Once you click the Add an Online Form button, the form opens. What you see in this first screen is the behind-the-scenes structure of your form. In this first part of the form, you'll add those questions which are required of the visitor and which are automatically collected from the registration. The form requires you to fill out certain information, but as you'll see in the explanation below, other information can be gathered and is helpful.

When adding an online form you will be asked to provide the following information:

• Form Name:* Enter a name for the form. Your visitors will be able to identify the form by its name and type. Example: Adoption Application or Foster Application.

• Form Type:* Select the form type for this new form:
  
  

• Is this a public form:* You can choose to show the form to the public or make it private. Public forms can be submitted  by anyone who registers on your web site. Private forms are not available to your visitors unless you email them a link to the form. The form will not appear in the list of forms on the My Rescue web page. Examples of private forms might be foster applications or equipment loan requests.

• Allow multiple submissions by one user:* Should a single visitor be able to submit this form more than once?  Keep in mind that a visitor can register multiple user names and still submit the form multiple times. There are benefits and disadvantages to both options. If a visitor returns later, and wants to submit the same form but their information has changed, they might want to fill out a new form. However, visitors who become confused and aren't sure the form is filled out can fill out several, which you or your volunteers have to wade through. 

• Allow unregistered users to submit this form:* Should your visitors be required to register and log in before they can submit this form, or should an unregistered user be able to submit the form?  If you select Yes, all of your form questions will be presented on one page for the user to complete. The advantage to requiring visitors to register before filling out a form is that certain parts of the registration information are captured (see the form above) and automatically added to the form at your request. Unregistered visitors might not complete those sections.

• Display all questions on one page: You can choose, your entire form can be displayed on one web page, or you can split it up into pages. (Even if set to 'No', a visitor must be logged in to view the form on separate pages.) The advantage to pages is that it doesn't look so long and visitors don't have to scroll through, however, if you create short pages to help people fill out the form easily, they may see that it's ten pages, for instance, without looking at the length of the pages. 

• Submission fee: If you have added items to your Online Store, you can select one of them to be a Form Fee (application fee) for this form. The user will be directed to the selected Online Store item when they submit the form. You should also add a sentence in the Form Comment so that the visitor knows they must pay an application fee.

• Form submission comment: The Form Submission Comment is the text that is emailed to the user when they submit the form. Many organizations simply thank the applicant, but you can add more information as you desire.

• Default Assignee: You can choose which of your volunteers to assign Submitted Forms to by default for the form. Only contacts that are in the Volunteer group are available in this list for you to select.

• Alert Email Addresses: You can specify email addresses to which Submitted Forms alerts should be sent.  Multiple addresses can be entered, separated by a comma.  (Any volunteer whose options are set to receive alerts for Submitted Forms will still receive them.) 

• Reply to Email Address:  You can set an email address that submission emails are sent from and replied to.

• Contact Fields: Select which built-in contact fields to display and require on your forms.

• Status:* Select the status of the form -- if it should be enabled and accessible to the public, or if it should be disabled. Take your time and ensure your application is the way you want it, then select to enable the form.

When you have entered the required information, click Save Online Form.

Editing an online form

When you have edited your form, click Save Online Form.

Deleting an online form

Activating an online form

You can Activate an Online Forms by clicking the Edit online form icon next to the Form Name on the Online Forms page.

This is useful if you want to work on a form before allowing the public to see it.

You can switch the form between active and inactive at any time.

Deactivating an online form

Deactivated forms will not appear on form lists unless the visitor has already started to fill out the form.