The new eForm builder shows your form the way your client will read it: the form name, then each section and its questions. You click a question to edit it, and everything else stays out of the way. When the questions are done, a second step asks who the form is for and sends it.
The new builder is in beta. You can switch it on and off at any time, and your forms work the same in both builders.
Why it helps
You see the form as your client will, so it's easier to spot a missing or confusing question.
Only the question you're working on shows its controls, so long forms stay readable.
Writing questions is quick: press Enter for the next question, or / to pick a question type.
Preview as client shows the finished form before you send it.
Turn the new builder on
Open eForms from the menu.
Turn on New builder (beta) at the top of the page.
The switch is also on the eForm Templates page. Turning it on in either place turns it on for both.
Note: The setting is saved in your browser, so it applies to you on this computer only. If you use another computer or browser, turn it on there too. Read-only team members don't see the switch.
With the switch on, the new builder opens when you:
create a new eForm, or open a draft or a sent form that hasn't been opened yet;
create or edit an eForm template;
add or edit the eForm in an onboarding or a proposal.
Forms your client has already opened, and stacked forms (several forms sent together), still open in the classic editor.
To go back to the classic editor, turn New builder (beta) off.
Start a new form
On the eForms page, click New eForm.
Choose Blank form, or pick one of your templates.
A blank form opens with a short Build your form guide at the top and your cursor in the form name. Question 1 is already open, ready to type into.
Type the form name in Name your form. Use a name your client will recognise, because they see it.
Optionally, add a short note for your client under the name.
To start from a template instead, choose one from Start from. It replaces the blank form with the template's questions. You can only change this before you start editing.
Tip: The guide disappears once you've written your first question.
Write questions
Click a question to open it. Type the question, then choose the answer type from the button on the right (it shows Short Answer to begin with).
Press Enter to save the question and start the next one. Shift + Enter adds a new line instead.
In an empty question, type / to pick a question type without leaving the keyboard.
Click Add help text to add a line of guidance under the question.
Turn on Required if the client must answer it.
Click anywhere outside the question to close it.
Question types
Type | What the client gives you |
|---|---|
Short Answer | A single line of text. |
Paragraph | Several lines of text. |
Multiple Choice | One answer from a list you set. Turn on Let them pick more than one to allow several. |
Automated Identity Verification | An identity check run by OnboardMe. A form can only have one. |
Date | A date. |
Number | A number. |
An email address. | |
Phone | A phone number. |
Website | A web address. |
Address | A postal address. |
File Upload | One or more files. |
Signature | A drawn signature. |
Repeating group | A small set of fields the client can fill in as many times as they need, for example one row per bank account. |
Show a question only when it's needed
Click Show only if… under a question to show it only when an earlier answer matches. For example, show "Please let us know what we need to update" only when the client answers Yes to "Has anything changed?". Click Remove show-if rule to take the rule off.
The first question in a section can't have a show-if rule. Use a rule on the section instead (see below).
More question settings
Click Settings under an open question for the less common options:
Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
Client access | Client answers it (the default), Client can see it, staff fill it in, or Staff only (hidden from the client). |
Auto-fill the answer from | Fills in your business's or the client's details when the form is prepared or sent, so the client only checks them. |
Let the client attach a file | Adds an upload box under the answer. |
Sensitive answer | Once saved, the client only sees a masked value. Use it for tax file numbers and bank details. |
Files the client can download | Files you attach for the client to read alongside the question. |
The … menu next to Settings lets you add a question below, duplicate it, move it up or down, or delete it. You can also drag a question by its handle on the left to move it.
Organise questions into sections
Sections group your questions into pages for your client. Every section needs a title, and a form can't be saved until each one has one.
Type the title in Name this section at the top of the section.
Click Add question at the end of a section to add a question to it, or hover between two questions and click + to add one in between.
Click Add section at the bottom of the form to start a new section.
Click … at the top right of a section for its options:
Option | What it does |
|---|---|
Add an intro (or Edit intro) | Text shown at the top of the section, before its questions. |
Show if… | Shows the whole section only when an earlier answer matches. Not available on the first section. |
Let the client repeat this section | The client can fill the section in more than once, for example once per property. Not available on the first section. |
Shared files | Files the client can download while filling in the section. |
Duplicate section | Copies the section and its questions. |
Reorder sections… | Drag sections into the order your client should see them. |
Delete section | Removes the section and all of its questions. |
On wide screens, forms with more than one section show a Sections list on the left. Click a section to jump to it, or drag sections to reorder them.
Preview, undo and save
Preview as client (top right) shows the form exactly as your client will see it.
Use the undo and redo buttons at the bottom left, or Ctrl + Z, to step back through your changes.
Save draft saves the form without sending it. You'll find it on the eForms page to finish later.
Note: Until you save, the builder keeps a copy of your changes in this browser and shows Changes kept in this browser. If the tab closes by accident, open the form again and click Restore changes.
Send the form
Click Next: who it's for.
Under Client, search for the client. Their details fill in for you. You can also type them straight into Recipient name and Recipient email.
To text the link as well as emailing it, turn on Also send a text message and check the Mobile number.
Under Invitation email, your standard eForm invitation is used. Click Customise to change the wording for this form.
Click Send form.
Click Back to questions if you need to change something first. If you edit a form that's already been sent, the button changes to Save and resend.
eForm templates
With the new builder on, creating or editing a template on the eForm Templates page uses the same builder. The second step is Settings instead of Send, where you choose the Form type, whether the template is Active, and an optional invitation email for forms made from it. Click Save template to finish.
Note: If you edit one of OnboardMe's standard templates, saving creates your own copy. The standard template stays as it is.
eForms in onboardings and proposals
With the new builder on, adding or editing the eForm in an onboarding or a proposal opens the new builder too. There's no Send step, because the onboarding or proposal sends the form. When you're done, click Save form to onboarding or Save form to proposal. The form is saved when you save the onboarding or proposal.
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