Once you've become familiar with your account, you'll want to create at least one online form. Forms can be applications or tracking forms, such as adoption application, foster applications, requests to borrow equipment, requests for trap-neuter-vaccinate-release (TNVR) help. The limit to the forms you can create is your organization's needs.

This guide will walk you through the creation of your first online form, and include lots of information about creating any additional forms you need. Each step of the process is detailed for you, and we hope you'll sail through the creation of your first form!

Where do I start?

If this is your first RescueGroups.org account, it would be good to read through our Getting Started with RescueGroups.org guide, particularly these chapters:

• Logging in to your RescueGroups.org account
• Getting familiar with your account interface
• How information is organized in your account
  

Learning about data tables 

The information in your account is arranged in data tables. Online forms are no exception. Both your forms and the data you use to create them are saved in data tables and available for your use.

Data tables are simply tables with columns and rows of information. They allow you to manipulate the information in the table, arranging it in a coherent and meaningful way for your purposes.  Much of the information collected and managed by the Data Management Service relies on data tables. We'll help you understand how to use the data you collect.

With data tables you can:

• Quickly sort by headings
• Change your view (change to one of the other built-in views)
• Create custom views (change the fields and field order)
• Share your custom view
• Export your view to a spreadsheet
• Add filters to your data table views

All data tables in your account have the same look and feel. Most data tables have the same controls, buttons, and options.

Some common data tables are:

• Animals > Animals List
• Contacts > Contacts List

Your online forms will be listed in a data table. With it, you can run reports about those forms. For more details about data tables, read the chapter, How information is organized in your account in the Getting Started with RescueGroups.org guide.