Webforms

Collecting Information from Website Visitors

Summary

Webforms provide online forms accessible to website visitors. Submission results and statistics are recorded and accessible to privileged users. Use Webforms to create simple forms or more complex forms with pagination and conditional logic. 

Note: This is a basic guide. For a hands-on class on how to create Webforms, Web Managers should register for and attend a Digital Commons training session for this module. Classes are offered for Webform basics and advanced Webform use.

Audience

Web Managers

How To

  • 1

    Webform Management

    Navigate to:

    • Structure > Webforms

    The Forms Management page lists existing Webforms that can be filtered by:

    • Title
    • Description
    • Elements
    • Category
    • Status
  • 2

    Add Webform

    To create a Webform:

    • Click + Add Webform.

    Fields with an asterisk (*) are required.

    • Title (*) — Enter a Title for the Webform (machine name).
    • Administrative Description — Add a description, if desired.
    • Category — Select a Category, if desired.
    • Status — Open or Closed. Open is selected when the Webform is active.
    • Click Save.
  • 3

    Add Elements

    • Click the Build tab, if necessary.

    Elements (form fields) are the building blocks of Webforms.

    To add fields to the form:

    • Click + Add Element.

    Select An Element

    Use the filter to search for and select the desired Element—e.g., Name, Email, etc.

    Numerous Elements are available in the following categories:

    • Basic
    • Advanced
    • Composite
    • Markup
    • Options
    • Computed
    • Containers
    • Date/Time
    • Entity Reference
    • Buttons

    Hover over the (?) icon for a brief description of the Element.

    • Click Show Preview to see an example of the Element. Be patient while the previews load.
    • Click Hide Preview to return to the default view.
    • Click Add Element to the right of the Element name to add the Element to the form.
    • Set options for the element— e.g., Title (*), Visible, Required, etc.
    • Click Save.

    Example Form Elements

    A simple registration Webform, for example, might include the following Elements:

    • Name
    • Email
    • Telephone
    • Address
    • Agency

    Whenever possible, it is important to use Composite Elements. The Composite Element Basic Address, for example, contains all fields needed for the address in one Element.

    Click Save Elements after adding Elements to the Webform.

  • 4

    View and Test Webform

    View

    To view the saved Webform:

    • Click the View tab.

    A preview of the Webform is displayed.

    Test

    To test the Webform:

    • Click the Test tab.

    The Webform is populated with random test data.

    • Click Submit to send the test data to the email address defined during the Webform setup.
  • 5

    Add Webform to a Site Page

    On a Site Page:

    • Select Add Webform Embed on the Page Content menu.

    From the Webform Reference menu:

    • Select the desired Webform (in this example, Mark Seminar Registration).

    Webform Reference menu.

    • Click Save.

    The Webform appears on the site page and is ready for use when published.