The Builder has the most customizable form building options to date, containing all the latest features and functionality.

Table of Contents

1. Form Building Basics
   • Name your Form
   • Configuring All Screen Types
   • Configuring Fields
2. Form Enhancing Functionality
   • Configuring Calculations
   • Configuring Conditions
   • Using Reference Data to Auto-populate your Form
3. Testing, Saving, & Publishing a Form

Building an Advanced Mobile Form

To get started building a new mobile form in the Builder, select Create New in the upper right corner of the Forms page, select Advanced Form from the drop down menu to launch a new form.

Form Building Basics

GoCanvas users who have experienced the evolution of building forms in GoCanvas will hopefully recognize the blend of the best features from both of the previous Builder experiences. The Builder has been designed to not only feel familiar but fresh to existing users but also be intuitive and easy to start building for those users that are just starting out in GoCanvas.

Name your Form

The name of the form will automatically populate with “[User's Name] New Form” but a descriptive name is necessary for users in the field to choose the correct form. Move your cursor over the form name field, triple click to highlight the placeholder, and type the new form name.

Configuring All Screen Types

The foundation of all forms is Screens. Screens are used to compartmentalize, or “chunk out,”  the subsets of data that will be collected with this form. Separating the form by screens also creates a better user experience since it gives a feeling of making progress.

Examples of chunking data subsets include grouping customer information on one screen or listing out all materials used for a job in a table.

There are several Screen types that serve different data collection needs. Follow the links below to articles dedicated to these topics.

• Create Screens in the Builder
• What are Lists?
• Creating Tables in the Builder
• Create an Advanced Loop in the Builder

Configuring Fields

If Screens are foundational to building forms, then Fields are the blocks with which we build the form. Fields are categorized into Types and/or Styles within the Field Library and they all serve specific purposes. 

Field types and styles allow you to quickly capture information in the format that makes the most sense for the information being collected or completing an action during the submission process. For example, Date fields make adding a date easy and Calculation fields can perform simple mathematical operations automatically.

Please take note that all fields have Labels that should be used to guide the user on what data is required in the field value. A user won’t know what to do if a field says “New Text” so be sure to provide instruction and/or a very clear label.

• Adding Fields to your Form
• Field Labels in the Builder
• What are the Field Settings in the Builder?
• Builder Field Types section

Form Enhancing Functionality

Once your form has screens and fields, there are several functions that enhance the user’s experience when completing a submission. These functions are Calculations, Conditions, and Reference Data.

Configuring Calculations

Calculations are configured in the form building process and will run automatically when completing a submission, so the submitter can rely on the form to do the math for them. 

• Calculating Values and Constants
• Summarizing Values from a Repeating Screen Type
• Calculating Time in the Builder

Configuring Conditions

Conditions allow users to skip or reveal screens and fields in the normal workflow if certain user defined variables are met.

• Field Conditions in the Builder
• Screen Conditions in the Builder
• Stack Multiple Conditions on a Single Field or Screen

Using Reference Data to Auto-populate your Form

Reference Data allows admins to provide data to their users in the field that not only ensures consistency and accuracy in the field, but also saves time, eliminating the need to manually enter tedious or repetitive information.

• Properly Format a Google Sheet or CSV File for Reference Data
• Uploading Reference Data when using the Builder
• Map Reference Data to your Fields in the Builder
• Help Center section dedicated to Reference Data

Testing, Saving, & Publishing a Form

Once your form is complete, you’ll want to Test the form, either from within the Builder or on mobile. Before you can test it on your mobile device, users can fill out your form, it must be Saved and Published.

• Testing a Form from within the Builder
• Testing a Form Before Publishing to All Users
• Saving & Publishing a Form in the Builder
• Assign a Form to your Users from the Builder