Before you can collect completed Forms, you'll need to build a Template. Templates are the primary data-gathering documents created within your GoFormz account.
Build and manage your Templates on the web app in the Templates tab.
Your Form Users create Forms based on the Templates you create, and the completed Forms - and their collected information - are delivered to your account.
When you build a Template, you can provide your Form Users with both Form and List view options. You collect the same information with either view (so long as you include the necessary data fields).
This article focuses on how to build your Template's Form view. In Form view, users navigate through the mapped fields like they’d fill out a paper form.
🗒️ Note: GoFormz does not offer a fillable PDF. If you need to collect information from a person in your organization, create a user profile for them.
To collect information from somebody outside of your organization, create a Public Form.
Template building requires an initial time investment, but users report that the efficiency and accuracy gained from converting their paper forms to digital forms saves time in the long run.
In the web app, click the Templates tab where you’ll upload your existing PDF.
Upload your existing PDF
On the web app's Templates page, click Build to upload your PDF.
Your PDF acts as the background for your Template. If you’re transitioning your organization’s documents from paper to digital, you’ll need PDF copies of each document you plan to digitize.
With your PDF uploaded, you’ll automatically navigate to the Template Editor. Here you’ll determine what information you gather with your Template.
Map fields to your Template
For each piece of information you want to collect with your Template, you’ll add a data field in the Template Editor. A variety of field types are available to facilitate your data collection.
The fields you map onto your Template in the Template Editor determine the information your Form Users will fill out. Map as many fields as you need onto your Template - you can always edit your Template's fields.
The Template Editor contains the Field Editor and the Page Editor. When you navigate to the Template Editor, you begin in the Field Editor. This is where you’ll map data fields to your Template. Here we’ll focus on the Field Editor.
Resize your fields
With your field selected, drag the corners to resize it to fit the corresponding field on your PDF background. Adjust each field’s size to provide your Form Users with a familiar experience.
Assign field properties
In the Field Editor, you’ll manage each data field’s identifying details, behavior, and functionality by managing the details in the Field Properties panel.
When you build a Template, enter a unique name for each field.
⚙️ Expert tip
Establish a naming convention for your field names, Reports, and folders - and be consistent with it. Naming conventions should be short, descriptive, and logical.
Bonus points if you document your naming conventions and review them annually.
Enter details about each field in the Description field.
The field’s name and description are visible to your Form Users when they’re creating a Form in List view. Additionally, some field modals display the field name when a Form User views those fields in Form View.
In the Properties panel, open the the Display Actions (. . .) menu and click Change display settings to apply custom display settings. Custom display settings help your Form Users better complete the necessary fields, resulting in cleaner data collection.
When you modify your field’s custom default display settings, you’ll also have the opportunity to assign a color for any of your Template’s required fields. Override the appearance of individual fields with the using the Template Editor’s Field Properties.
💡As an example, uniquely colored fields can enhance user clarity when they’re filling out your Forms.
Many Template Builders assign their required fields a different display color than the rest of a Form’s fields.
Additionally, if you assign the same field display color to related fields you can help better establish their relationship for your Form Users.
A field’s name and description can be managed by anybody with permissions to edit your Templates.
Each field offers unique properties to suit your data collection needs. In addition to managing functionality in these properties, this is also where you have the opportunity to add calculations and conditional logic to your fields.
The information you collect using these fields act as points of data which you’ll reference when using reports, automations, and connected apps.
Name your Template
Assign a name to your Template when you click the pencil icon located at the top of the Template Editor workspace.
The name you enter here is how members of your organization will locate and identify your Template. Assign a Template name that your Form Users will recognize when you need them to create Forms using that Template.
Similar to naming fields, you should establish a naming standard for your Templates. Along with Template folders, a Template naming convention will help you provide users with access to the correct Templates, and manage your organization’s Templates.
Save and publish your Template
Because the Template Editor does not auto-save your work, you’ll click Save Draft once you’ve completed all the edits for your session. With your draft saved, you can safely exit the Template Editor and return later to pick up where you left off.
You can click Preview to save any changes, and test your Template’s functionality as a Form. This provides you the opportunity to verify that your Template functions as you desire, and that your Form Users will be able to provide you with good data.
Finally, click Publish to make your Template available to your Form Users.
What next?
When you publish your first Template, you open the door to a host of functions within your account. Because each organization’s data processing needs are so unique, what you do next depends on your priorities. Explore common next steps below.
To gather data from people in your organization, you’ll need to create unique user profiles for each of them. With access to your account they’ll be able to create Forms using your Templates.
If you’re collecting information from people outside of your organization, you’ll create a Public Form. Public Forms provide a secure way to share your Forms online to gather data from anyone.
If you included database fields on your Template, now is a good time to upload CSV files of your necessary DataSources. DataSources are CSV (or comma-separated values) files - like those exported from Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, SQL databases, and Apple’s Numbers.
Because database fields source information from a DataSource, you can link database fields to other Template fields to auto-populate information from related columns within your spreadsheet.
Upload and manage your account’s DataSources in the web app's DataSources tab.
With Template Event and Workflow automations, you can increase your data processing efficiency, and ensure you’re processing good and accurate data.
Template Events automate the transfer, email, or tagging of all Forms created from a selected Template. These are Template-based automations with varied access depending on your account tier. For more dynamic automations, explore Workflows.
Workflows are recipe-driven automations that move data between your account and an ever-growing suite of third-party business systems in real-time.
If you’re not sure how else to utilize automations, consider this question: How did you process the information on your document before you digitized it? Maybe you’d send the information to somebody else? Or store copies for your records?
List view provides your Form Users with a mobile-optimized view. Building a List View of your Template is optional.
In the List view panel, use Auto Build to automatically map the data fields from your Form view into your List view. Your pages will populate as tabs at the top of the Template Editor with your fields displayed in the workspace as a modifiable list.
Within a List view you have the option to divide your Template into tabs and sections. Organizing your List view's fields into similar tabs and sections helps your Form Users efficiently fill out their Forms.
Update and manage your Templates
In instances where your company logo changes, you need to collect new information, or you’re just unhappy with a Template’s layout you can always access and update your Templates.
For small changes to the PDF background, you’ll access the Template Editor’s Page Editor. In the Page Editor you can add, remove, and replace pages from your Template’s PDF background, or add new page elements.
When you update and then publish your new Template version, those changes will deploy to your Form Users. Moving forward, your changes will then appear on the Forms created using your edited Template.
Related topics
Track changes across the Forms you receive with reports.
Maintain a well organized account with Template folders.
Add tags to keep Forms that are related to specific reports grouped together for cross-referencing and management.