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Public Forms

Learn how to create and share public forms that can be accessed by external users without requiring a Jadawel account.

Overview

Public forms allow you to collect data from people outside your organization. These forms can be accessed via a unique URL without requiring login credentials, making them ideal for customer feedback, event registrations, surveys, and more.

Creating a Public Form

Enable Public Access

To make a form public:

  1. Open your form in the form builder
  2. Go to Settings → Access
  3. Toggle Enable Public Access
  4. Configure public access options
  5. Save and publish

Public Form Settings

Configure how your public form works:

Access Control

  • Open Access: Anyone with the link can submit
  • Password Protected: Require a password to access
  • Email Verification: Require valid email before submitting
  • Domain Restriction: Limit to specific email domains
  • IP Allowlist: Restrict by IP address

Submission Limits

  • Max Submissions: Total number allowed
  • Per User Limit: How many times one person can submit
  • Rate Limiting: Submissions per time period
  • Submission Window: Open and close dates

Security Options

  • CAPTCHA: Add reCAPTCHA or hCaptcha
  • Honeypot Field: Hidden spam trap
  • Submission Delay: Prevent rapid fire submissions
  • Browser Validation: Check for real browser vs bot

Sharing Public Forms

Get the Public Link

After enabling public access:

  1. Click Share button
  2. Copy the public form URL: /form/public/:id
  3. Use this link for external sharing

Sharing Methods

Direct Link

Share the URL via:

  • Email campaigns
  • Social media posts
  • SMS messages
  • QR codes
  • Website links

Embed Code

Embed the form on your website:

  1. Click Embed in share menu
  2. Copy the embed code
  3. Paste into your website HTML
  4. Customize iframe dimensions
<iframe 
  src="https://your-domain.com/form/public/form-id" 
  width="100%" 
  height="600px"
  frameborder="0">
</iframe>

QR Code

Generate a QR code for easy mobile access:

  1. Click Generate QR Code
  2. Download PNG or SVG
  3. Print or share digitally
  4. Users scan to access form

Sharing Best Practices

  • Clear Call-to-Action: Explain why they should fill it out
  • Set Expectations: Tell them how long it takes
  • Privacy Assurance: Explain how data will be used
  • Mobile-Friendly: Ensure link works on phones
  • Track Sources: Use URL parameters to track where submissions come from

Customizing Public Forms

Branding

Make the form match your brand:

Visual Branding

  • Logo: Add your company logo
  • Colors: Use brand colors
  • Fonts: Match your typography
  • Background: Custom background image or color
  • Header: Custom header content

Content Branding

  • Welcome Message: Greet respondents
  • Instructions: Clear guidance
  • Footer: Company information
  • Disclaimer: Legal or privacy notice
  • Thank You Message: Custom completion message

User Experience

Optimize for public users:

Simplicity

  • Minimal Fields: Ask only what’s necessary
  • Clear Labels: Self-explanatory field names
  • Help Text: Provide guidance where needed
  • Examples: Show format examples
  • Progress Bar: Show completion status

Mobile Optimization

  • Responsive Design: Works on all screen sizes
  • Touch-Friendly: Large tap targets
  • Simple Input: Use mobile-optimized fields
  • Autocomplete: Enable browser autocomplete
  • Fast Loading: Optimize performance

Language Options

Support multiple languages:

  1. Create form translations
  2. Auto-detect user language
  3. Provide language selector
  4. Translate all text including errors

Managing Public Submissions

Monitoring Responses

Track public form activity:

  • Real-time Dashboard: See submissions as they happen
  • Response Rate: Track completion vs abandonment
  • Traffic Sources: Where submissions come from
  • Geographic Data: Where respondents are located
  • Device Breakdown: Desktop vs mobile stats

Spam Prevention

Protect against spam:

Built-in Protection

  • CAPTCHA: Human verification
  • Rate Limiting: Prevent flood attacks
  • Duplicate Detection: Block repeat submissions
  • Profanity Filter: Block offensive content
  • Validation Rules: Reject invalid data

Manual Review

Set up moderation:

  1. Enable Require Approval for submissions
  2. Review responses before accepting
  3. Flag suspicious submissions
  4. Block abusive users
  5. Whitelist trusted submitters

Response Validation

Ensure quality data:

  • Email Verification: Confirm valid emails
  • Phone Validation: Check phone numbers
  • Address Lookup: Verify addresses
  • Business Rules: Custom validation logic
  • Data Cleaning: Auto-format inputs

Public Form Security

Protecting Sensitive Data

Security measures for public forms:

Data Encryption

  • SSL/TLS: Secure transmission
  • Encrypted Storage: Protected at rest
  • Secure Links: HTTPS only
  • No Data Logging: Avoid unnecessary tracking

Access Control

  • Time-Limited Links: Expire after period
  • One-Time Use: Single submission links
  • Password Protection: Require password
  • Token Authentication: Unique access tokens

Privacy Compliance

Meet privacy regulations:

GDPR Requirements

  • Consent Checkbox: Explicit data consent
  • Privacy Policy Link: Clear privacy notice
  • Data Purpose: Explain data usage
  • Right to Delete: Honor deletion requests
  • Data Export: Provide data copies

Data Minimization

  • Collect Less: Only essential information
  • Auto-Delete: Remove old submissions
  • Anonymization: Strip identifying data
  • Limited Retention: Set expiration dates

Advanced Features

Conditional Public Forms

Show different content based on:

  • Referral Source: URL parameters
  • User Location: Geographic targeting
  • Device Type: Desktop vs mobile
  • Time of Day: Different hours
  • Previous Responses: Return visitors

Pre-filled Forms

Generate personalized links:

/form/public/:id?name=John&email=john@example.com

Use cases:

  • Email Campaigns: Pre-fill contact info
  • Follow-ups: Reference previous data
  • Personalization: Customize experience
  • Save Time: Reduce user effort

Multi-Step Public Forms

Break long forms into steps:

  1. Page 1: Basic information
  2. Page 2: Detailed questions
  3. Page 3: Optional extras
  4. Review: Confirm before submit
  5. Thank You: Completion page

Benefits:

  • Lower abandonment rates
  • Better mobile experience
  • Progressive disclosure
  • Save progress between steps

A/B Testing

Test different form versions:

  • Different Headlines: Test messaging
  • Field Order: Optimize flow
  • Required vs Optional: Balance completion
  • Design Variations: Compare layouts
  • Call-to-Action: Test button text

Public Form Analytics

Track Performance

Key metrics to monitor:

  • Views: How many people opened the form
  • Starts: Percentage who began filling it out
  • Completions: Finished submissions
  • Abandonment Rate: Where people drop off
  • Time to Complete: Average duration
  • Error Rate: Validation failures

Conversion Optimization

Improve form performance:

  1. Identify Bottlenecks: Where users abandon
  2. Simplify Fields: Reduce friction
  3. Better Copy: Clearer instructions
  4. Mobile Testing: Optimize for phones
  5. A/B Test: Try variations

Integration

Connect public forms to other tools:

  • Email Marketing: Add to mailing lists
  • CRM Systems: Create leads automatically
  • Analytics: Track with Google Analytics
  • Webhooks: Send data to external systems
  • Payment Processors: Collect payments

Best Practices

Design

  • Professional Appearance: First impressions matter
  • Consistent Branding: Match your company style
  • Clear Purpose: Explain what the form is for
  • Trust Signals: Add security badges, privacy info
  • Mobile-First: Design for phones

Content

  • Concise Questions: Get to the point
  • Logical Order: Flow naturally
  • Optional vs Required: Mark clearly
  • Error Messages: Helpful, not scary
  • Thank You Page: Confirm and guide next steps

Marketing

  • Promote Widely: Multiple channels
  • Clear Value: Why should they fill it out?
  • Incentives: Consider offering something
  • Follow Up: Engage with respondents
  • Testimonials: Share success stories

Security

  • Regular Audits: Check for vulnerabilities
  • Update Protection: Keep security current
  • Monitor Submissions: Watch for abuse
  • Backup Data: Prevent loss
  • Limit Access: Only necessary team members

Troubleshooting

Form Not Accessible

If users can’t access:

  • Verify public access is enabled
  • Check URL is correct
  • Ensure form is published
  • Test in incognito mode

Low Response Rate

To improve submissions:

  • Simplify the form
  • Improve marketing
  • Test mobile experience
  • Add incentives
  • A/B test variations

Spam Submissions

To reduce spam:

  • Enable CAPTCHA
  • Add rate limiting
  • Review suspicious patterns
  • Block problem IPs
  • Require email verification
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