How to Build and Customize a Form

This article outlines steps for building a basic form in the FORTH CRM. In most cases, your system should already have a generic In-Take form. If you would like to customize the form or create a new one, review our Custom Fields article first.

This article includes the following topics:

• Creating a Form
• Editing a Form
• Form Field Customization
• Form Options

Creating a Form

1. From the Contacts tab, click Custom Fields from the Navigation Bar (see highlighted area below).
2. Click Form Builder.
   
   The Form Builder window opens.
   
3. Type a name for the form in the Create A New Form field and click the white arrow on a green background icon located just below that field.
4. If desired, click Form Groups from the Navigation Bar.
5. Type a name for the new Form Group in the Group Name field, and then click Save. Repeat as needed.
   
6. Navigate back to the Form Builder page.
7. In the Add Fields To Form section located at the top right of the page, do the following:
   • Click the Select Some Options field and select the field(s) you want to add to your form.
   • Select the Field Group you want to add the field(s) to from the Field Group dropdown menu.

   • Click Add Fields.
     
      

     NOTE: Every data field in the system (Standard or Custom) will be listed in this box. Standard fields are listed first, in alphabetical order, followed by Custom fields, then Budget Analysis fields.

     
     
      

8. Click Save Form in the navigation bar at the top of the page to save this new form.

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Editing a Form

1. From the Contacts tab, click Custom Fields.
2. Click Form Builder. The Form Builder window opens.
   
3. Select the form you want to edit from the Edit An Existing Form dropdown menu.
4. Follow steps 4 - 8 for Creating a Form.

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Form Field Customization

Once fields are added to the form, you can adjust and give additional features to the fields.

1. To configure a field, do any of the following:
   • Select Required To Save to require users to input information into this field before saving the form.
   • Select Required To Submit to require users to input information into this field before submitting the contact for enrollment.
   • Select the Co-Applicant checkbox to automatically create a co-applicant version of the field.

   • Type a name for the field that you want to be displayed in the Field Label field.
      

     IMPORTANT: Text that you place in the Field Label box will mask the field name displayed on the form. (EX: SSN can be changed to "Social Security Number")

2. Do any of the following to make changes to the field itself:
   • To Move a Field: Click anywhere on the field, then drag it up or down.
   • To Delete a Field: Click the Red Circle next to the field name.
   • To Delete a Form Group: Simply delete all Fields listed under that Form Group.
3. To Add a Space Between Fields: Click the Add Fields To Form field. Type in a hyphen, and under the category Other, click Spacer.                        
   
4. Click Add Fields and drag the "SPACER" field to the desired location.
5. Click Save Form from the Navigation Bar. 
   
   Once added, your form (accessible by returning to the Contacts tab and selecting Add a Contact) will look like this:
   

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Form Options

Form Options Default Form: Sets this as the global default (overridden by "Default by Company" or "Default by Role" settings). Intake Form: Enables the form for Adding a Contact or Editing a Contact options; triggers an error if no default is set. External Form: Enables the form for external requests (See External Form article for more information). Custom Portal (Addon): Designates the form to be used on the Customer Portal. Displays form data saved for the client within the customer portal profile section. Event Dismissal Form: Enables the form for Event Dismissal requests. Use Single Column Layout: Forces a one-column view when there is no co-applicant; otherwise, fields display in two columns. Client Dashboard Layout Options Enable Field Groupings: Organizes fields into groups. Note: Disables Intake Form functionality and restricts use to Client Dashboard layouts. Set as Default Grouping: Applies this grouping as the default for all roles. File Type: Defines the contact’s file type upon creation. Stage / Status: Sets the initial workflow stage and status for new contacts. Assigned To: Designates the contact owner; "Record Creator" assigns it to the current user filling in the form. Default For Company: Overrides the global default for a specific company. Default For Role: Overrides the global default for a specific role. Shared With: Restricts form access to selected Users and Teams.

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