How to Create a New Form For Your Website


Overview: This guide will walk you through how to create a new form on your website using our form builder module. This Module is located on the dashboard screen to the left hand ide in the modules menu.



Getting Started: Lets Set Up Your Form Properties


1. While on the Dashboard, select the "Content" module on the left-hand side of your screen.

2. Next, in the dropdown menu select the "Forms" option.


3. This will open the "Forms" window where you can create, edit, delete, or clone previous forms on your website.


4. While on the "Forms" window select the blue "Add New" button to the top right side of your screen to start building a form from scratch.


5. Next, you will need to set up your forms properties, below is a brief run down of each field and their functions.


A. Name: This is the name of the form that will appear at the top of each submitting you receive via email notification, this is helpful to understand which form a visitor is submitting.


B. Notification Email - This field is typically assigned the {{Business Email}} short code which when NETSIMPLE builds a form from the start will apply this short code as it is tied to your email address in the Global Settings, meaning when you alter the email in the global settings for your business email (which appears in you header and footer) it will automatically update in your form and whatever form has this sort code applied.


What is a short code? A short code is a simple way to add a special feature of content to a website without needing to know how to code. In this instance we make it easier for the user to update your forms notification address by applying tis short code which will automatically update your email as it will pull from whatever is in the global settings email address.


C. Form Type - This dropdown feature allows the user to apply specific functionality to their form submissions. See examples below.


General - Typically used for contact us forms.

Register - Used for newsletters and registering for events or any users you may want to apply a tag to their profile so you can easily pull them up in he contacts page of your CRM.

Map CRM - This form type can help you map specific fields in your form to the users profile that may be more than just a name, email, and phone. You can also apply a tag to any user who submits to his form.


Note: For more information about Tags please visit this article - How to Create Tags Article


D. Allow Bad Words - This is a filtering tool to block malicious submissions that may contain bad language or trigger words that may help prevent spam.


Note: You can add words to your filter list in the form builder page. Simply hover over the blue circle with a question mark next to the bad words title and select the blue hyperlink titled "here." 


E. Google Recaptcha - This is a tool used on web forms to verify that a user is not a bot or automated system. This helps protect your website from spam, abuse, and unauthorized access by distinguishing human users from malicious scripts.


F. Success Message - If you would like to include a success massage prompt after a form is submitted, you can select this option.


Note 1: If success message is enabled the system will prompt the user with a generic success message.


Note 2: If you would like to add a custom message you can do that in the next form option (Custom message.)


G. Custom Message - Once you select "On", a text field will appear where you can insert your custom message.  


H. Custom JS - Advanced Use Only


I. Allow HTML -  Advanced Use Only 


J. Auto Response - This will send the user an automatic response if an email was collected in the form. Once selected you will be prompted with a large text field for your automatic response email sent to the user submitting the form.


You can include the following if this option is selected...


A. Email Field Name - This is the HTML field name for the email output, Typically called Email


B. Email Subject - Subject line of the email notification.


C. Response Text - If you have an email template module you can input a template email from this dropdown.


D. Message field - You can input your notification message here in this large text field.


K.  Auto Response Notice - This option will find emails in he response text and will email them as well.


Getting Started: Now We can Build The Form


1. After completing the form properties, we can now start building the form. You will notice 2 major sections as the base of the screen.


Left side - Your Form builder options, such as elements/controls and properties.


Right Side is where you can build out the form by dragging and dropping elements.


2. There are two Controls in the left side menu, Layout - which is used for the structure of the forms as far as columns and tabs, then there are Tools - which are your primary fields and functions.


Layout - Drag and drop these columns into place however you see fit, please note that you can also drag and drop columns into other columns.


Tools - Once you have columns in place you can now drop in your fields for text, dropdown, boxes, checkboxes, etc...


3. Lets say you want to add a text field over to the right hand side, lets look over what may be required.


These are fields pertaining to the text field block for a form.


A. Label (First field) sometimes already filled out as "Untitled'. This is the title of the field that will display on the users end.


B. Default Value - This is a prefilled or preselected value that appears in a form filed when the form loads, before the user interacts with it. It serves as a starting point or suggestion to guide the user or streamline data entry.


C. Placeholder - A placeholder is temporary text displayed in the text field to provide a hint or example of the expected input.


D. Sub Label - This is a secondary piece of text that provides additional context, instructions, or clarification for a specific form field.


E. Hover Over - The enables you to include insight into a field once the user moves their mouse over a that specific field. Used to help users better understand a request.


F. Top - Gives you the option to customize Field Title placement In relation to the text field. 


G. Validation Type - This dropdown option allows you to convert a standard text field into multiple options as displayed below.


  • Email - This will only allow the user to apply an email address

  • Telephone - This will only allow the user to apply a phone number.

  • URL - This will only allow the user to apply a URL/web link.

  • Date Number - This will only allow the user to submit a date from a calendar pop up.

  • Password - This feature will allow a user to input a password which will appears in dot format for privacy.

  • Time - This will configure the text field to allow the user to select and specify a time.


H. Name: This field is VERY IMPORTANT. This field will be what is displayed on your email notification/form submission internally. This gives you the ability to have an outward and inward facing field title for a field. 


Important Note:  If this field is not filled out, you will receive an ERROR when saving the form. 


Example: 


  • What you may want the guest to see (Label): What time of date is best to reach you?

  • What you may want to see (Name): Call Time


I. ID: You can apply an ID to this field, but this field more for advanced use.


4. Once you have applied your fields to your form, you can select the "Save" button to save the form to the system. This is located at the top right hand side of the window.


Note: this is only saving the form, but does not post to your website until you add it in the visual builder portion of your back end.