Canonical page: https://docs.teloring.com/docs/product/forms Last modified: 2026-08-20T20:49:57.000Z # Forms Builder Forms Builder lets your team create structured forms, publish them to customers, collect submissions, and trigger Studio automations when a form is completed. Use Forms when you need controlled information from customers, such as onboarding details, service requests, surveys, quote requests, approvals, intake forms, or follow-up information after a conversation. Forms are separate from conversations. A form does not create a new inbox and does not become a communication channel. Instead, it collects data and can pass that data to Studio, CRM workflows, or external systems. ## Key facts | Fact | Meaning | | --- | --- | | Forms collect structured data | Customers fill fields on a public form page. | | Forms are versioned | Every save increments the form version. | | Submissions are snapshots | Existing submissions stay readable even if the form is edited or deleted later. | | Layout is column-based | The editor and public form use the same fixed column and row structure. | | Hidden fields do not show | Hidden fields store internal values without taking visible form space. | | Studio can react | Every successful submission fires the `trigger.form_filled` Studio trigger. | | Field IDs matter | Field IDs become Studio variables, export columns, and stable answer keys. | ## Who uses Forms | Role | Typical use | | --- | --- | | Admins | Build forms, configure branding, publish links, and connect submissions to Studio automations. | | Team managers | Review submissions, decide which fields are needed, and make sure forms match operational processes. | | Agents | Share form links with customers when they need structured information. | | Customers | Fill the public form from a browser on desktop or mobile. | ## Forms list Open Forms from the Teloring sidebar. The Forms page includes: | Area | Use it to | | --- | --- | | Forms tab | Create, search, open, duplicate, publish, copy links, and delete forms. | | Submissions tab | Review submitted answers across forms. | | Status filters | Separate drafts, published forms, closed forms, and archived forms. | | Form row actions | Edit a form, duplicate it, copy its public link, or delete it. |  ## Create a form To create a form: 1. Open Forms. 2. Click Create form. 3. Give the form a clear name. 4. Choose the form type. 5. Open the editor. 6. Add pages and fields. 7. Configure settings. 8. Save. 9. Publish when the form is ready. ## Form types Forms can be open or specific. | Type | Meaning | Best for | | --- | --- | --- | | Open public link | One reusable public link. Anyone with the link can open the form while it is published. | Website forms, public lead forms, general surveys, open requests. | | Specific contact link | A per-contact link generated for a known contact or conversation. The link can carry contact context and can be marked fill-once. | Customer-specific approvals, follow-ups, account updates, personalized requests. | Use an open form when the same form should be shared broadly. Use a specific form when the form belongs to one contact or conversation. ## Editor overview The editor has three main areas: | Area | What it does | | --- | --- | | Left panel | Field palette. Drag elements from here into the page columns. | | Center canvas | The form layout. Add pages, set columns, and reorder fields. | | Right panel | Properties for the selected page, field, or form settings. |  Forms use a fixed column layout. This keeps the public form aligned with the editor. A page can have 1, 2, 3, or 4 columns. Fields are placed into columns and stacked in order. Hidden fields appear in a hidden-field tray and do not take visible space on the public form. ## Pages and columns Use pages to split a long form into manageable steps. Page properties include: | Property | Meaning | | --- | --- | | Title | The heading shown for that page. | | Columns | The number of layout columns on the page, from 1 to 4. | | Visibility | Optional rules that decide whether the page appears. | Use one column for simple forms and mobile-first forms. Use two or more columns when related short fields should sit side by side, such as first name and last name, or phone and email. ## Add and move elements To add an element: 1. Drag an element from the left panel. 2. Drop it into a page column. 3. Select it to edit its properties in the right panel. To reorder fields, drag them within a column or between columns. The public form uses the same column and order structure. ## Field properties Most input fields share these properties: | Property | Meaning | | --- | --- | | Field ID | The stable technical key for the answer. Studio and exports use this ID. Keep it readable, such as `email`, `request_type`, or `campaign_id`. | | Label | The question or field name shown to the customer. | | Placeholder | Light helper text inside the input. | | Help text | Additional guidance shown near the field. | | Required | Forces the customer to fill the field before moving on or submitting. | | Value source | Decides whether the field is filled by the customer, the URL, a fixed hidden value, or contact data. | | Validation | Optional limits such as minimum, maximum, or length depending on field type. | | Visibility | Optional logic that decides whether the field appears. | ### Field ID and Studio Field ID is important. If a text field has field ID `email`, Studio can use: ```text {{answers.email}} ``` If a hidden field has field ID `campaign_id`, Studio can use: ```text {{hiddenValues.campaign_id}} ``` Changing a field ID affects future submissions and Studio variables. Existing submissions remain saved as snapshots. ## Value sources Value source controls where a value comes from. | Value source | Visible fields | Hidden fields | Meaning | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | User input | Yes | No | The customer fills the field. No extra configuration is needed. | | URL param | Yes | Yes | Teloring reads a value from the public form URL. | | Contact field | Yes, for specific forms | Yes, for specific forms | Teloring reads a value from the linked contact. | | Fixed value | No | Yes | A fixed internal value saved with the submission. | Visible fields do not use fixed values. If a value should be fixed and not shown to the customer, use a hidden field. ### URL param example If a visible short text field uses: | Setting | Value | | --- | --- | | Value source | URL param | | URL param | `hi` | Then this form URL: ```text https://forms.teloring.com/f/example?hi=333 ``` prefills the field with: ```text 333 ``` For hidden fields, the same URL param value is stored in `hiddenValues` under the hidden field ID. ## Visibility logic Visibility rules let a field or page appear only when conditions are met. Use visibility logic for: | Scenario | Example | | --- | --- | | Follow-up questions | Show "Describe the problem" only when request type equals "Support". | | Conditional pages | Show a billing page only when the customer selected "Invoice issue". | | Optional consent | Show a signature field only when the customer agrees to terms. | Visibility logic contains: | Part | Meaning | | --- | --- | | Logic | Whether all rules must match or any rule may match. | | Field | The field to check. | | Operator | The comparison, such as equals, contains, greater than, less than, is empty, or is checked. | | Value | The value to compare against when the operator needs one. | Required hidden fields and hidden pages are not forced when they are not visible. Server-side validation rechecks visibility when the customer submits the form. ## Element reference ### Inputs | Element | What customers do | Common use | Important properties | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Short text | Type one short answer. | Name, city, serial number, account number, subject. | Placeholder, required, value source, min length, max length. | | Long text | Type a longer answer. | Description, notes, complaint details, instructions. | Placeholder, help text, required, min length, max length. | | Number | Enter a numeric value. | Quantity, age, budget, rating amount, ID number when numeric validation is needed. | Required, min, max. | | Email | Enter an email address. | Contact email, billing email, login email. | Required, email validation. | | Phone | Enter a phone number. | Callback number, WhatsApp number, alternate phone. | Required, phone validation. | | Date | Pick a date. | Appointment date, renewal date, birth date, requested service date. | Required, value source. | | Time | Pick a time. | Preferred callback time, appointment time, delivery window. | Required, value source. | | Rating | Choose a number rating. | Satisfaction score, service quality, urgency level. | Required, min, max. | | Checkbox | Check or uncheck one option. | Yes/no confirmation, optional preference. | Required, visibility logic can check whether it is checked. | | Consent | Confirm agreement. | Terms approval, privacy confirmation, marketing consent. | Required, help text. | | User signature | Draw a signature with mouse or finger. | Approvals, confirmations, acceptance, service completion. | Required, help text. The submission stores the signature image. | ### Choice fields | Element | What customers do | Common use | Important properties | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Dropdown | Choose one option from a menu. | Request type, branch, department, product, issue category. | Options, required, visibility logic. | | Radio | Choose one visible option. | Yes/no with labels, priority, plan, preference. | Options, required, visibility logic. | | Multi-select | Choose multiple options. | Products of interest, symptoms, available days, requested services. | Options, required, visibility logic. | Each option has a label and a value. The label is what users see. The value is what submissions and Studio use. ### Display elements | Element | What it shows | Common use | Important properties | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Heading | A section title. | Start of a section, page heading, instruction block. | Content. | | Description | Paragraph text. | Instructions, explanations, legal notes, customer guidance. | Content. | | Divider | A horizontal separator. | Separate groups of fields. | No answer is collected. | | Image | An image in the form. | Logo, product image, diagram, example, instruction screenshot. | Upload image or image URL. Uploaded images are stored privately and shown with signed links. | Display elements do not create answers. ### Hidden element Hidden fields save internal values without showing anything to the customer. Use hidden fields for: | Use case | Example | | --- | --- | | Campaign tracking | `campaign_id = summer_2026` | | Source tracking | `lead_source` from a URL param. | | Internal routing | `department = billing` | | External IDs | CRM ID, quote ID, order ID, or customer reference. | Hidden fields can use fixed value, URL param, or contact field as the value source. They do not occupy a visible column or row in the form. ## Form settings Click Settings in the editor to configure the form.  ### General settings | Setting | Meaning | | --- | --- | | Type | Open public link or specific contact link. | | Status | Draft, published, closed, or archived. | | Language | The form language code. | | Direction | Right-to-left or left-to-right layout. | ### Branding settings | Setting | Meaning | | --- | --- | | Primary color | The main accent color used in the public form. | | Background color | The page background color. | | Font family | A bundled font used by the public form. | | Logo | Upload a logo image for the top of the form. | | Background image | Upload a background image instead of using only a color. | | Powered by Teloring | Show or hide the Teloring footer mark. | Uploaded logo, background, and field images are stored in Teloring private storage and count as account files. ### Submission settings | Setting | Meaning | | --- | --- | | Fill once | For specific links, prevents the same link from being submitted more than once. For open links, browser storage provides best-effort duplicate prevention. | | On submit | Show a thank-you message or redirect the customer to another URL. | | Submit button text | The text shown on the final submit button. | | Submit button color | The color of the final submit button. | | Thank you message | Message shown after submit when On submit is message. | | Redirect URL | Destination URL when On submit is redirect. | ### Spam protection | Setting | Meaning | | --- | --- | | Honeypot | An invisible spam trap. Keep it enabled unless support asks otherwise. | | Turnstile | Optional Cloudflare verification when enabled for the account. | ## Save, publish, and share | Action | Meaning | | --- | --- | | Save | Saves the current form as the next version. | | Publish | Makes the form available to customers if the form status is published. | | Copy link | Copies the reusable public URL for open forms. | | Duplicate | Creates a new draft based on an existing form. | | Delete | Deletes the form definition but keeps existing submissions exportable. | :::important After editing a published form, save the changes. New submissions use the latest saved version. Existing submissions keep the original answers and form snapshot. ::: ## Public form experience The public form is the customer-facing page. Customers can: | Action | Meaning | | --- | --- | | Move between pages | Use Previous and Next buttons on multi-page forms. | | Fill required fields | Required fields must be completed before continuing. | | View images | Images added by the form builder can appear as instructions or visual context. | | Sign | Draw a signature with a finger on mobile or a mouse on desktop. | | Submit | Send the completed form to Teloring. |  ## Submissions Every submission is saved as an immutable snapshot. This means the submission remains readable even if the form is later edited or deleted. Submissions include: | Data | Meaning | | --- | --- | | Submission ID | Unique ID for the submission. | | Form name and version | The form version used by the customer. | | Answers | Visible fields that the customer answered or that were prefilled. | | Hidden values | Hidden fields saved with the submission. | | Source params | URL parameters received by the public form link. | | Contact ID | Present when the form used a specific contact link. | | Conversation ID | Present when the form link was generated from a conversation context. | | Submitted time | The time the form was submitted. | Open the Submissions tab to review submitted answers. Signature fields appear as signature previews instead of long image-data text. ## Studio integration When a form is submitted, Teloring fires the Studio trigger: ```text trigger.form_filled ``` Use this trigger to automate work after a form is completed. See [Form filled](./studio/triggers.md#form-filled) for the full trigger reference. Common examples: | Automation | Example | | --- | --- | | Notify a team | Add a private note or send an internal message when a service request form is submitted. | | Update CRM | Save answer values into contact, customer, or custom object fields. | | Route work | Assign a conversation or create a follow-up task based on selected options. | | Send data externally | Use an HTTP request action to send form data to another system. |  ### Studio variables The Forms trigger exposes the submitted data as variables. | Variable | Meaning | | --- | --- | | `{{form.id}}` | Submitted form ID. | | `{{form.name}}` | Submitted form name. | | `{{form.version}}` | Submitted form version. | | `{{submission.id}}` | Submission ID. | | `{{contact.id}}` | Contact ID for specific forms. | | `{{conversation.id}}` | Conversation ID when available. | | `{{answers.list}}` | Array of visible answers, each with field ID, label, type, and value. | | `{{answers}}` | Object of answers keyed by field ID. | | `{{answers.email}}` | Exact answer for a field whose Field ID is `email`. | | `{{hiddenValues}}` | Object of hidden values keyed by hidden field ID. | | `{{hiddenValues.campaign_id}}` | Exact hidden value for hidden field ID `campaign_id`. | | `{{sourceParams}}` | Object of URL parameters from the public form URL. | | `{{sourceParams.utm_source}}` | Exact URL parameter value for `?utm_source=...`. | Use `answers.list` when sending all answers to another system. Use exact paths such as `answers.email` when one field should update one CRM field. ## Recommended form design Good forms are short, clear, and easy to submit. | Recommendation | Why it helps | | --- | --- | | Use clear field labels | Customers understand what to enter. | | Keep Field IDs stable | Studio flows and exports remain predictable. | | Use hidden fields for tracking | Customers do not see internal campaign or routing values. | | Split long forms into pages | Customers are less likely to abandon the form. | | Use columns carefully | Two columns can help short fields; too many columns can make mobile forms harder to scan. | | Test with a real public link | Confirms URL params, visibility rules, required fields, and Studio triggers. | | Review submissions before using automation | Make sure field IDs and values match what Studio expects. | ## Troubleshooting | Problem | What to check | | --- | --- | | Public link says form not found | Confirm the form is published, the link was copied from the current form, and the public token exists. | | A field does not appear | Check field visibility rules and page visibility rules. | | A required field blocks submit | Check whether the field is visible and whether the required setting is intentional. | | URL param did not prefill | Confirm the value source is URL param and the URL parameter name matches exactly. | | Hidden value missing in Studio | Confirm the hidden field has a Field ID, a value source, and a resolved value. Use `{{hiddenValues.field_id}}`, not a generic placeholder. | | Studio variable is unresolved | Confirm the placeholder uses the actual field ID or URL parameter name. | | Image does not display | Re-upload the image and save the form so Teloring can store the private file path and refresh the signed display URL. |