Anatomy of a form
Forms are composed of several layers. Understanding each layer helps you build forms that are both easy to fill out and straightforward to process on the back end.Fields
Fields are the individual inputs that respondents interact with — text boxes, dropdowns, file uploads, date pickers, signature pads, and more. Each field has:- Label — the visible question or prompt shown to the respondent
- Placeholder — optional hint text shown inside the input before the respondent types
- Help text — an optional line of guidance shown below the field
- Validation rules — required, minimum/maximum length, format (email, URL, phone), and custom regex patterns
- Field ID — a unique identifier used when referencing the field in conditional logic, workflows, and the API
Sections
Sections group related fields under a heading. They help respondents navigate long forms by providing visual separation and context. Sections do not affect data structure — fields inside a section are still submitted at the top level of the response payload.Pages
Multi-page forms split fields across sequential screens. Respondents move from one page to the next using Next and Back buttons. You can configure each page transition to validate all fields on the current page before advancing, preventing respondents from skipping required inputs.Pages are distinct from sections. Sections appear on the same screen; pages require the respondent to navigate forward. You can use both together.
Submit button
The submit button triggers form submission. You can customize its label, color, and alignment. On multi-page forms, the submit button appears only on the final page.Thank-you screen
After a successful submission, respondents see the thank-you screen. You can:- Display a custom message
- Redirect to an external URL after a configurable delay
- Show a summary of the respondent’s own answers
- Offer a “Submit another response” link
Form states
Every form moves through three states during its lifetime.- Draft
- Published
- Archived
A draft form is under construction. It is not publicly accessible — only workspace members with edit access can preview it. You can make any structural changes (adding fields, reordering pages, updating logic) while a form is in draft.Forms start in the draft state when you create them.
Where forms live
Forms are organized within your workspace using a folder structure.- Workspace — the top-level container for your account or team. Everything you create lives inside a workspace.
- Folders — optional groupings within the workspace. Use folders to separate forms by team, client, project, or any other category that fits your workflow.
- Favorites — you can star any form to pin it to the top of your dashboard for quick access.
On team plans, each workspace member has a role (Admin, Editor, or Viewer) that controls which folders and forms they can access or modify. See /guides/access-control for details.
Form lifecycle at a glance
Create
Start from scratch with the drag-and-drop builder, use an AI prompt to generate a complete form, or duplicate an existing form as a starting point.
Configure
Add and arrange fields, set validation rules, apply conditional logic, customize the theme, and configure the thank-you screen.
Test
Use Preview mode to fill out your form as a respondent. Test submissions in preview mode are not stored as live submission data.
Publish
Publish the form to make it live. Copy the shareable link, generate embed code, or integrate via the API.
Collect and automate
Submissions start arriving. Workflows trigger automatically — sending notifications, updating records, and routing data to connected tools.
Next steps
Create your first form
Step-by-step instructions for building and publishing a form from scratch.
Conditional logic
Show or hide fields dynamically based on what respondents enter.
Workflows
Learn how to automate actions when a submission arrives.
AI features
Generate entire forms from a plain-English description.