For a quick overview on creating user-friendly digital forms in IndyForms, watch the video or follow the instructions below.
Note: Only users with the appropriate access can design forms.
Admin Licence holders can create, edit, and publish forms.
General User Licence holders do not have access to the form builder, but they can submit form records.
If you don’t see the option to design a form, please contact your team administrator to verify your licence permissions.
Create a new form design
To create a new form in IndyForms, you can start from either the Dashboard or the Forms page.
From the Dashboard: Select Start designing a form under the "Discover" section.
From the Forms page: Select +New Design in the top right corner.
This will open a pop-up window with form design options.
Form design options
In IndyForms, you are given three different options for designing a form:
Design from Scratch – Start with a completely blank form and build it field by field.
Design with AI – Let IndyForms draft a form based on your input. You can also upload an existing form or document to use with the AI builder.
Browse Templates – Choose from existing form templates that you can customise.
1. Design from Scratch
This option for building a form opens IndyForms' form builder to a blank page.
On the right is a list of Field Types, which are used to build your form. Most of these Field Types are response fields; that is, they are used to gather information in the right format from your respondents. However, some Field Types (called Design Elements) are used to design your form, rather than to capture data.
Learn more in A Comprehensive Guide to Form Field Types.
Using a simple drag-and-drop method with your mouse, you can move your desired Field Types onto the form canvas. You can also click the plus (+) symbols to add Field Types.
Form layout
Sections
Select the plus icons (+) above or below your form canvas to create new Sections. Sections can be used to break up and organise your form. They can contain any number of fields and be displayed with an optional title and description.
Sections can also incorporate advanced settings, such as restricting who can view the section.
Learn more in How to Change Section Permissions.
Groups
If you drag and drop field types on top of existing fields OR on top of the plus (+) sign to the right of an existing field, you will create field Groups. (Alternatively, you can add a field to a group by clicking the plus (+) sign to the right of an existing field.)
Groups appear within Sections and display fields within a border and with an optional title. See our screenshot below.
**Note that IndyForms' forms are mobile responsive; so they will automatically adjust to fit your screen width.
Field Type Options
Once you have added fields to your form, you will want to configure its options.
Select an input field on your form canvas. This will open the Options tab on the right sidebar or in a pop-up window. Note: Only input fields have this feature. Design elements (e.g,. Rich Text, Library Document) can be further customised by clicking on the field in the builder.
Some configurable options include:
Label: For naming your field to help respondents answer it; i.e., you may name a Date field, "Date of birth".
Description: For adding further details.
Learn more about Field Type Options here.
Tip:
Use the Display in List option to control which fields appear on the Form Records page. This is especially useful for highlighting key fields such as names, dates, or locations.
You can also make selected fields filterable, making it easier to search or sort submissions — for example, filtering records by a specific date or client name.
Additional options:
The 6-dot icon in the top left of a selected field allows you to move it, as do the up and down arrows on the right-hand side. The bin icon on the top right allows you to delete the field, and the duplicate icon enables you to copy the field.
The edit icon, as in the screenshot below, also opens the Field Type Options in the right sidebar menu.
Form design workflow
Use the tabs at the top of your form builder to progress through the form design workflow, from initial design to sharing your form.
Use the Preview tab to view your design progress at any time.
When you're happy with your design, use the tabs to configure your form Settings, Publish your form, and then Share your form with users to gather their responses.
Learn more about Form Settings and Form Sharing.
Internal or Public form access can be toggled in the Settings tab, and the form needs to be published for the changes in access to be applied.
By default, new forms are created as Internal, meaning only logged-in users can access and complete them. Internal forms are ideal when you want to use section-level permissions or automations, such as due date reminders and scheduled issuing of form records.
You can learn more about section permissions and automation.
If you’re creating a form where users don’t need to sign in, you can switch it to a Public form in the Sharing tab. Public forms can be shared via a link or QR code, allowing anyone with access to complete and submit the form — no login is required.
2. Design with AI
This option for building a form opens a new chat with IndyForms' AI, where you can describe your desired form in the chat box. A form will be generated within the chat, which you can continue to refine through your conversation with the AI.
Once you’re happy with your design, simply click Use This Design, and the AI-generated form will open in the form builder.
From here, you can use the instructions as per option 1, above, to:
customise your form further, if needed, or
immediately publish and share the form to start collecting responses.
3. Browse Templates
This option for building a form allows you to choose from our database of pre-designed form templates to help you get started quickly.
After you select Browse templates:
Explore the Template Library and find a design that suits your needs.
Click Use this template, which opens the design in the form builder.
From here, you can use the instructions as per option 1, above, to:
customise your form further, if needed, or
immediately publish and share the form to start collecting responses.
Templates are completely free to use, and we are always improving and adding new designs!
And that’s how to create a form in IndyForms. Find your new forms at any time on the Forms page, where you can create a new response, view all responses to the form, and even edit the form’s design.
FAQs
Q. Can I edit my form after it’s been published?
A. Yes! You can edit any form after it’s been published. IndyForms also includes version control to help manage changes over time.
When you update a published form that already has existing records, a new version is created. All new records will use the updated version, while previously issued or submitted forms remain unaffected — they can still be completed as they were. No data is lost, and your existing records stay intact.
Q. Who can access and design forms in IndyForms?
A. Only users with an Admin Licence can create and manage forms.
Linked Articles
What's next?
💡Tips
• Use sections to organise long forms.
If your form includes multiple topics or categories, use sections to group related questions. This improves clarity for users and makes the form easier to navigate using the navigation sidebar — accessible using the blue circle with three horizontal lines above sections.
• Name your sections.
Adding section names not only helps structure your form — it also enables the navigation sidebar, making it easier for users to jump between parts of the form.
• Preview before publishing.
Always use the Preview tab to check your form’s layout, proofread your content, and confirm that required fields are set correctly before publishing.