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Form Builder

Form Builder

Create beautiful, functional forms with drag-and-drop ease. Collect leads, feedback, and data without coding.

The Form Builder lets you create professional forms in minutes. Drag, drop, customize, and embed. That's it! 📝

What You Can Build

Contact Forms

Let visitors reach you easily

Newsletter Signups

Grow your email list

Surveys & Polls

Gather feedback and opinions

Registration Forms

Event signups, course enrollments

Order Forms

Collect orders and requests

Lead Generation

Capture qualified leads

Creating Your First Form

In your dashboard, click Forms in the sidebar.

Click "Create New Form"

Give your form a name (you can change this later).

Choose a Template (Optional)

Start from scratch or use a template:

  • Contact Form
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Survey
  • Event Registration
  • Blank Form

Use the Drag-and-Drop Builder

The builder has three panels:

Left: Available field types Center: Your form preview Right: Field settings

Drag fields from the left into the center to build your form!

Available Field Types

Text Input

Single-line text entry

  • Name, company, job title
  • Can set min/max length
  • Placeholder text

Email

Email address with validation

  • Automatically checks format
  • Required for newsletters
  • Prevents typos

Textarea

Multi-line text entry

  • Messages, comments, descriptions
  • Adjustable height
  • Character count option

Number

Numeric input only

  • Age, quantity, phone numbers
  • Min/max values
  • Step increment

Select Dropdown

Choose one from a list

  • Countries, categories, options
  • Searchable for long lists
  • Custom options

Radio Buttons

Choose one from visible options

  • Yes/No, True/False
  • Multiple choice questions
  • Better UX than dropdowns for fewer than 5 options

Checkboxes

Select multiple options

  • Interests, preferences
  • Terms & conditions agreement
  • Newsletter opt-ins

Date Picker

Select a date

  • Appointments, events
  • Min/max date restrictions
  • Custom date format

File Upload

Let users upload files

  • Resumes, images, documents
  • File type restrictions
  • Size limits

Rating

Star rating or scale

  • Customer satisfaction
  • Product reviews
  • 1-5 or 1-10 scales

Hidden Fields

Store data invisibly

  • UTM parameters
  • Page URLs
  • User IDs

Form Settings

Click the ⚙️ Settings tab to configure:

General Settings

Form Name

  • Internal reference (not shown to users)

Form Description

  • Optional helper text shown above form

Submit Button Text

  • Default: "Submit"
  • Customize: "Send Message", "Sign Me Up!", "Get Started"

Success Message

  • Shown after submission
  • Example: "Thanks! We'll be in touch soon."

Validation Rules

Required Fields

  • Mark fields as mandatory
  • Show * indicator
  • Custom error messages

Email Validation

  • Automatic format checking
  • Prevent invalid emails

Min/Max Length

  • Text fields: character limits
  • Numbers: value ranges

Custom Patterns

  • Phone numbers: (555) 123-4567
  • Postal codes: A1A 1A1
  • Custom regex

Notifications

Email Notifications

  • Get notified of new submissions
  • Send to multiple emails
  • Include submission data

Autoresponder

  • Send confirmation to submitter
  • Customize email template
  • Include copy of their submission

Webhooks

  • Send data to other services
  • Integrate with Zapier, Make, etc.
  • Real-time data sync

Redirect After Submit

Thank You Page

  • Redirect to custom URL
  • Show success message inline
  • Open in new tab option

Download File

  • Offer PDF, guide, ebook
  • Automatic download after submit

Spam Protection

reCAPTCHA

  • Google reCAPTCHA v3
  • Invisible to humans
  • Blocks bots effectively

Honeypot Fields

  • Hidden spam trap
  • Invisible to real users
  • Catches most bots

Email Domain Blacklist

  • Block temporary email services
  • Custom domain blocking

Styling Your Form

Theme Presets

Choose from pre-designed themes:

  • Modern: Clean, minimal
  • Classic: Traditional form styling
  • Colorful: Vibrant, eye-catching
  • Dark Mode: For dark websites

Custom Styling

Colors

  • Button colors
  • Focus states
  • Error messages
  • Success indicators

Typography

  • Font family
  • Font sizes
  • Label styling

Spacing

  • Field padding
  • Form margins
  • Gap between fields

Border Radius

  • Rounded corners
  • Sharp edges
  • Fully rounded

Pro Tip: Match your website's design for a seamless experience. Copy your brand colors!

Embedding Forms

Method 1: Inline Embed

Shows the form directly on your page:

<div id="chat4shop-form-container"></div>
<script src="https://chat4.shop/embed.js" data-form-id="form_abc123"></script>

Method 2: Popup Modal

Form appears in a modal when triggered:

<button class="chat4shop-trigger" data-form-id="form_abc123">
  Open Form
</button>
<script src="https://chat4.shop/embed.js"></script>

Method 3: Slide-in Widget

Form slides in from the side:

<script
  src="https://chat4.shop/embed.js"
  data-form-id="form_abc123"
  data-display="slide-in"
  data-position="bottom-right">
</script>

See full integration guide →

Managing Submissions

Viewing Submissions

Click Forms → [Your Form] → Submissions

You'll see a table with:

  • Submission date/time
  • Submitted data
  • User IP (for spam prevention)
  • Status (new/read/archived)

Filtering & Searching

  • Search by any field
  • Filter by date range
  • Sort by any column
  • Mark as read/unread

Exporting Data

Export submissions to:

  • CSV: Open in Excel/Google Sheets
  • JSON: For developers/integrations
  • PDF: Printable reports

Deleting Submissions

  • Delete individual entries
  • Bulk delete (select multiple)
  • Clear all (be careful!)

Deleted submissions cannot be recovered. Export important data first!

Multi-Step Forms

Break long forms into steps for better conversion:

Enable Multi-Step

In form settings, toggle "Multi-Step Form"

Organize Fields into Steps

Drag fields into step groups:

  • Step 1: Basic info (Name, Email)
  • Step 2: Preferences
  • Step 3: Additional details

Customize Step Indicators

  • Progress bar
  • Step numbers
  • Step titles

Configure Navigation

  • "Next" button text
  • "Previous" button option
  • Skip steps ability

Pro Tip: Multi-step forms can increase completion rates by up to 300%! Keep early steps super simple.

Advanced Features

Conditional Logic

Show/hide fields based on previous answers:

Example: Show "Company Name" only if user selects "Business" type.

  1. Click field → Add Condition
  2. Choose trigger: "When [field] is [value]"
  3. Choose action: "Show this field"

Calculations

Auto-calculate values:

  • Order totals
  • Quantity × Price
  • Age from birthdate

Pre-fill Fields

Auto-fill from URL parameters:

https://yoursite.com/form?name=John&email=john@example.com

Form fields auto-populate for faster submissions!

Save & Resume

Let users save progress and return later:

  • Enable in form settings
  • Users get unique link
  • Data saved for 30 days

Best Practices

Keep It Short

  • Only ask what you absolutely need
  • Every field reduces conversion
  • Split long forms into multi-step

Clear Labels

  • Use plain language
  • Add helper text for complex fields
  • Examples: "555-123-4567" for phone

Test on Mobile

  • 50%+ of traffic is mobile
  • Use responsive preview
  • Make buttons big enough to tap

Optimize for Speed

  • Minimize required fields
  • Use autofill attributes
  • Smart defaults (country = user's location)

Follow Up Fast

  • Set up email notifications
  • Respond within 24 hours
  • Autoresponders for instant confirmation

Troubleshooting

Form Not Showing?

  • Check if form is set to "Active"
  • Verify script is on the page
  • Check browser console for errors
  • Clear cache and refresh

Submissions Not Saving?

  • Check email field validation
  • Verify required fields are filled
  • Check spam protection settings
  • Look at browser console

Styling Looks Broken?

  • Check for CSS conflicts
  • Use higher CSS specificity
  • Try !important (last resort)
  • Contact support for custom CSS

Examples & Templates

Contact Form

Fields:

  • Name (required)
  • Email (required)
  • Subject
  • Message (required)
  • Submit button

Perfect for: Any website needing basic contact

Newsletter Signup

Fields:

  • Email (required)
  • First Name (optional)
  • Checkbox: "I agree to receive emails"
  • Submit: "Subscribe"

Perfect for: Building email lists

Event Registration

Fields:

  • Full Name
  • Email
  • Phone
  • Number of Tickets
  • Dietary Restrictions (optional)
  • Submit: "Register Now"

Perfect for: Webinars, workshops, meetups

Next Steps

Add a Modal

Show your form in a popup for better conversion

View

Track Performance

See which forms convert best

View

Advanced Integration

Custom embed options and API

View

Forms are powerful! Start simple, then add advanced features as you need them. Happy form building! 📝✨


Form Builder – Chat4Shop