This article refers to our legacy product, Forms Manager. For the best Finalsite experience, we recommend using our newest product, Forms, which is already available to you in your modules list. To learn more, please review our New Forms FAQ.
The elements available in Forms Manager can be used in any number of combinations to create highly flexible and versatile forms. In this article, we'll go over each of the various form elements. To read more about the settings that may be included on these elements, see Forms element properties.
Element libraries
The form elements are broken up into four element libraries. The four libraries are accessible from the dropdown menu at the upper right of the Build & Edit tab in Forms Manager.
Standard elements
These are the basic features for entering text and making selections.
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Text Field: The text field is a small area where users can input a short amount of text.
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Email Field: This is a text field element with a special configuration that validates the email address format. Responses in this field must be in the following format: [username] @ [domain] . [top-level domain]. The email field will show an error if the entered text does not show a username followed by an @ symbol, followed by a domain, followed by a period, followed by "com," "org," "edu," or any other valid suffix.
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Date Picker: This field allows users to select a date from a pop-up calendar.
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Hidden Field: Any content in the hidden field is not displayed to the user, which can be helpful when creating a purchase form that has multiple configuration options. A common item with a baseline price can be put in a hidden field that is set to “Currency” with a default value. This way, users will only have to choose among prices for the options, without having to worry about selecting or deselecting the baseline price item.
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Radio Buttons: A radio button provides the user with a choice where only one option must be chosen. Form authors are not limited to a simple yes/no choice and can present the users with as many options as they wish; however, only one option may be selected. (The name "radio button" comes from an old-style car stereo with preset buttons that can be set to a particular station; pushing one button in makes all other buttons pop back out.)
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Checkbox: A checkbox is used when a user is asked to make a choice that can have more than one response. When multiple checkboxes are present, selecting one does not preclude selecting any other.
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Select List: A select list functions similarly to a set of radio buttons; the user is presented with a choice, but only one option can be selected in order to proceed. The options appear in a dropdown list format.
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Text Area: The text area is similar to the text field, except that it has room for multiple lines to be input by the user. Use a text area instead of a text field when you are asking the user to input more than 255 characters.
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Attach File: Use this element when you require form users to upload a data file. See Add file attachments to a form for more information.
Grouped elements
Grouped elements are simply multiple standard elements that are arranged into logical collections in order to capture common information, such as a user's full name or mailing address. When placed on a form, the individual fields of a grouped element cannot be broken up or rearranged. Available Grouped Element types are:
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Address Block: This element collects street address, city, state, region, ZIP code, and country information. In the settings, the Prefill Options dropdown menu can be configured to accept information from Constituent Manager, if the form user is logged in. Addresses that can be pulled from Constituent Manager are: Home, Personal, School, Summer, Winter, and Work.
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Name Block: The name block collects Prefix, First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, and Suffix data. These fields can also be prefilled using data from Constituent Manager.
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Phone & Extension Block: The phone block collects a phone number and extension. Prefill information can be pulled from Constituent Manager on the settings screen.
Layout elements
Layout elements do not collect any data, but create organizational categories and logical divisions that help make a longer form easier for users to follow. They exist solely to assist the form author in tailoring the appearance and flow of the form on the page. Available form elements are:
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Header: A short block of headline-formatted text. The size of the headline can be changed in the Settings menu. H1 is the largest font size, and H6 is the smallest.
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Text block: A longer block of text formatted at standard size. Used to convey more detailed information to the reader in the body of the form page.
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Horizontal Rule: A horizontal line spanning the width of the form. Use the settings menu to adjust the thickness of the line in pixels, the width of the line (expressed as a percentage of the available width of the form), the horizontal alignment, and the shading effect.
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Page Break: Breaks the form up into pages and inserts buttons allowing the user to page back and forth. This is very useful for longer forms.
Saved elements
Any element can be customized and then saved for reuse, either in the same form or in another form. Those elements appear in this library. See Reuse form elements for more information.
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