Build effective forms

How to build effective forms

Forms are essential for capturing information and initiating processes, but many organizations treat them as standalone elements disconnected from subsequent workflows. Tallyfy’s approach fundamentally transforms form collection by integrating forms directly into process execution. This integration creates a seamless connection between data collection and action, addressing the true challenge of process management.

Think beyond form submission to process execution

Traditional standalone form builders often leave users wondering about what happens after submission:

• From “submit and pray” to “submit and track” - Tallyfy transforms form submission from a dead-end transaction into the first step of a visible, trackable workflow
• Integrated process context - Forms initiate processes with built-in context and immediate action steps
• End-to-end visibility - Submitters can track exactly what happens to their request after submission
• Continuous visibility - Access to status updates, approvals, and downstream activities

Tallyfy calls these initial forms “kick-off forms” precisely because they kick off processes rather than simply collecting data. This approach ensures the real work—what happens after submission—is managed just as effectively as the initial information collection.

Verify external submissions with email verification

Public forms can present challenges when submitters provide fake or incorrect email addresses:

• Email verification - Tallyfy’s public kick-off forms include email verification to ensure authentic submissions
• Secure access links - Submitters receive unique verification links to access and complete forms
• Permanent tracking - The same verification provides ongoing access to track submission status
• Reduced spam - Verification virtually eliminates form spam and fake submissions

The email verification system strikes the right balance between accessibility and security, ensuring genuine submissions while providing submitters with valuable status tracking capabilities.

Access Public Forms

To enable public access to your kick-off forms, navigate to the template editor, locate the Triggers section, and toggle the Public Sharing option to ON. You can then copy and share the generated public link.

Select appropriate field types for specific questions

Choosing the right form field type dramatically improves the quality of collected information:

• Short text - Use for names, references, or brief responses (up to 200 characters)
• Long text - Use for detailed descriptions or explanations (up to 6,000 characters)
• Dropdown - Ideal for selecting one option from many predefined choices
• Radio buttons - Best for displaying a few mutually exclusive options
• Checklist - Perfect for multiple selections or verification steps
• Date - Use for capturing specific dates for scheduling or deadlines
• File upload - Necessary for collecting supporting documents or images
• Table - Best for structured, repetitive data with consistent formats
• Assignee picker - Use when subsequent task ownership needs to be determined

Tallyfy’s form builder software ↗ offers advanced validation options for each field type, ensuring that the data you collect is properly formatted and complete.

Break up long forms into manageable steps

Rather than overwhelming users with enormous forms, Tallyfy allows you to distribute form fields across multiple sequential steps:

• Progressive data collection - Gather information step by step instead of all at once
• Real-time saving - Every field entry is saved immediately upon completion, eliminating the risk of lost work
• Automated reminders - Incomplete forms trigger automated reminders to encourage completion
• Enhanced completion rates - Shorter forms at each stage dramatically improve submission rates
• Focused attention - Users can concentrate on smaller, more manageable information chunks

This progressive approach addresses the “sinking feeling” users experience when losing work in long, unsaved forms by breaking up data collection into safer, more manageable pieces.

Best practice

Make your kick-off form as short as possible, collecting only the essential information needed to start the process. Additional details can be gathered in subsequent steps. This minimizes the initial barrier to submission while ensuring all necessary information is eventually collected.

Implement conditional branching for dynamic forms

Not all form fields are relevant to all users. Tallyfy’s “if this, then that” automation rules enable dynamic form experiences:

• Conditional visibility - Show or hide steps based on previous responses
• Targeted information collection - Ask only questions relevant to specific scenarios
• Streamlined user experience - Eliminate unnecessary fields based on context
• Reduced abandonment - Keep forms focused and relevant to increase completion rates

Implementing conditional branching ensures that users only see and complete fields relevant to their specific situation, creating a more efficient and user-friendly experience.

Implement field validation for clean data

Preventing data issues at entry is far more efficient than cleaning data later:

• Input validation - Enforce specific formats for emails, numbers, dates, and other data types
• Required fields - Ensure critical information is provided before submission
• Character limits - Set appropriate minimum and maximum lengths for text inputs
• Custom validation - Apply specific rules to ensure data quality
• Clear error messages - Help users understand and correct validation issues

Tallyfy’s validation options for each field type ensure that the data you collect meets your requirements from the start.

Provide clear guidance for form completion

Users often struggle to understand exactly what information is being requested:

• Field guidance - Add explanatory text to clarify what information is needed and why
• Contextual help - Provide examples and formatting guidelines when appropriate
• Tooltips and hints - Offer additional information without cluttering the main form
• Clear labeling - Use precise, descriptive labels for each field
• Consistent formatting - Maintain a uniform approach to help text across your forms

Tallyfy’s guidance text feature allows you to add this contextual information to any form field, reducing confusion and improving the quality of submitted information.

Enable communication during form completion

Unlike traditional form builders, Tallyfy provides built-in communication channels:

• Contextual comments - Allow users to ask questions directly within the form context
• @mentions - Tag specific team members for targeted questions or feedback
• Comment history - Maintain a record of all questions and answers for reference
• Notification system - Alert relevant parties when comments require attention

This integrated communication system transforms forms from one-way data collection into collaborative information gathering, increasing accuracy and reducing delays.

Plan for data distribution and integration

Consider where form data needs to go after collection:

• Webhook integration - Send form data to external systems automatically
• API connections - Connect with other business systems for real-time data sharing
• Document generation - Use form data to populate templates and generate documents
• Reporting capabilities - Aggregate form responses for analysis and reporting
• Data exports - Extract form data to spreadsheets or other formats when needed

Tallyfy’s webhook capabilities and integration options ensure that collected data can be efficiently shared with other systems.

Enable task delegation for collaborative form completion

Many forms require input from multiple people, which traditional form builders can’t accommodate:

• Assignee management - Allow form initiators to delegate specific steps to appropriate team members
• Guest access - Extend form access to external participants without requiring accounts
• Task reassignment - Enable dynamic reassignment when the original assignee isn’t available
• Group assignments - Assign steps to teams or departments rather than specific individuals
• Parallel completion - Allow multiple sections to be completed simultaneously

This collaborative approach addresses a common challenge in form completion: gathering information from multiple sources efficiently.

Generate documents from form data

Unlike standalone form builders, Tallyfy enables seamless document generation from form submissions:

• Template-based documents - Populate contract templates, agreements, letters, or other documents with form data
• Dynamic content - Create documents that adapt based on form inputs and conditional logic
• Professional output - Generate polished, branded PDFs or other document formats
• Multi-stage approval - Incorporate review and approval steps into the document generation workflow
• Revision tracking - Maintain version history of generated documents

For example, when creating a client contract, a form can collect key details like client name, project scope, timeline, and pricing, then automatically generate a complete, professional contract document. This eliminates the tedious manual work of copying form information into separate document templates.

Document generation setup

To implement document generation in Tallyfy, you can:

1. Use the document generation integration to connect form fields to document templates
2. Map form fields to corresponding placeholders in your document templates
3. Configure middleware platforms like Zapier to handle the document creation process
4. Set up document delivery steps (email, storage, e-signature) as subsequent tasks

Considering Integration Alternatives

While Zapier can be useful for simple connections, we generally recommend more robust and cost-effective middleware solutions like n8n, Make, or Microsoft Power Automate for serious integrations.

For maximum control and flexibility, especially if you have development resources, consider using Tallyfy’s Open API to build custom integrations, potentially leveraging AI to generate code for serverless functions.

This capability transforms information collection into concrete deliverables, a function that standalone form builders simply cannot provide without extensive additional integrations.

Additional best practices for effective forms

• Mobile optimization - Ensure forms are usable on all devices, especially mobile
• Consistent branding - Maintain visual consistency with your organization’s brand
• Progress indicators - Show users where they are in multi-step forms
• Smart defaults - Pre-populate fields with likely values when possible
• Clear next steps - Communicate what happens after form submission
• Accessibility - Design forms to be usable by people with disabilities
• Testing - Validate forms with real users before widespread deployment
• Analytics integration - Track completion rates and identify abandonment points
• Continuous improvement - Regularly review and refine forms based on user feedback

By following these guidelines and leveraging Tallyfy’s integrated approach, you can create forms that not only collect information effectively but also initiate and drive meaningful action throughout your organization.

Related articles

Tasks > Types of form fields

Tallyfy offers diverse form field types including short text long text dropdown lists checklists radio buttons date selectors file uploads tables and assignee pickers each designed with specific settings validation options and best practices for effective data collection in business processes.

Triggers > Launch via a kick-off form

Kick-off forms in Tallyfy enable structured data collection at process initiation with multiple field types verification features and public sharing capabilities while maintaining visibility throughout the workflow lifecycle.

How To > Automatically track and run complex approval workflows

Tallyfy transforms complex approval workflows into streamlined trackable processes by breaking them into clear steps with automated routing conditional logic real-time status tracking and contextual communication features.

Edit Templates > Edit steps

The process of modifying templates involves adding new steps naming them editing descriptions assigning members setting deadlines adjusting step types and configuring advanced settings through the template edit interface.