> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.formflows.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Forms

> Understand what forms are in FormFlows.ai, how they are structured, and how they move through their lifecycle.

A form in FormFlows.ai is the primary container for collecting information from your respondents. Every form you build lives in your workspace, can be published to the web, and produces a structured stream of submission data that you can route, store, and act on automatically.

## 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

<Tip>
  Use the **Field types** guide at [/guides/field-types](/guides/field-types) for a full reference of every available input type and its configuration options.
</Tip>

### 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.

<Note>
  Pages are distinct from sections. Sections appear on the same screen; pages require the respondent to navigate forward. You can use both together.
</Note>

### 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.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Draft">
    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.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Published">
    A published form is live and accepting submissions. Its public URL is active, and any embed code you've copied will work. You can still edit the content of a published form, but be aware that changing field IDs or removing required fields may affect existing integrations and submission data.

    <Warning>
      Deleting a field from a published form does not remove that field's data from submissions already received. However, new submissions will no longer include that field.
    </Warning>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Archived">
    An archived form stops accepting new submissions. Its public URL returns a "form closed" message to respondents. All existing submission data is preserved. You can restore an archived form to published at any time.

    Archive a form when a campaign ends, a deadline passes, or you no longer need to collect responses.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## 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.

<Info>
  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](/guides/access-control) for details.
</Info>

***

## Form lifecycle at a glance

<Steps>
  <Step title="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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure">
    Add and arrange fields, set validation rules, apply conditional logic, customize the theme, and configure the thank-you screen.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test">
    Use **Preview** mode to fill out your form as a respondent. Test submissions in preview mode are not stored as live submission data.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Publish">
    Publish the form to make it live. Copy the shareable link, generate embed code, or integrate via the API.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Collect and automate">
    Submissions start arriving. Workflows trigger automatically — sending notifications, updating records, and routing data to connected tools.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Archive or duplicate">
    When you no longer need to collect responses, archive the form. If you need a similar form for a new campaign, duplicate it and adjust as needed.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create your first form" icon="plus" href="/guides/create-form">
    Step-by-step instructions for building and publishing a form from scratch.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Conditional logic" icon="code-branch" href="/guides/conditional-logic">
    Show or hide fields dynamically based on what respondents enter.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Workflows" icon="diagram-project" href="/concepts/workflows">
    Learn how to automate actions when a submission arrives.
  </Card>

  <Card title="AI features" icon="wand-magic-sparkles" href="/concepts/ai-features">
    Generate entire forms from a plain-English description.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>