Running a business usually starts with one simple need, you have to collect information. But “information” can mean a lot of things: a quick question from a customer, a signed consent, an order with payment, or an internal request that needs approval. The easiest way to stay organized is to use the right type of form for the job.
Below are the most common business forms, what each one is best for, plus website form examples you can copy with Jotform templates.
What is an online form?
An online form is a digital version of a paper form that collects structured information through a website link or embed. Instead of chasing emails or deciphering handwritten notes, you get clean data that’s easy to search, share, and automate. Online forms power everything from customer service to checkout, especially as teams go remote and customers expect instant responses. The bonus is consistency, everyone answers the same questions, in the same format, every time.
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11 different form types and their use cases
Use the list below as a quick menu. Each item links to a Jotform template category, so you can start with a proven layout and customize from there.
- Contact forms
- Feedback & survey forms
- Registration forms
- Order forms
- RSVP forms
- Appointment Forms
- Application forms
- Consent forms
- Lead generation forms
- Payment & checkout forms
- Booking forms
Next, we’ll break down each type, and the common variations you’ll see in real businesses. As you read, keep one question in mind: “What decision happens after someone submits this?” That answer usually tells you which form type you need.
1. Contact forms
Contact forms are the “front door” of your website. They give people a simple way to reach you without publishing your email address everywhere. A good contact form also captures the context you need to respond fast, for example, the topic, account ID, preferred callback time, or the product they’re asking about.
Possible use cases:
- General website inquiries
- Customer support requests
- Sales inquiries and quote requests
- Partnership proposals and media inquiries
What are the different types of contact forms?
- Email Signup Form
- Emergency Contact Form
- Ask a Question Template
- Travel Contact Form
- Student Contact Form
Who uses it?
- Small business owners and founders
- Customer support representatives
- Sales and business development teams
- Marketing managers
Form elements to include:
- Name, email, phone number, and message fields
- Dropdown field for inquiry type to support faster routing
- Checkbox field for preferred contact method
- File upload field for attachments such as screenshots, briefs, or documents
2. Feedback & survey forms
Feedback forms and surveys help you learn what’s working, what’s confusing, and what customers want next. If you’ve ever debated “survey vs questionnaire” a practical rule is: surveys measure opinions and experiences, questionnaires often gather factual information (like preferences or eligibility).
Possible use cases:
- Customer satisfaction check-ins after a purchase or support interaction
- Product feedback for new launches, updates, or beta tests
- Market research to validate messaging, pricing approach, or demand
- Event or training evaluations to improve future sessions
What are the different types of survey forms?
- Customer Satisfaction Survey Form
- Net Promoter Score® (NPS®) Survey
- Market Research Survey
- Customer Feedback Survey
- Website Survey
Who uses it?
- Business owners and operations leads
- Customer support and success teams
- HR teams and people operations
- Product managers and marketing teams
Form elements to include:
- Rating scale field or star rating field to quantify satisfaction
- Multiple choice field and dropdown field for consistent, easy-to-analyze answers
- Long text field for open-ended comments and suggestions
- Optional contact information fields for follow-up when needed
3. Registration forms
Registration form types are built for signups, attendance, and participant details. They’re ideal when you need a record, a headcount, and sometimes a payment, all in one place. For admins, registration forms reduce back-and-forth and messy spreadsheets.
Possible use cases:
- Event registration for conferences, workshops, and seminars
- Course or class enrollment for schools and training programs
- Membership sign-up for clubs, gyms, and associations
- Volunteer registration for nonprofits and community events
What are the different types of registration forms?
- Event Registration Form
- Class Registration
- Virtual Webinar Registration Form
- Hotel Guest Registration Form
- Sports Registration Form
Who uses it?
- Event organizers and coordinators
- School administrators and teachers
- Business owners and HR managers
- Nonprofit leaders and volunteer coordinators
Form elements to include:
- Name, email, phone number, and address fields for attendee or participant details
- Multiple choice fields for session selection, preferences, or membership tier selection
- Date picker widget for selecting attendance date, class start date, or appointment time when relevant
- Payment field when fees are required, plus file upload or e-signature fields when you need documents or consent
4. Order forms
Order forms help customers request products or services in a structured way. They collect options (size, quantity, add-ons), delivery details, and special notes, and they can connect straight to your fulfillment process.
Possible use cases:
- E-commerce product sales for physical or digital goods
- Food and beverage orders for restaurants or catering
- Pre-orders for limited releases or upcoming inventory
- Work orders for service requests and repairs
What are the different types of order forms?
Who uses it?
- Small business owners and e-commerce entrepreneurs
- Restaurant managers and catering coordinators
- Event organizers and merch sellers
- Service teams handling repairs and maintenance requests
Form elements to include:
- Product list field with item options, quantities, and pricing
- Payment fields to collect payment securely at checkout
- Address fields for shipping or delivery details
- File upload field for custom requests, reference images, or specifications
5. RSVP forms
RSVP forms help you collect yes or no responses and the details you need to plan confidently, such as guest count, meal preferences, plus one names, and special requests. They also make it easy to manage a guest list in one place instead of juggling texts and emails.
Possible use cases:
- Wedding and social event guest confirmations
- Corporate events, seminars, and community gatherings
- Dinner events with dietary preferences
- Fundraisers and invitation-based events with headcount tracking
What are the different types of RSVP forms?
- Event RSVP Form
- Wedding Reception Invitation Form
- Responsive RSVP Form
- Seminar RSVP
- Birthday Party Invitation Form
Who uses it?
- Event planners and coordinators
- Small business owners hosting customer events
- Nonprofit teams running fundraisers
- Admin assistants organizing internal events and offsites
Form elements to include:
- Attendance choice field with yes, no, maybe options
- Guest count field and plus one details field
- Dietary preferences field and special requests field
- Contact fields such as name, email, and phone number
6. Appointment Forms
Appointment forms streamline scheduling by collecting the key details upfront, such as the service needed, preferred date and time, and contact information. They reduce back-and-forth, help prevent double-booking, and can support automated reminders when paired with an appointments workflow.
Possible use cases:
- Medical and clinic appointment requests
- Consulting and professional services intake and scheduling
- Tutoring sessions and academic support scheduling
- Salon and personal care service appointments
What are the different types of appointment forms?
- Appointment Request Form
- Online Doctor Appointment Form
- Tutor Appointment Form
- Request an Appointment Form
- Hairdressers Appointment Request Form
Who uses it?
- Healthcare providers and clinic administrators
- Consultants and service-based business owners
- Tutors and educators
- Salon owners and front desk staff
Form elements to include:
- Date and time selection field for preferred appointment slot
- Service selection field using dropdown or multiple choice
- Contact fields such as name, email, and phone number
- Notes field for special requests and context before the appointment
7. Application forms
Application forms standardize how you collect information, so you can review applicants fairly and faster. Whether you’re hiring, accepting volunteers, or reviewing scholarship requests, applications standardize what you collect, and they can include file uploads (like resumes or portfolios). You can also add a short screening section, like availability, required certifications, or “How did you hear about us?” so your team can sort applicants faster.
Possible use cases:
- Job applications for open roles and hiring pipelines
- Volunteer applications for events or ongoing programs
- Rental or lease applications for tenant screening
- Membership applications for clubs, associations, or organizations
What are the different types of application forms?
- Job Application Form
- Volunteer Application Form
- Rental Application Form
- Internship Application Form
- Membership Application Form
Who uses it?
- HR teams, recruiters, and hiring managers
- Nonprofit coordinators and volunteer managers
- Property managers and landlords
- Club and association administrators
Form elements to include:
- Contact details fields such as name, email, and phone number
- File upload field for resumes, portfolios, or supporting documents
- Multiple choice and dropdown fields for role selection, availability, or membership type
- Conditional logic to show only relevant sections based on the applicant’s answers
8. Consent forms
Consent forms document permission, and they protect both you and the person signing. You’ll see them in healthcare, education, events, and anywhere you collect sensitive info or want clear agreement terms. The best consent forms are plain-language and specific: what someone is agreeing to, what data you’re collecting, and how it will be used. When you need signatures, e-signatures keep things moving, especially for remote customers or patients.
Possible use cases:
- Patient consent for treatment, procedures, or sharing medical records
- Parental permission for school activities and field trips
- Photo and video usage approvals for marketing or events
- Employee consent for background checks or data processing
What are the different types of consent forms?
- Medical Consent Form
- Photo and Video Release Form
- International Travel Consent Form
- GDPR Photo Consent Form
- Field Trip Permission Form
Who uses it?
- Healthcare providers, clinics, and hospitals
- Schools, teachers, and administrators
- Photographers, videographers, and marketing teams
- HR teams, business managers, and event organizers
Form elements to include:
- Participant name and contact information fields
- Consent checkbox fields for agreement and acknowledgment
- E-signature field and date field for signed consent records
- File upload field for supporting documents when needed
9. Lead generation forms
Lead generation form examples usually look simple, but the best ones qualify leads without feeling pushy. Think of them as a friendly “handoff” from your website to your sales process, collecting just enough info to follow up well. A handy rule: if you’re offering something valuable (a demo, a quote, a checklist), you can ask one or two extra questions. If it’s a generic “Contact me,” keep it short.
Possible use cases:
- Newsletter and email list growth from your website or landing pages
- Quote requests and service inquiries that need quick qualification
- Demo or consultation requests for sales teams and service businesses
- Gated content downloads such as ebooks, guides, and case studies
What are the different types of lead generation forms?
- Lead Capture Form
- Email Signup Form
- eMail Opt-In Form
- Real Estate Sales Lead Form
- Client Information Form
Who uses it?
- Marketing teams building and segmenting email lists
- Sales teams qualifying and prioritizing inbound leads
- Small business owners growing their customer base
- Real estate agents and brokers capturing buyer and seller interest
Form elements to include:
- Name, email, and phone number fields for follow-up
- Company field and role field for B2B lead context
- Dropdown or multiple choice fields for budget, timeline, or service interest
- Short or long text field for project details or goals
10. Payment & checkout forms
Payment forms combine data collection with transactions. They’re perfect when you need to charge for registrations, deposits, products, donations, or subscriptions, while still asking the questions you need in the same flow.
Possible use cases:
- E-commerce product sales for physical or digital goods
- Event ticketing and registration with payment
- Membership and subscription fee collection
- Donations and fundraising campaigns
What are the different types of payment forms?
- PayPal Business Payment Form
- Stripe Payment Form
- Square Charity Donation Form
- Subscription Payment Form
- Rental Payment Form
Who uses it?
- Small business owners and online retailers
- Nonprofit teams and fundraisers
- Event organizers and ticket sellers
- Service providers and freelancers
Form elements to include:
- Payment field connected to your chosen gateway
- Product list or ticket selection fields for items, quantities, and add-ons
- Billing information fields such as name, email, and address
- Setup a confirmation message in an email for instant proof of payment
11. Booking forms
Booking forms help people reserve a time, service, or spot in a clear, structured way, so you can cut down on back-and-forth and keep your calendar and availability organized. They collect key details upfront, like the requested date and time, service type, contact information, and special requests, then confirm the next step so both sides know what happens after submission.
Possible use cases:
- Service bookings such as consultations, repairs, or on-site visits
- Travel and accommodation booking requests such as flights or travel agency requests
- Hotel or room reservations that collect dates, guest details, and preferences
- Photo shoot and creative session bookings for photographers and studios
What are the different types of booking forms?
- Booking Enquiry Form
- Car Service Booking Form
- Tattoo Booking Form
- Flight Booking Form
- Photo Shoot Booking Form
Who uses it?
- Service-based business owners and administrators
- Hotels, short-term rental hosts, and hospitality teams
- Travel agencies and tour operators
- Photographers and creative studios
Form elements to include:
- Date and time selection fields for the requested slot
- Service or booking type selection field using dropdown or multiple choice
- Contact fields such as name, email, and phone number for confirmations
- Notes field for special requests, preferences, or extra details
Any type of form you want, Jotform already has it
If you’re staring at a blank page, don’t. Jotform has 20,000+ ready-made templates across hundreds of categories, so you can start with a layout that already fits your use case and customize it in minutes, no coding required. Prefer starting from scratch? You can build with drag-and-drop, or describe what you need and let Jotform’s AI Form Generator create the first draft.
Once your form is live, you can make it smarter with conditional logic, for example, show different questions based on a selection, calculate totals automatically, or route submissions to different teams. You can also level up what happens after someone clicks Submit by syncing responses into the Jotform Tables for a spreadsheet-style database, and turning those responses into shareable insights with the Jotform Report Builder.
Bonus: if a submission needs a human decision, add an approval step so the right person can approve, reject, or request edits. Then notify the requester automatically. That’s especially handy for internal purchase requests, time-off approvals, and onboarding checklists in minutes.
Need signatures? Add an e-signature field, or use Jotform Sign to create signable documents from PDFs and collect e-signatures on any device. And if you want to go further, Jotform supports advanced options like file uploads, conditional logic, approval flows, prefilled forms, autoresponder emails, PDF generation, and integrations with the tools you already use.
Ready to collect data the easy way? Pick a template, customize it, and publish your first form with Jotform today.
This article is for new business owners, website developers, and administrative assistants who know they need to “collect data” but aren’t sure which format (survey, application, or order form) is the most effective.
Net Promoter®, NPS®, NPS Prism®, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., NICE Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld. Net Promoter ScoreSM and Net Promoter SystemSM are service marks of Bain & Company, Inc., NICE Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.
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