Introduction to Web Forms
Web Forms are the mechanism with which Qrvey application collect new information from humans. They're also the primary way people update existing data within Qrvey apps.
Types of Web Forms
The Qrvey platform currently has three different types of web forms: forms, surveys, and quizzes. Each of these form types is similar but has slightly different features, depending on your data collection use case. Web form types are discussed in the next section.
Use Cases
Web Forms can be used in a variety of ways: they can be a vital part of your Qrvey applications, residing inside the dashboards and reports you create with the Qrvey platform; they can also be embedded into other websites or applications; and they can be shared in a variety of ways, including via social media or email.
What Makes Up a Web Form
Web Forms primarily include data fields, which are called questions if you’re creating a survey. Surveys may also include branching, which allows you to ask different questions based on the answers to the previous question. Quizzes include a scoring feature that enables you to rank the results in the order they’re received.
Every time a user completes a web form, the data is saved in the Qrvey platform either as a new or existing record for analysis. The results of this analysis can then be included in workflows, dashboards, and reports throughout the rest of your application.
Create a New Web Form
To create a web form:
- In the Data section, display the Webforms tab, and click New Web Form. The Select a Web Form dialog displays.
- Select the type of web form to create: Form, Survey, or Quiz. For more information, see Overview of Web Forms.
- Click Create New. The Design tab displays, ready for you to begin building the web form.
Note: If web form templates exist for the selected web form type, the Use a Template option is also available. Web form templates can only be created via the Qrvey API. For more information, contact your Qrvey support representative.
Starting From Scratch
After you first choose which type of web form you want to create, you’ll find yourself on the Design tab of the web form builder. On this tab, you’ll define the structure of your form. You’ll also see tabs along the top labelled Customize, Publish and Analyze, all of which you’ll use later on in the building process.
To begin, start by giving your form a name and a description, and choose whether to allow users to save their partial answers and come back at a later time to complete their submission.
Add Content to Your Web Form
Once you’ve completed the top section, you can begin adding content to your web form. You can add fields or questions, depending on which type of web form you’re building, or group those fields into sections with the Add Section option.
You also have the option to Add Text between sections or fields to give the user some instructions. You can also add an introduction page to your web form if you’d like to give your users instructions or other information before they begin.
Reorder Fields
You can quickly reorder the questions and fields in your web forms just by clicking and dragging the cross-arrows icon, as shown below.
Field Status
You also have the option of making your questions and fields Required, Optional or Hidden. The field’s current state is displayed in orange in the upper-right corner; you can change the status in the lower-right menu. Required fields must be completed by respondents before they are allowed to submit the form. Optional fields may be skipped or left blank. Hidden fields are shown only to you as the form’s creator, but not to any respondents completing the form.
Other Options
Also in the lower right-hand menu, there are options for duplicating and deleting a field, both of which come in handy from time to time.
Archive Fields
When initially designing your web form, you can make whatever changes you like. However, once your web form has been activated and data has been collected, you will not be able to delete any existing fields. You are able to archive them, which is the next best thing.
First pause your web form on the Publish tab then go back to the Design tab. You’ll now see an Archive link in the menu options.
Archiving fields will remove them from all pages, reports, and workflows where they appear, as well as from all analytic pages. Hence, be sure you’re not using the field anywhere else before you archive it.
All of your archived fields are not gone forever, they appear at the link in the upper-right corner of the design tab.
Clicking on this link will allow you to unarchive, i.e. restore, any archived fields.
