---
title: "Creating a Form"
url: https://flexie.io/resources/forms/creating-a-form
description: "From an empty builder to a saved configured form. The three first choices you can't change later, the drag-and-drop canvas, every field type, per-field settings, validation, and the form-level settings."
---

# Creating a Form

Last updated 25 May 2026

![The Flexie form builder with a field palette on the left and a live preview of the form on the right](https://flexie.io/image/resources/forms-creating-a-form.png)

The same flow applies to all three flavours; the differences are noted as you go. Start at the main menu under **Forms** (`/forms`), click **New**.

## Step 1, the three first choices (you can't change them later)

When you create a form, three settings are locked once it has been saved:

| Setting         | What it controls                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**        | The form's display name in lists, emails, the URL slug, and reports. You _can_ change this later.                                                                                                                                                          |
| **Form type**   | **External** (public-facing) or **Internal** (for signed-in users). **Locked after save.**                                                                                                                                                                 |
| **Record type** | The kind of record this form is attached to: Lead, Contact, Deal, Case, a custom record, or the **virtual** type for forms that aren't tied to one record. **Locked after save.** Only applies to Internal forms; External forms always submit as virtual. |

If you realise the choice was wrong later, you'll need to create a new form and copy the field layout across. Choose deliberately.

The fields you'll set on the create screen:

* **Name**, required.
* **Alias**, a machine-readable name (auto-generated from the name).
* **Category**, a folder, optional.
* **Form type**, `External` or `Internal`.
* **Record type**, only shown if Form type is Internal.
* **Create workflow automatically?**, if ticked, Flexie creates a starter workflow with the matching listener wired up, so you can start adding steps straight away. Recommended for new forms.

Click **Save** and you're in the **form builder**.

## Step 2, the form builder (the visual canvas)

The builder is a **drag-and-drop canvas**. On the left is the palette of field types; on the right is the live form, exactly as a submitter will see it. You add fields by dragging them from the palette onto the form.

There are two **layouts** you can choose for the form:

* **Single-page form** (the default), all fields on one screen.
* **Wizard**, a multi-step flow where each step is a separate "page" of the form. The submitter clicks **Next** to move through them.

You set this when you create the form (or change it via the builder's view control, before fields are added). Inside a wizard, each step has its own title and its own set of fields.

## Step 3, field types

The field palette offers these field types. The first group are **data fields** (they collect a value); the second group are **layout fields** (they just arrange the form).

### Data fields

| Field                 | What it's for                                                                        | Notable settings                                                                                                   |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Text Field**        | A single-line text input (name, ID, postcode)                                        | Required, default value, placeholder, word count, character count                                                  |
| **Text Area**         | Multi-line text (notes, descriptions)                                                | Same as Text Field                                                                                                 |
| **Email**             | An email address; the form validates the format on the client before submission      | Required, default value                                                                                            |
| **Phone Number**      | A phone number (no automatic format validation)                                      | Required, default value                                                                                            |
| **Number**            | A number; submitter can only enter digits                                            | Required, default value, min / max                                                                                 |
| **Checkbox**          | A yes/no tick box                                                                    | Required, default state                                                                                            |
| **Select / Dropdown** | A single choice from a list                                                          | The list of options (each option has a _label_ shown to the user and a _value_ stored), required, default value    |
| **Radio Buttons**     | A single choice as a row of buttons                                                  | Same as Select                                                                                                     |
| **Date**              | A calendar picker                                                                    | Required, default value, date format                                                                               |
| **Time**              | A time picker                                                                        | Required, default value                                                                                            |
| **File Upload**       | One or more files attached to the submission                                         | Single or multiple files (see [File uploads](https://flexie.io/resources/forms/public-forms#file-uploads-allowed-types-and-limits)) |
| **GDPR Consent**      | A consent block, used to group one or more checkboxes around a legal-basis statement | Contains its own sub-fields                                                                                        |

### Layout fields (no data)

| Field       | What it's for                                              |
| ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Content** | A free-form HTML block: headings, explanatory text, images |
| **Panel**   | A collapsible / expandable group of fields with a heading  |
| **Columns** | A multi-column row to place fields side by side            |
| **Line**    | A visual separator                                         |
| **Button**  | The Submit (or Next, in a wizard) button                   |

> **Every data field has a `key`.** It's what the submission JSON uses to label that value. For example a field called _"First Name"_ probably has the key `First Name`. The key is also what your workflow steps read from `__data` (see [Reading submissions](https://flexie.io/resources/forms/submissions#reading-a-submission-in-a-script)). The key can contain spaces and special characters, which has implications for how you read it in scripts, covered in [Submissions](https://flexie.io/resources/forms/submissions#bracket-notation-for-keys-with-spaces).

## Step 4, per-field settings

Click any field on the canvas to open its settings panel. The settings vary by field type, but the common ones are:

| Setting                       | Effect                                                                           |
| ----------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Label**                     | The visible text next to the input.                                              |
| **Key**                       | The system name, what the value is stored as. Auto-generated from the label.     |
| **Required**                  | The form won't submit without a value.                                           |
| **Default value**             | What the field starts with when the form is loaded.                              |
| **Placeholder**               | Faded hint text inside the empty input.                                          |
| **Custom validation message** | The error message shown when validation fails (otherwise a generic one is used). |
| **Description / tooltip**     | Extra hint text shown beside or below the field.                                 |

For Select and Radio fields, you also configure the **list of options**: each option has a _label_ (shown) and a _value_ (stored).

### Validation

Validation happens in the submitter's browser before the form is sent. The built-in checks are:

* **Required**, the field has a value.
* **Type-correct**, Email looks like an email; Number is numeric; Date is a real date.
* **Length / min / max**, where supported by the field type.

If a field fails validation, the form is **not** submitted. The user sees an inline error and the relevant field is highlighted.

> Some abusive submitters bypass the client-side validation by posting straight to the submit URL. For external forms, layer a **reCAPTCHA** on top, see [Spam protection](https://flexie.io/resources/forms/public-forms#spam-protection-google-recaptcha-v3).

## Step 5, form-level settings

Open the form's **Settings** (separate from the field-level settings) to configure:

### Identity

* **Name**, the form's display name.
* **Alias**, auto-generated; rarely needs editing.
* **Category**, optional folder.
* **Published**, the on/off switch. **An unpublished form rejects every submission**, even if its URL is reachable. Always publish before going live.

### Layout & design

* **Form image**, a hero image at the top of the form.
* **Accent colour**, the colour of buttons and highlights.
* **Optimise uploaded images**, when on, image attachments are converted to a smaller, web-friendly format on upload (saves storage and bandwidth).

### Post-submit behaviour (External forms only)

What the submitter sees right after they submit. Two options:

* **Show a message**, a confirmation message you write (Flexie Scripting allowed).
* **Redirect to a URL**, send them on to a thank-you page.

These are the _defaults_. A workflow can override the response per-submission using the **Form Respond** action, see [Writing a custom response](https://flexie.io/resources/forms/forms-in-workflows#writing-a-custom-response-per-submission).

### Spam protection, Google reCAPTCHA v3 (External forms)

Covered in [Public forms: Spam protection](https://flexie.io/resources/forms/public-forms#spam-protection-google-recaptcha-v3).

### Analytics (External forms)

* **Google Analytics tracking ID** (e.g. `UA-…` or `G-…`), emits a form-submit event when the form is sent.
* **Anonymise IP**, sets the `anonymizeIp` flag for GA, for GDPR compliance.
* **Facebook Pixel ID**, fires a Lead event on submit.

### Legal basis (External forms)

For GDPR compliance you must declare a legal basis for processing submitted data. The form requires you to choose one (Consent, Contract, Legal obligation, Vital interests, Public task, Legitimate interests, Pre-contractual measures).

### Access (Internal forms)

Who can see and use the form: everyone, or specific roles, user groups, or individual users. See [Internal forms: Access control](https://flexie.io/resources/forms/internal-forms#access-control).

### Placement (Internal forms)

Where the form should appear in the app: on the record's profile, in the top navigation, in the dialer, or any combination. See [Internal forms: Where the form appears](https://flexie.io/resources/forms/internal-forms#where-the-form-appears).

## Step 6, test before going live

Before publishing:

1. **Open the form** as a submitter would. For an External form, open `/form/{identifier}`; for an Internal form, find it on a record's profile or in the top-nav.
2. **Submit a real test** with realistic values.
3. **Check it landed** in the right place, see [Submissions](https://flexie.io/resources/forms/submissions#viewing-submissions).
4. **Check the workflow it triggers**, open the workflow's [Logs view](https://flexie.io/resources/workflows/scheduling-testing-troubleshooting#the-activity-logs) to confirm each step ran with the values you expected.
5. If your form uses **reCAPTCHA**, test from a normal browser session. A headless test can fail the score check.

Fix anything you find, then publish.

## What is _not_ configurable

A few things are intentionally fixed:

* **The submission endpoint URL.** External forms post to `/form/push/{identifier}` regardless of how you embed them. You can't change the path; you can only change the host (your Flexie instance).
* **The data shape sent back by the workflow.** The form-respond pattern has four fixed response types (`message`, `redirect`, `error`, `json`), see [Forms in workflows](https://flexie.io/resources/forms/forms-in-workflows#response-shape).
* **Form type and record type** after creation, as noted at the top of this page.

## Next steps

* For an External / public form: [Public forms](https://flexie.io/resources/forms/public-forms).
* For an Internal form: [Internal forms](https://flexie.io/resources/forms/internal-forms).
* After you've collected some submissions: [Submissions](https://flexie.io/resources/forms/submissions).
* To make the form drive an automation: [Forms in workflows](https://flexie.io/resources/forms/forms-in-workflows).