. Some examples of this might include payments that require additional calculations, such as, the payment amount is calculated per employee, unique based on veteran status, non-profit status, etc.
For example, a business license with an optional liquor license section in the same form would need to have the same payment step. So if you need a separate payment for the Business License, and a separate payment for the Liquor License, they would need to be separate forms.
An alternative that might work for the above example could be a Sub-Submission configuration. Split the two applications into two forms. The primary form would be the business license, and if an Applicant specifies that they need a liquor license as well, then the liquor license form will populate for that Applicant to complete. Learn more about sub-submissions in the next section of this article.
For additional information about using formulas in a Payment Step, see our training and support article Using Formulas in a Payment Step.
Sub-Submissions
A potential alternative to having two separate forms could be a Sub-Submission configuration. The forms will still be two separate forms, but they will be connected if the Applicant requires the secondary form. This would be the best option if the two forms are directly related and involve completing one right after the other.
For example, in the above section, Fees and Payments, the primary form would be the business license, and if an Applicant specifies that they need a liquor license as well, then the liquor license form will populate for that Applicant to complete. This is a perfect example of a functional sub-submission configuration.
Note: A sub-submission can only be comprised of a maximum of two forms.
For additional information on Sub-submissions, see our training and support article Sub-submissions
Conditional Logic
Conditional logic is one of the most important factors to consider when determining to split a form into multiple. If your form is full of conditional logic and branches out into more than a few conditional branches, it is best practice to create forms from each of those branches.
For example, if the conditional logic in a form branches off into 3 or more directions, then that should be 3 different forms, so that each can have unique outputs and payment steps.
Note: Conditional fields can not be used in fee formulas, so if you have conditional fields that determine a different fee or payment amount, then you'll want to consider restructuring or creating different forms.
For additional information on conditional logic, see our training and support article Using Logic in a Form
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