Get started with forms

Forms let you collect structured data from your contacts: event registrations, customer feedback, preference updates, survey responses, and more. You create the form in Flexmail, share it with your contacts, and the responses flow directly into your account for reporting and follow-up.

Forms are different from Opt-in forms. Opt-in forms are specifically intended for subscription sign-ups and always use Double opt-in. Forms are intended for collecting any other type of data from contacts who are already in your database.

What forms can do

• Collect event registrations and attendance confirmations
• Gather customer feedback or survey responses after an event
• Ask contacts to update their profile data or preferences
• Invite contacts to participate in a loyalty programme or competition
• Collect any structured data you want to link to a contact record

How forms connect to your database

When you link a form field to a contact database field, every submission writes that response to the contact record automatically. This enables automatic database enrichment alongside data collection.

One important rule: forms cannot create new database fields. If you want to collect data that does not have a matching field in your account yet, create that field first via Settings > Manage custom fields.

How to share a form

You can share a form in two ways:

• As a link in a Flexmail campaign: the contact is recognised automatically, known fields are pre-filled, and responses are linked to the contact record. Personalisation works in this mode.
• As a public web link: the form is accessible to anyone with the URL, but without a link to a specific contact. Responses arrive without being linked to an existing record. Personalisation does not work in this mode.

Creating a form

Step 1: Create and name the form

Go to Forms. Click Create new form. Enter a name for the form and select a category. Click Save. The form editor opens.

Step 2: Add introductory text

Add introductory text at the top of the editor that appears above your questions. Use it to explain what the form is for, or personalise it with a placeholder like #firstname# to greet the contact by name.

Step 3: Add fields

Click Add field to add a question. Choose a field type. See 'Form fields and validation reference' for a description of each option. Enter the question label, which is what the contact sees. Mark the field as required or optional. Link the field to a database field if you want to store the response in the contact record. Optionally add a validation filter to enforce a specific response format. Add help text below the field if the question needs extra clarification. To add a text block or section heading between questions, click Add editor field. This inserts an HTML editor block that you can format freely.

Step 4: Reorder and manage fields

Move fields using the arrows on the right side to reorder them.

Step 5: Add closing text or a redirect

Below your fields, add a message that appears after the contact submits the form. For example, a thank-you message, confirmation of what happens next, or a link to relevant content.

You can also configure a redirect after submission: instead of showing a message, forward the submitter to a specific landing page or URL.

Step 6: Configure form settings

Use the cogwheel icon to go to form settings and configure the following:

• Template: change the general appearance of your form
• Colours and fonts: refine to match your brand
• Language: for button labels and default texts
• Header banner: an image at the top of the form
• Limit submissions: let each contact submit only once, or allow multiple submissions
• Close the form after a certain number of submissions and/or on a specific date
• Send a confirmation message to the submitter after submission
• Receive a notification for each submission

Retrieving the form link

• Click the cogwheel icon to get the web link.

To use the form in a campaign with personalisation, use the Form link type when adding a link to your message. See 'Linking to forms, surveys, and landing pages' in the Messages section.

Overview of form features

• 9 different field types: text, drop-down list, radio buttons, checkboxes, date, and more
• Validation filters: ensure responses match a specific format before submission
• Personalisation: pre-fill fields with existing contact data
• Custom style: colours, fonts, and a header banner
• Introductory and closing text
• Multilingual support: form buttons in the language of the contact
• Form reports: view all submissions and export the data

Next steps

• See 'Form fields and validation reference' for a complete description of all field types and validation options.
• See 'Personalising a form' to pre-fill fields with contact data.
• See 'How do I get the most out of forms?' for advanced use cases and tips.
• See 'Linking to forms, surveys, and landing pages' to add a form link to a campaign.

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