Contact Form Management Documentation

Introduction

Group Package 1 websites contain a mix of default verbiage and imagery, with your group's details. This is managed for you by Scouts Online. There is no ability change the settings.

If you'd like to upgrade to a higher package level, please contact us.

Contact Form Management gives you the ability to create your own contact forms to use in any Contact Form module.

Your website package level does not include this feature. If you'd like to upgrade to a higher package level, please contact us.

Contact Form Management gives you the ability to create your own contact forms to use in any Contact Form module.

Contact forms include pre-defined fields with data displayed directly from your website settings and Scouting specific features, to make it easier to create and manage your forms.

Fields can be displayed in columns and separated into sections, which can be moved to dependant on answers in other fields.


Field Types and Options Details

User-definable Contact Forms include lots of field types to control the details entered by the website visitor. To see details of these, click the button below.

Use Cases

The following panels show specific tasks. Click on a panel to see the procedures.

Create a Simple Contact Form

Create your first contact form and Try It.

Here's how to create your first contact form and test it.

Follow these steps:

  • Login with a Site Admin username and password
  • Open Admin/Contact Form Management
  • Click the Create New Form button
  • Add a descriptive Name for your form. In this case 'Simple Join Enquiry'. See Fig. 1
  • Add an extensive Description to note what fields/sections the form includes and how it can be used
  • Select a Form Usage that best describes what the form is being used for. In this case, select 'Youth/Adult Application Form'
  • In Section 1, set No. of Columns to 2, to show 2 columns of fields
  • Click the Add Button 3 times, to show 4 fields on your form to setup as follows:

Fig. 1: Header details

  • Field 1 - Child's Name:
    • Set the Field Type to 'Single Line Text Field'. See Fig. 2
    • Enter 'Child's Name' in the Field Name
    • Tick Applicants Name
    • Tick Mandatory Field
  • Field 2 - Date of Birth:
    • Set the Field Type to 'Date'
    • Enter 'Date of Birth' in the Field Name
    • Tick Mandatory Field
  • Field 3 - Parent's Name:
    • Set the Field Type to 'Single Line Text Field'
    • Enter 'Parent's Name' in the Field Name
    • Tick Form Submitter First Name and Surname to use in an auto-reply message merge field
    • Set Column No to 2, to show the field in the right-hand column
    • Tick Mandatory Field
  • Field 4 - Parent's Email Address:
    • Set the Field Type to 'Single Line Text Field'
    • Set the Field Type to 'Email Address'
    • Enter 'Parent's Email Add' in the Field Name
    • Tick Form Submitter, so that the form knows where to send any auto-reply message to
    • Set Column No to 2, to show the field in the right-hand column
    • Tick Mandatory Field
  • Move to the top of the form and click Save Changes
  • Click the Try It button to view your form. See Fig. 3
  • Click the Amend to change your form and experiment with the fields
  • See how to add your form to a new or existing page here

Fig. 2: Field settings

Fig. 3: Simple Join Enquiry

Use the Creation Wizard

Use the Creation Wizard to create a new form.

You can use the Creation Wizard to create a new form.

To do this, follow these steps:

  • Login with a Site Admin username and password
  • Open Admin/Contact Form Management
  • Click the Creation Wizard button
  • Add a descriptive Contact Form Name. In this case 'Simple Join Enquiry'
  • Select the No. of Sections. In this case, choose 2.
    You will notice that more fields will be displayed.
  • In Section 1:
    • Clear the Section Title, as we don't want to display a title for this section
    • Set No. of Columns to 2
    • Set Fields in Column 1 to 2
    • Set Fields in Column 2 to 2
  • In Section 2:
    • Clear the Section Title, as we don't want to display a title for this section
    • Set No. of Columns to 1
    • Set Fields in Column 1 to 1
  • Click the Show Preview button to see what your form would look like. See Fig. 2
  • Close the preview panel
  • Click the Create Contact Form button to save your form, and open it up for editing.
    You could setup the first four fields to match settings shown on the right-hand side of the Create a Simple Contact Form Use Case.
  • Or click the Cancel button to abandon your form.

Fig. 1: Creation Wizard - Simple Join Enquiry

Fig. 2: Creation wizard preview

Copy and Amend an Existing Form

Use an existing form shown in Contact Form Management, as the basis for your own form, and change it to your requirements.

You can use any of the existing forms shown in Contact Form Management, as the basis for your own form, and change it to your requirements.

To do this, follow these steps:

  • Login with a Site Admin username and password
  • Open Admin/Contact Form Management
  • Find the form you would like to use and click View button for the form
  • Click the Copy Form button to create a copy of the form (See Fig. 1)
  • Click the Amend button for the new form, to change the form's name and personalise the fields to your requirements

Fig. 1: Copied form

Use Your Form on Your Website

Replace a contact form shown on your web pages with your own form template.

Any Contact Form module that you see on your website can display any contact form template. You can also add a Contact Form module to your own pages.

NB. Do not use the /Links/ContactFormTester page, that you used to for the Try It, for links, as this page will change when another contact form is tested.

To do this, follow these steps:

  • Login with a Site Admin username and password
  • If you want to add a link to your new form on a Links List module, create a new page, using the Page Designer and add a Contact Form module
  • Click the settings below the module and override the default settings (see here)
  • Click the Get Settings From Default button
  • Select your contact form in the Form Type field. See Fig. 1
  • Click Save Changes to keep your changes or Cancel to abandon your changes
  • For more information, see the Contact Form module's Change the Form Type use case

Fig. 1: Select a Form Type

Move Fields Up/Down

Fields on your form may be moved up and down.

Fields on your form may be moved up and down.

To move fields within a 'Section', follow these steps:

  • Login with a Site Admin username and password
  • Open Admin/Contact Form Management
  • Click the Amend to change your form
  • Scroll down to the field to move
  • Use the Up or Down button next to the field you want to move
  • Click Save Changes to keep your changes or Cancel to abandon your changes

To move fields between 'Section', you will need to merge the two sections, move the field, copy the Section and delete the unwanted fields from each Section. You may find it easier to simply add a new field manually. However, if you do want to do this, follow these steps:

  • Click Amend
  • Click the Merge Section button on the lower of the two sections that you want to move the field between
  • Use the Up or Down button next to the field you want to move
  • Now make a copy of the section by clicking the Copy Section
  • Use the Delete button to remove the fields from each section that you want to retain in the other section
  • Click Save Changes to keep your changes or Cancel to abandon your changes

Fig. 1: Move field up or down

Working with Form Sections

You can split up fields on your form into logical sections, for a number of different reasons.

Form Sections can be used to separate collections of fields.

You may want to do this to:

  • Switch between 2 columns wide and 1 column wide
  • Prompt user to click Continue between logical sections
  • Jump between sections depending on an option selected

To do this, follow these steps:

  • Login with a Site Admin username and password
  • Open Admin/Contact Form Management and Amend your form
  • To add a section below the current section, click Add Section
  • Use the Up or Down button at the top of a section to move the section
  • If you'd like to show a title for a section, fill in the Section Display Title
  • Fill in Introduction Text to show more text at the top of a section
  • Select the No. of Columns to show in the section
  • If you'd like to prompt the user to click Continue before displaying the sections, select 'New Block' in the Display Block field. Otherwise set it to 'With Previous Section'.
  • If you'd like to show a title for a section, fill in the Section Display Title
  • Sections with a Bookmark Value field set will only be displayed when a website visitor selects an an option in a 'Drop Down List Selection', 'Multiple Choice' or 'Multi-Select List' field that has that Value set, and the selection field has Move Section ticked.
    This can be used to display different questions depending on an option that the website visitor selects.
  • Click Save Changes to keep your changes or Cancel to abandon your changes

Fig. 1: Multiple Sections

Create an Event Booking Form

A booking form can be added to an event to take online bookings. You can create a new event booking form to capture all the information you require.

A booking form can be added to an event to take online bookings. You can create a new event booking form to capture all the information you require.

To create a new event booking form, follow these steps:

  • Login with a Site Admin username and password
  • Open Admin/Contact Form Management
  • Click Create New Form to add a new form
  • Enter a Name for your form
  • Add an extensive Description to note what fields/sections the form includes and how it can be used
  • Select 'Event Booking Form' in the Form Usage field
  • In Section 1, add the following fields:
    • 'Your Name' - Single Line Text Field with both Form Submitter fields ticked and Mandatory ticked
    • 'Group' - Drop Down List Selection + List of Group
    • 'Email' - Email Address field with Mandatory ticked
    • 'Tent Reqd' - Multiple Choice + Manually Created List with options for Yes and No, and tick Mandatory
    • 'Dietary Requirements' - Multi-Line Text Field
    • 'Other Requirements' - Multi-Line Text Field
  • Click Save Changes to keep your changes or Cancel to abandon your changes

Create a New Event:

  • Open Admin/Event Management and click Save Changes
  • Fill in the event 'Header Details' and move to the 'Bookings' tab
  • Select your new form in the Booking Form field. If you don't see it in the list, make sure that you selected 'Event Booking Form in the Form Usage field, and you saved your form.
  • Select your name in the Recipient field, so that the resulting form is emailed to you
  • Move back to the 'header Details' tab and click Save Changes

Find your new event in an events list, open it to see your form and make a test booking

Fig. 1: Header details

Email a Copy to the Submitter

Setup your contact form so that it sends a copy of the form to the person who filled it in.

You can setup your contact form so that it sends a copy of the form to the person who filled it in.

To do this, follow these steps:

  • Login with a Site Admin username and password
  • Open Admin/Contact Form Management and Amend your form
  • Add a field with the Field Type of 'Email Address'
  • Tick the Form Recipient field so that the form is sent to this email address as well as those setup in the Contact Form module's recipients list
  • Click Save Changes to keep your changes or Cancel to abandon your changes
  • You should also clear the Auto-Reply Email Confirmation Message field in the Contact Form module so that it doesn't send them two emails. See here.

Fig. 1: Set email address of submitter as Form Recipient

Create an Online Quiz

A user-definable contact form can be used to ask multiple choice question as part of a quiz.

A user-definable contact form can be used to ask multiple choice question as part of a quiz.

When the website visitor submits the form, it will show them which answers they got correct, and their answers with tick/cross will be emailed to you.

To do this, follow these steps:

  • Login with a Site Admin username and password
  • Open Admin/Contact Form Management and click Create New Form
  • Enter a Name for your form
  • Add an extensive Description to note what fields/sections the form includes and how it can be used
  • Select 'General Contact Form' in the Form Usage field
  • In Section 1, add the following fields:
    • Single Line Text Field for 'Your Name' with both Form Submitter fields ticked and Mandatory ticked
    • Spacer
    • Field Width Text Label with 'Who started Scouts?' in the Text field
    • Multiple Choice + Manually Created List - Set the Name field for each answer and tick the Correct field for the answer row that is correct
    • Repeat the question and answer fields for each question
  • Click Save Changes
  • Test the quiz using the Try It button

Fig. 1: Online Quiz fields

Fig. 2: Online Quiz with correct/incorrect answers marked, after they've submitted the form

Share Your Form with Other Websites

If you've created a form that could be useful to other Scouts Online website users, let us know.

If you've created a form that could be useful to other Scouts Online website users, let us know.

Scouts Online can make a copy of any useful contact form templates, remove any local/private content, and add it to the list of standard form templates for other Groups, District and Counties. Just let us know the name of the form.