Form Building
Field Properties
Master the common properties available for Formora form fields, including labels, placeholders, help text, validation, default values, and conditional logic access.
Once you’ve added a field to your form using the Formora Form Builder, the next step is to configure its properties. Field properties allow you to customize the appearance, behavior, validation rules, and data handling for each individual field, ensuring your form is both user-friendly and collects the exact information you need.
When you select any field on your form canvas, the Properties Panel (usually on the right side of the builder) will display the available settings for that specific field type.
While some properties are unique to certain field types (as detailed in their respective documentation pages), many are common across most, if not all, input fields. This page provides a comprehensive overview of these frequently encountered properties.
The Field Properties Panel - Your Control Center for Field Customization
Commonly Available Field Properties
Label
Label
The Label is the main title or question associated with the field. It’s what the user sees directly above or next to the input area.
- Purpose: Clearly tells the user what information is being requested.
- Best Practices: Keep labels concise, clear, and descriptive. Use title case or sentence case consistently. Avoid using placeholders as a substitute for labels, as placeholders disappear once the user starts typing.
- Configuration: Typically a simple text input in the Properties Panel.
Placeholder Text
Placeholder Text
Placeholder Text is hint text displayed inside the input field before the user enters any value. It disappears once the user starts typing.
- Purpose: Provides an example of the expected input format or a brief instruction.
- Best Practices: Use sparingly. Do not rely on it for critical information, as it’s not always visible. Good for short examples like “e.g., John Doe” or “yourname@example.com”.
- Configuration: A text input in the Properties Panel. Not applicable to all field types (e.g., checkboxes, radio buttons often don’t have placeholders).
Help Text / Description
Help Text / Description
Help Text (or Description) is additional explanatory text displayed below the field.
- Purpose: Offers more detailed instructions, clarifies requirements, or provides context if the label and placeholder are insufficient.
- Best Practices: Useful for complex fields, fields with specific formatting rules, or to explain why certain information is needed.
- Configuration: A text area in the Properties Panel, may support basic formatting.
Required Field Toggle
Required Field Toggle
Marks the field as mandatory. Users will not be able to submit the form unless a value is provided for all required fields.
- Purpose: Ensures you collect essential information.
- Indication: Required fields are typically indicated to the user with an asterisk (*) next to the label or a specific visual cue.
- Configuration: Usually a simple switch or checkbox in the Properties Panel.
Default Value
Default Value
Pre-fills the field with a specific value when the form loads. Users can typically change this value unless the field is also set to Read-Only.
- Purpose: Speeds up form filling for common answers, sets a sensible default, or provides a starting point.
- Configuration: A text input or selection appropriate to the field type (e.g., typing text for a text field, selecting an option for a dropdown).
Read-Only Toggle
Read-Only Toggle
If enabled, displays the field’s value (often a default value or one set by logic) to the user but prevents them from editing it.
- Purpose: Displaying pre-calculated values, reference information, or data that shouldn’t be modified by the user in that context.
- Configuration: A switch or checkbox.
Field Name / ID
Field Name / ID
A unique identifier for the field. While often auto-generated by Formora, it might be customizable.
- Purpose: Crucial for:
- Conditional Logic: Referencing this field in rules for other fields.
- API & Integrations: Identifying the data point when sending information to other systems.
- Data Exports & Analysis: Column headers or data keys.
- Custom Scripting (if applicable): Targeting the field with JavaScript.
- Configuration: May be displayed and potentially editable in an “Advanced” tab or section of the Properties Panel.
It’s good practice to use descriptive and consistent naming conventions if you customize field IDs, especially if you plan to work with the data programmatically.
CSS Class / Custom Styling
CSS Class / Custom Styling
(Availability depends on Formora’s features)
Some platforms allow you to assign custom CSS classes to individual fields.
- Purpose: Enables advanced users or developers to apply custom styles to specific fields beyond the standard theme options, using their own CSS stylesheets.
- Configuration: A text input in an “Advanced” or “Styling” tab where you can enter one or more CSS class names. If Formora doesn’t offer custom CSS classes per field, styling is generally managed through the overall Form Theme and Layout settings.
Validation Properties (Overview)
Most input fields offer validation options to ensure the data submitted is in the correct format and meets your criteria.- Basic Validation: This includes the “Required” toggle mentioned above.
- Format-Specific Validation: Fields like Email, URL, and Number often have built-in format checking.
- Custom Validation Rules: Text fields might support min/max length or regex patterns. Number fields might support min/max values. File uploads support file type and size restrictions.
Conditional Logic Access
The power to show or hide fields based on user input in other fields is a cornerstone of dynamic forms. The Properties Panel for most fields will include a tab or section for configuring Conditional Logic.- Access Point: Look for a “Conditional Logic”, “Display Logic”, or “Rules” tab.
- Functionality: This is where you define the rules (e.g., “Show this field IF ‘Country’ field EQUALS ‘United States’”).