How to Create Your First Web Form
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How to Create Your First Web Form
First time JotForm users often ask how to create a simple web form, how to set up Email Notifications, what are the ways to embed a form to a website, how to test the form to see if it's 100% working, and how can I see responses in my email and JotForm Inbox - Got a tight schedule? Learn it all in 2 minutes with the video below.
1. Decide what to ask first
First of all, think about what kind of questions you want to ask to our visitors. The best web forms maintain higher conversion rates by keeping it short & simple. Many users will simply abandon a form if it has too many questions. So keep your web forms as short & clear as possible.
2. State the purpose in the heading
Although you know why you're creating this web form, a confused visitor might land on the web page without knowing what your form does. Put a short heading such as "Contact Us" to your form. Put additional info in the sub-heading if necessary.
3. Use predefined Form Fields (e.g. Full Name, Email, Address, etc.)
Ask the visitor for his or her name & email address so you know who submitted what and this will allow you to followup with them if needed. Click ADD FORM ELEMENT on the left of the Form Builder and all the standard Form Fields are under the BASIC tab.
4. Use a Long Text Entry field for long answers (comments, description etc.)
A large comment box allows visitors to provide longer responses. Use the Long Text Entry field (textarea) under the QUICK ELEMENTS section of the BASIC tab.
5. Setting up Email Notifications
With Email Notifications, you’ll receive an alert in your email every time someone completes your form. Click SETTINGS at the top > EMAILS on the left > click the PLUS (+) icon to add a new Email Notification.
Since you're creating an email that'll come to you as the form owner, select NOTIFICATION EMAIL. The AUTORESPONDER is used when you need to send a confirmation email to the user who submitted the form.
For a more in-depth discussion on Email Notifications, refer to our guide on Setting-Up-Email-Notifications.
6. Embed your form to a website
Embedding your form in a website is crucial for collecting data continuously. To get your embed codes, click PUBLISH at the top > then EMBED on the left nav. Choose a different embed option depending to what suits you best.
There are also specific ways of embedding the form on several Website Builders and CMS platforms. If you're using one, go to the PLATFORMS menu instead and pick the one you're using.
Copy & paste the codes into your website's source code, usually within the body tag, and your form will be integrated the moment you save the changes in your editor.
If you're not sure which one to choose, read our guide on Which-Form-Embed-Code-Should-I-Use
7. Test your web form & see it working
Test your form on your live website to see that you're getting notifications to your email and your JotForm inbox. If anything doesn't come through, come back and check your steps correctly.
Congratulations on setting up your first web form! Return to this article anytime if you get lost. Tell us about your experience in creating your first web form in the comments section below!
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