Are you new to EmailMeForm? Creating online forms might look overwhelming at first glance. However, once you gain an understanding of precisely what each tab in the form builder can help you accomplish, it’s as easy as pie.
The key to building amazing forms lies in an understanding of the form settings, form fields, and field settings—they all work together to help you build forms quickly and easily.
Before we begin, let me share with you that I am not a computer genius like most of the EmailMeForm team. I am a full-time copywriter and blogger. My computer skills are average, just like yours! I learned how to use EmailMeForm through trial-and-error and reading their Knowledge Base tutorials. I learned it, and I’m confident that you can, too!
Today, I will take you step by step through creating a form from scratch, sharing screenshots, and explaining the form builder along the way. Ready to get started? Let’s go.
Getting Started in the EmailMeForm Form Builder
First, log in to your EmailMeForm account, and you will arrive in your Form Manager. Click the yellow “new” button to begin a new form. A prompt will appear, and you will be able to opt to build online forms from scratch, choose one of our awesome templates, or let our CustomWorks team make them for you.
We are going to select the option that allows us to build a form from the ground up.
Here’s what this will look like.
How to Build Forms with EmailMeForm: Understanding Form Fields
Website forms are easy once you get the hang of them. It might not seem so initially, but using the EmailMeForm form builder is very intuitive.
When you launch the form builder, you’ll arrive in the “Add Field” tab. As you look at the “Add Field” section, you’ll see the form fields are relatively self-explanatory. However, I will paint you a quick sketch of each one, because some are very similar.
Brief definitions of each of the form field options:
- Single Line Text: Allows a user to type in a short response.
- Number: Users can key in a number; this is helpful when entering credit card data in payment forms.
- Paragraph Text: This enables users to type in a longer response; it’s commonly used in surveys or feedback forms.
- Checkbox: Use this selection to allow users to pick an option. For example, an e-commerce site would use it for indicating size or color options. It can also be used to ask users to agree to terms and conditions.
- Multiple Choice: Users answer a multiple choice question; user gives one answer. Use this for quizzes and polls.
- Dropdown: Allows you to offer options in a dropdown format, giving your form a clean look.
- Name: The website visitor enters their name. This field is a must-have for subscription forms, payment forms, and contact forms.
- Email: Collect email addresses from visitors.
- Address: Users input physical street address; this information is needed if you are shipping an item or a physical catalog, for example.
- Phone: Collect user phone numbers when you send out lead magnets.
- Date/Time: Allows users to enter a preferred date and time. You would need this field for reservation forms or appointment setting.
- Web Site: Collect the user’s website information; this field is frequently used for business to business contact forms.
- File Upload: Enable your users to attach a file or an image.
- Image: This field allows you to add an image, such as your company logo, to brand your form.
- Multiple Select: Similar to multiple choice, but users can opt for more than one selection.
- Price: Lets users put the amount they are paying on an invoice into a payment form.
- Hidden Field: Users don’t see this field; it is intended for administrative use only. For example, a person with multiple blogs or websites can use this, so they know which website a visitor was using when they completed their contact form.
- Unique ID: Like the hidden field, users don’t see this. This assigns a unique ID number to each entry received for tracking results.
- Section Break: Adds a visual break on the page to make the form more comfortable for users to read.
- Page Break: You can also break your form into separate pages; you often see this with longer payment forms, surveys, and feedback forms.
- Signature: Need to collect a digital signature? This field allows you to do that. You might require a digital signature if you want a customer to agree to terms and conditions or on a credit card payment.
Setting up Form Fields: In Action
Here, I will set up a simple order form. Let’s say I’m a doughnut shop owner, and I want to sell doughnuts by the dozen online.
I’d need to collect the customer’s name, contact data, the date for pickup, doughnut flavor choices, and any special instructions. I’m a smart doughnut purveyor, so I will also invite them to opt into my email list with a checkbox.
Keep the Ball Rolling: Add Field Settings
Now that you have fields added, you can customize your online form in the Field Settings tab.
As you click on each field from within the field settings tab, various options will appear. I’ll give you an overview of the most commonly used options you will need.
Summary of Primary Field Settings Options
- Field Label: Describes to the user the intent of the field.
- Cell Align: This option aligns the cell
- Required: You can mark a field “required” so that users may not submit incomplete forms.
- Mask email: Hide the user’s email data to add protection. You’ll be able to retrieve the information in the data manager.
- Show Field To: You can make a form field visible to users or for administrative use only.
- Field Size: The field size can be made larger or smaller by entering a cell size in numerals—the bigger the number, the larger you’ll stretch out the cell.
- Instructions for User: Here, you can place any information that helps users complete the form successfully.
You’ll find many variables in this section. Some fields will offer different options than others, based on the data you are collecting. If you ever get stuck, hover over the little blue question marks (?) and a help guide will appear.
Changing Field Settings: In Action
Next, I will show you how to manage each of the fields I added in the Field Settings tab of our sample order form. Remember that you will have many options, and you can make your online forms as customized as you need them to be.
Prepare Online Forms with Form Settings
Now that you know how to add fields and set the field settings, it’s time to get ready to pull together the final details by prepping up the form settings.
Click on the “Form Settings” tab at the top of the form builder. The options are relatively straightforward, but let’s give you another overview of each of the primary functions.
Overview of Form Settings Functions
- Form Title: This is where you will assign a name to your form.
- Description: Describe your form, or add a tagline.
- Language: Choose the language in which any error messages will display.
- Confirmation Options: Here, you can custom-tailor a success message or redirect to a different URL. The redirect option can, for instance, send a user to a sales page or checkout page of your website.
- Label Placement: Sets the alignment of the form label.
- Submit Button Name: Enables you to rename the submit button. This function is only available on select plans.
- Send Button Alignment: Sets the alignment of the Submit button
- Anti Spam: Defaults to “Use Invisible reCAPTCHA V2,” which is what we recommend you do! However, you can change it if you wish.
- Limit Form Activity: Set whether a form is public (in use) or private (internal only). Here’s an example. After I finish writing this blog post, I will set my example form to “private.” I really don’t want users finding it (in case there is a real Dee’s Doughnuts!) You might use it to end a contest or take a form offline temporarily for maintenance without deletion.
- Time Zone: Set your time zone
- Save & Resume: Allows the user to finish completing a form at a later time. This feature is excellent for longer forms, like employment applications.
Form Settings: Watch it in action
Finally, I will add those final details that will make Dee’s Doughnuts order form available to all the hungry people out there.
The Ultimate Form Security: The EmailMeForm Vault
If you’ve put off online forms all this time because you are afraid of security, let me tell you about the ultimate weapon to protect form security: The EmailMeForm Vault.
The EmailMeForm Vault safely secures sensitive information like credit card data in a space that requires multi-factor authentication to retrieve the data. This cushion buffers you from hacking attempts and keeps your customer data safe.
We are a PCI-Certified form company, and security is our top priority.
How to Start Working with EmailMeForm
Are you ready to get started creating online forms for your small business? In just a few minutes, you can put your first form to work.
Or, if you would rather let us build forms for you, consider hiring our CustomWorks team—they will listen to your business needs and build the beautiful, secure online forms that you need.
Deborah Tayloe
Deborah is a blogger and freelancer who often writes for EmailMeForm. When she’s not blogging, you’ll probably find Deborah working on DIY projects around her home in North Carolina.
