Creating a form in the CMS involves creating a CMS Asset through the Form Builder. This asset can be created before or after you create the page you intend to place it in, but is separate from the page creation process.
Before you can create a form, you'll need to attend the specialized Web Form training, CMS 130: Create a Web Form.
Once you have received the proper training, you will gain access to the form asset in the CMS and you will be able to get started building forms. The process of creating your forms takes place within the CMS, using the Form Builder.
Creating a Form Asset:
- Log in to the CMS by navigating to a page on your website and clicking the Direct Edit link.
- Click Content then Assets.
- Click New.
- Select Form. This will take you to the Form Builder.
- You will be taken to a new Asset form.
Filling in the Form's Fields:
The navigation on the left side of your new form includes two menus: the top, entitled "New Form," includes the basic settings of the form; the bottom, entitled "Form Elements," houses the inputs (or questions) that you can place into the form.
New Form and Form Elements Toolbars
For detailed instructions on Form Elements see Creating Your Form Elements.
Asset Info
Asset Info Pannel
- Asset Name
Required. Name of your form - use a name that is meaningful to the purpose that way you can easily find it later on. The name will not be viewable on the web page. - Description
Describe what the intent of the form is. - Tags
Tags are single word labels that will help you to locate the form in the future. - Lock to site
Required. Keep this checked that way the asset will be protected under your site.
Access Settings
Access Settings Panel
- Access Group
Required. Defines who can edit this form (assign to your group). - Available To
Required. Defines who can place the form in a page (assign to your group).
Elements
Elements Panel
Form Elements Toolbar
Every form must include at least one element. The elements are the building blocks of the form and will become the input fields, or questions you will ask your viewers to fill in. Form elements can be added from the left Form Elements toolbar by clicking the "Add" icon or simply by dragging an element into the Elements panel.
There are six primary elements available for form customization, as well as custom elements such as date-pickers, time-pickers, etc.. To learn more about these elements and their individual functionality please see Creating Your Form Elements.
Email Messages
Email Messages Panel
Please ignore this panel.
Form Settings Panel
This panel allows you to create custom system messages that display upon a successful or failed form submission.
- Success and Failure Messages
The default responses are:
Success
Failure
If you would like to keep the default messages, place the word "default" in each of the micro CMS Editors. Otherwise, you may customize the message by writing your content directly in the micro CMS Editors.
Should you wish to have a redirect, click the dropdown arrow for Success Message and select URL Redirect. You will be able to add your URL. You will need to add the full published URL including the protocol or double forward slash.- http://cascade.msuextension.org/fcs/index.html or
- //cascade.msuextension.org/fcs/index.html
- Save Results in Database
Do not uncheck or you will not be able to retrieve your responses. - Submission Button Test
By default, your submission button will read "Submit." However, by typing in this field you can customize the text. - Advanced
For general purposes, this field can be left blank.
Creating and Publishing Your Form:
Once you have completed all of the panels mentioned above, click "Create."
After the creation of the new form, the settings can be changed and form elements can be added, deleted, or modified.
You will have to publish the asset in order to use it on a page.
Keep in mind that once an asset has been inserted on a published page, visitors may complete the form.
If you need to edit the Form Asset later on please visit How do I edit an Asset?.