Form element types

Forms are made up of different types of form elements, such as text fields, dropdown menus, and tables. Each form element or field has different options for you to customize when creating a form. In the form editor you can specify a name for the element, write instructions for the user, create multiple choice options, specify if the user is required to complete the field, and more.

Common element fields

When adding and editing a form element, you can customize various element fields:

Field name: The name or heading that displays above the form field that indicates what the field is about or what the user should enter in the field.

Help text: You can add additional text here to further explain the input field or question.

Required field toggle: Turn the toggle to ON to require a user to enter something in the field before they can submit the form. On multi-page forms, users must enter something in required fields before they can navigate to the next page of the form. (To learn more about multi-page forms, see Create Form sections.)

Default value: This value will be filled in automatically when the submitter is filling out the form entry. If the submitter wants something other than the default text, they need to delete the default and enter their input.

Character limit: Some text fields allow you to add a numerical value limiting the number of characters that a user can enter in the field.

Language versions

If your intranet supports multiple languages, you can enter values for multiple languages for the Field name and Help text of fields. Click the language dropdown at the bottom when editing the field values and select the language icon for the language you want to enter. Enter the values for that language, repeat for other languages, and Save.

Element types

Text field

Allows users to enter one line of text with no formatting.

Paragraph

Allow users to add multiple lines of text with no formatting.

Rich text

Similar to the Rich text area when editing an intranet page, users can add text with colour, style or list formatting, add internal or external links and images, and insert code.

Dropdown

Allows users to select from a dropdown list of options. You can add logic so that the user's dropdown selection will result in showing or hiding a field or section of the form. You can add a dropdown selection called "Other" with a text comment field allowing the user to add an alternative option. You can add dropdown choices in bulk by clicking Bulk add, and entering each choice on its own line.

Add dropdown choices: Enter text for the dropdown label that you want, and click Add choice to add more dropdown items.

Radio button

Allows users to select the radio button for one option from a list of options. You can add logic so that the  user's radio button selection will result in showing or hiding a field or section of the form. You can add a radio button selection called "Other" with a text comment field allowing the user to add an alternative option. You can add radio button choices in bulk by clicking Bulk add, and entering each choice on its own line.

Add radio button choices: Enter text for the radio button label that you want, and click Add choice to add more radio button options.

Check box

Allows users to select one or more check boxes from a list of options. You can add logic so that the user's check box selection will result in showing or hiding a field or section of the form. You can add a check box selection called "Other" with a text comment field allowing the user to add an alternative option. You can add check box choices in bulk by clicking Bulk add, and entering each choice on its own line.

Add check box choices: Enter text for the check box label that you want, and click Add choice to add more check box options.

Date

Allows users to select a date using a date picker.

Time

Allows users to select a time from a menu with times listed at half hour increments.

Number

Allows users to add a numerical value.

Website

Allows users to enter a website address. Automatically adds https:// at the beginning.

Email

Allows users to enter an email address. If a value is put in the field, the form will require the value to be a valid email address.

Table

The form creator specifies the number of columns and applies form element types and content to each column. Once live, users input their responses by adding rows. Each row will replicate the field elements and content that the form creator built into the columns. To learn more, see Insert a table into a Form.

Table row limit: Enter a value to limit the number of rows a user can add to the table.

File upload

Allows users to upload one file only.

Image upload

Allows users to upload one image file only. Default help text says "Upload a jpg, png, or gif image."

People lookup

Allows users to search for and select one or more users on the intranet. An option allows for the submitter's name to be added by default.

Limit number: Enter a value to limit the number of people that can be added to this field.

Telephone

Allows users to enter telephone information.

Extension: Select the checkbox to allow users to enter an extension number.

Page lookup

Allows users to search for a page on the intranet.

List lookup

Allows users to select a reference list to add as the options for a dropdown list on the form. The form creator can choose the number of options that the person filling out the form can select. Lookup lists must be created in advance by an administrator.

Lookup list: Select the list of options you want to show in the field from the dropdown.

Limit: Enter a value for the maximum number of options a user can select from the list. Leave this field blank for no limit to the number of selections.

Rating scale

Allows users to rank something on a scale. By default, the scale runs from 0 to 10. The form editor can specify the number of points on the scale, and add start and end values and labels, eg. Completely Disagree, Completely Agree. The rating scale appears horizontally on computers and vertically on smaller devices.

Additional field: Checkbox to add N/A as a rating choice.

Rating matrix

Allows users to rank multiple things along the same scale. A compact way of adding multiple rating questions as a table. The form editor adds the things to be ranked as Row values, and adds the ranking scale values in the Columns. The rating matrix appears horizontally on computers and vertically/divided into individual rows on smaller devices.

Additional field: Checkbox to add N/A as a rating choice.

Instructions

You can use the Instructions field to add general instructions or information to the form, or to add instructions specific to a section of the form. When editing, the Instructions field is a rich text editor, so you can add text with color, style or list formatting, add internal or external links and images, and insert code.

Heading

Use Headings to designate different areas or sections of the form. When you create a new section (see Section break below), the section name is for your reference only as a form editor, it does not appear to users filling out the form. Instead, use a heading to give a name to a section of the form. 

Section break

By default, forms have one section, but you can create additional sections by adding a section break where you want to create a new section. Each section can have its own security settings, allowing you to customize which users can see or respond to different sections of your form. To learn more, see Create Form sections.