Your first form
A Form is a data entry screen for a Grid. You decide which fields it asks for, what the form looks like, and what happens after it's submitted.
People filling out a form don't need an ApptiveGrid account — unless you explicitly restrict access.
Creating a form
- In the sidebar, open the Grid the data should flow into.
- Under Forms, choose Create form.
- Give it a name.
The form starts out empty. With no fields selected, no one can enter anything.
A form always belongs to one Grid
A form writes to exactly one Grid. If data needs to flow into several Grids, you need several forms — or you let a Flow handle the distribution.
Adding fields
The editor has three tabs: Pages, Layout, and More. Field selection lives under the Pages tab.
On the left, under Available fields, you'll find every field of the Grid that isn't in the form yet.
- Add fields brings an existing field into the form.
- Create field creates a new field on the Grid and adds it right away.
"Create field" changes the Grid
This button creates a new column on the Grid — not just something in the form. The column then appears in every view of this Grid.
Not every column type can be collected. Rich Text, and the calculated types Use linked value, Calculate sum, and Formula, have no form field. Details in the Column types reference.
Field settings
Clicking Edit on a field opens its Field settings:
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
| Label | Caption shown in the form. Overrides the column name for this form only. |
| Description | Explanatory text below the label. |
| Required field | The form can't be submitted while this field is empty. |
| Multi-line | For text fields: several lines instead of one. |
| Component type | For select fields: Dropdown menu or List; for files: Choose file or Record video. |
| Allow adding files only | Existing attachments can't be deleted. |
| Prefilled | A default value that's already entered when the form opens. |
| Not editable | The field is shown but can't be edited. |
| Not visible | The field is not shown but is still submitted. |
| Enable barcode scanner | Allows filling the field via camera scan. |
"Not visible" and "Prefilled" go together
A hidden field only becomes useful once it has a value. Example: a hidden Source field is filled with Newsletter via a prefilled link — the person filling out the form sees nothing of it, but you later know where the submission came from.
Hidden fields are not confidential
Not visible hides a field in the interface. That does not make it secret. Don't put data there that the person filling out the form shouldn't see.
Four of these settings are plan-dependent: Not editable, Not visible, Prefilled, and Enable barcode scanner.
Text and text blocks
Above the form sit Form title and Description.
Use Create text block to place explanatory sections between fields. A text block is either a Heading or a Paragraph.
Structure long forms
Heading text blocks are the simplest way to keep a form from becoming cluttered. From around ten fields onward, multiple form pages are worth considering instead.
Appearance
In the Layout tab, you set:
- Text — title, description, submit button text
- Images and logo — background image and logo with width (as a percentage of the form width)
- Colors — primary color, button color, background color, card background color, header color, card without shadow
- Field style — No border or With border
A logo is plan-dependent
Your own logo is only available on the top plan. Background image and colors are available on every plan.
What happens after submitting
The Success page section determines what the person filling out the form sees afterward.
By default it shows Thank you! with the text Your response has been received. Change both via Title and Message.
Below that, you choose an Action:
| Action | Behavior |
|---|---|
| No action | The success message stays as-is. |
| Fill out again | A button reopens the form — for entering several submissions in a row. |
| Redirect to website | Redirects to a website you specify. |
For the last two, you also set the Trigger:
- Click button — the person decides
- Immediately after submitting — right away
- after 5 seconds — the success message stays visible briefly
Choose the redirect carefully
Immediately after submitting skips the success message entirely. The person then sees no confirmation that anything arrived. After 5 seconds is usually the better choice.
The redirect option is plan-dependent.
Hiding the product notice
Forms carry a default notice, Create your own free form with …. Hide product notice removes it. This is also plan-dependent.
More settings
In the More tab:
| Setting | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Save to continue later | People filling out the form can pause and resume later. → Details |
| Auto-submit | The form submits itself as soon as it loads — for example to start a Flow via a QR code scan. |
| Hide submit button | Useful when the form should only display an entry's data. |
| Show account confirmation notice | Shows which account the person is signed in as. Useful on shared devices. |
| Multiple languages | Maintain form text in several languages. → Details |
Auto-submit needs complete prefill data
If the form submits itself, no one gets the chance to fill in required fields. All the needed values must therefore be set via Prefilled or a prefilled link.
Preview and publishing
Preview in new tab shows you the form exactly as people filling it out will see it.
To distribute it, use Create link to generate a share link. Only then is the form reachable. Every way of sharing it is described in Sharing a form.
What people filling it out see
For reference, the labels in the finished form:
| Element | Text |
|---|---|
| Submit | Submit |
| Next form page | Next |
| Previous form page | Back |
| After submitting | Thank you! / Your response has been received. |
| Another response | Send another response |
| Signature field | Tap here to sign |
| Voice recording | Tap here to record |
| Error | Oops - Error |
Security
Every form carries the notice Never share your password.
Never collect passwords or payment details
Never ask for passwords, credentials, or full payment details in a form. ApptiveGrid explicitly tells people filling out forms not to enter such information — and shows a warning or locks conspicuous forms.
Abusive forms can be reported via Report form. Contact: abuse@apptivegrid.com.