Capturing data with forms
Online forms (HTML forms) allow users to fill out information on a website and can be used to capture a variety of data/information. In GovCMS, forms can be created in the following ways:
- Creation of custom forms (this requires development expertise and would be done by a development partner or in-house development team).
- Creation of a new Webform using the "Webform Module". This is the recommended option for content authors and the focus of this topic.
Note Forms can also be created by creating a new Content type. However, this method is not recommended as it can lead to mixing public form submissions with site content. The GovCMS Contact Module can also be used to create a form, however functionality is limited using this method.
Webforms can be used to:
- Setup a complex Contact us form.
- Add a survey to your website.
- Include a feedback form on your site.
- Add an order form to your site.
Webforms can be configured to send emails to selected recipients when the form is submitted by a site visitor. Completed form submissions can also downloaded in bulk from the site.
The Webform template is accessible from the content management area of GovCMS. To create a new Webform, click on Structure in the Admin menu, then hover over Webforms and click on Forms.
Image of accessing Webforms from Admin menu
Image of accessing Webforms from Admin menu
Note: In GovCMS, each Webform is an independent entity; to attach metadata to a Webform, it must be referenced from a Webform content type. This approach allows for broader use-cases of webforms as independent entities and means they can be reused in multiple places.
You can view the webform results from the Webform page (if your account has the correct permissions) by clicking on the Results tab. Results can be viewed and downloaded in many different formats.