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Publishing Forms

Once you've built and tested your form, it's time to publish it and make it accessible to users.

Publishing Your Form​

Before Publishing​

  1. Review Your Form:

    • Test all fields and validation
    • Verify conditional logic works
    • Check form appearance and layout
    • Review form settings

  2. Configure Access Control:

    • Decide who can submit (public, authenticated, restricted)
    • Set up domain restrictions if needed
    • Configure user whitelist if using restricted access

  3. Set Up Redirects:

    • Configure thank you message
    • Set redirect URL if needed
    • Test redirect behavior

Publishing Steps​

  1. Click "Publish" Button:

    • Located in the top toolbar
    • Form status changes from "Draft" to "Published"

  2. Get Shareable URL:

    • URL is generated automatically
    • Copy URL to share
    • URL format: https://yourdomain.com/forms/[formId]

  3. Verify Publication:

    • Form is now live and accessible
    • Test the published form URL
    • Verify submissions are being collected

Form Status​

Draft Mode​

  • Not Accessible: Form not available publicly
  • Editable: Can make changes freely
  • No Submissions: Cannot receive submissions
  • Team Only: Visible only to you and team members

Published Mode​

  • Live: Form accessible via shareable URL
  • Collecting Data: Receiving submissions
  • Editable: Can still edit (changes are versioned)
  • Public/Private: Based on access control settings

Sharing Your Form​

Shareable URL​

Every published form gets a unique URL:

https://yourdomain.com/forms/form_abc123

Features:

  • Direct link to form
  • Can be shared via email, social media, etc.
  • Works on any device
  • Responsive design

Embedding Forms​

Embed forms on your website:

  1. Get Embed Code:

    • Click "Share" button
    • Select "Embed" tab
    • Copy embed code

  2. Iframe Embed:

    <iframe 
      src="https://yourdomain.com/forms/form_abc123" 
      width="100%" 
      height="600"
      frameborder="0">
    </iframe>

  3. JavaScript Embed (if available):

    <div id="netpad-form-form_abc123"></div>
    <script src="https://yourdomain.com/embed.js"></script>

URL Pre-filling​

Pre-populate form fields via URL parameters:

https://yourdomain.com/forms/form_abc123?name=John&email=john@example.com

Configuration:

  • Enable URL pre-fill in form settings
  • Map query parameters to field IDs
  • Set default values if parameter missing

Access Control​

Public Forms​

Anyone with the URL can submit:

  • No authentication required
  • Accessible to everyone
  • Best for: Surveys, contact forms, public registrations

Configuration:

  • Set access control to "Public"
  • No additional setup needed

Authenticated Forms​

Users must sign in to submit:

  • Requires NetPad account
  • Tracks who submitted
  • Best for: Internal forms, member-only content

Configuration:

  • Set access control to "Authenticated"
  • Users will be prompted to sign in
  • Submission linked to user account

Restricted Forms​

Only specific users/domains can submit:

  • Domain whitelist
  • User email whitelist
  • Best for: Private forms, exclusive access

Configuration:

  • Set access control to "Restricted"
  • Add allowed domains or email addresses
  • Unauthorized users see access denied message

Form Settings​

General Settings​

  • Form Name: Display name
  • Description: Shown to users
  • Thank You Message: Message after submission
  • Redirect URL: Where to redirect after submission

Appearance​

  • Theme: Color scheme
  • Logo: Organization logo
  • Background: Background color or image
  • Custom CSS: Advanced styling (if enabled)

Advanced Settings​

  • Bot Protection: Enable Turnstile CAPTCHA
  • Webhooks: Configure webhook URLs
  • Submission Limit: Max submissions per user/IP
  • Auto-Close: Close form after date/number of submissions

Version Control​

Version History​

All form changes are tracked:

  • View version history
  • See what changed in each version
  • Compare versions side-by-side

Reverting Changes​

If something goes wrong:

  1. Go to version history
  2. Select previous version
  3. Click "Revert to This Version"
  4. Form returns to selected version

Publishing Updates​

When you edit a published form:

  • Changes are saved as new version
  • Form remains live during editing
  • New version published when you click "Publish"
  • Previous version remains in history

Unpublishing Forms​

Unpublish a Form​

  1. Click "Unpublish":

    • Form returns to draft mode
    • No longer accessible via URL
    • Existing submissions preserved

  2. Effects:

    • Form URL returns 404
    • No new submissions accepted
    • Form still visible in dashboard
    • Can republish anytime

Archiving Forms​

For forms you no longer need:

  1. Unpublish the form
  2. Archive from dashboard
  3. Form hidden from main list
  4. Can restore if needed

Analytics & Monitoring​

View Submissions​

  • Dashboard: See submission count
  • Responses Page: View all submissions
  • Export: Download as JSON or CSV
  • Chart View: See submissions over time
  • Peak Times: Identify busy periods
  • Completion Rates: Track form performance

Field Analytics​

  • Completion Rates: See which fields are skipped
  • Response Distribution: View answer patterns
  • Average Time: See how long forms take

See Analytics for more details.

Best Practices​

Before Publishing​

  1. Test Thoroughly: Test all fields, validation, and logic
  2. Review Settings: Check access control and appearance
  3. Set Up Monitoring: Configure analytics and notifications
  4. Prepare Support: Have help documentation ready

After Publishing​

  1. Monitor Submissions: Watch for issues or errors
  2. Review Analytics: Track form performance
  3. Gather Feedback: Collect user feedback
  4. Iterate: Make improvements based on data

Security​

  1. Access Control: Use appropriate access levels
  2. Bot Protection: Enable CAPTCHA for public forms
  3. Rate Limiting: Configure submission limits
  4. Data Privacy: Follow privacy best practices

Troubleshooting​

Form Not Accessible:

  • Verify form is published (not draft)
  • Check access control settings
  • Verify URL is correct

Submissions Not Saving:

  • Check MongoDB connection
  • Verify collection permissions
  • Review error logs

Embed Not Working:

  • Verify embed code is correct
  • Check iframe permissions
  • Test in different browsers

Next Steps​