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

    Webforms menu.

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

    • Title
    • Description
    • Elements
    • Category
    • Status

    Webforms filter

  • 2

    Add Webform

    To create a Webform:

    • Click + Add Webform.

    Add Webform button.

    Fields with an asterisk (*) are required.

    • Title (*) — Enter a Title for the Webform (machine name).

    Webform Title field.

    • Administrative Description — Add a description, if desired.

    Administrative Description field.

    • Category — Select a Category, if desired.

    Category field.

    • Status — Open or Closed. Open is selected when the Webform is active.

    Status field.

    • Click Save.

    Save button.

  • 3

    Add Elements

    • Click the Build tab, if necessary.

    Build tab.

    Build tab.

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

    To add fields to the form:

    • Click + Add Element.

    Add Element button.

    Select An Element

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

    Element filter field.

    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.

    Element description tool tip.

    • Click Show Preview to see an example of the Element. Be patient while the previews load.

    Show Preview button.

    Checkbox Element preview example.

    • Click Hide Preview to return to the default view.

    Hide Preview button.

    • Click Add Element to the right of the Element name to add the Element to the form.

    Add Element button.

    • Set options for the element— e.g., Title (*), Visible, Required, etc.

    Element Title field.

    Visible checkbox.

    Required checkbox.

    • Click Save.

    Save button.

    Example Form Elements

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

    • Name
    • Email
    • Telephone
    • Address
    • Agency

    Examples of Elements added to a Webform.

    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.

    Composite Elements list.

    Click Save Elements after adding Elements to the Webform.

    Save Elements button.

  • 4

    View and Test Webform

    View

    To view the saved Webform:

    • Click the View tab.

    View tab.

    A preview of the Webform is displayed.

    Webform preview.

    Test

    To test the Webform:

    • Click the Test tab.

    Test tab.

    The Webform is populated with random test data.

    Webform test data.

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

    Submit button.

  • 5

    Add Webform to a Site Page

    On a Site Page:

    • Select Add Webform Embed on the Page Content menu.

    Add Webform Embed menu.

    From the Webform Reference menu:

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

    Webform Reference menu.

    • Click Save.

    Save button.

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

    Webform added to Site Page.