Formstack: A New User’s Quick Guide

Request Folder Access

When submitting a request to Digital Strategies, ask to be added to your department or team folder. Also, if applicable, list any existing forms you need access to.

Log in to Formstack

Visit https://vanderbilt-university.formstack.com/ and go to login> forms.

Build your first form

View Formstack's guide on how to build your first form, which will walk you through the following steps.

1. Navigate to the Forms tab and locate the blue Create Form button.
   
   

   Open

   

2. Then choose the Form option and Next Step.
   
   

   Open

   

3. Provide a name and URL for your form. Then choose the option Start with a blank Form instead.
   
   

4. Select your desired theme in the builder by navigating to the Style tab.

View, Export, or Modify Submissions

View submissions

1. Navigate to the Forms tab.
   
   

2. Hover over the desired form and select Submissions.

Alternatively, if you are within the builder, you can navigate to the same window by selecting the Submissions tab in the top right corner.

Export submissions

Within the same window, submissions can be selected and exported in various formats. There is also an option to schedule exports of submissions. View Formstack’s guide on setting up scheduled exports.

Modify Submissions

To modify a submission, select the desired submission. Once selected, it will take you to a new window where you can edit the entry.

Field Operations: How to Add, edit, delete, copy or move fields

Add - In the form-building process, adding a field involves going to the Build tab, selecting the desired field from the left side, and dragging it into place.

Edit - Editing a field is done by clicking on it, which opens a field editor on the left where you can modify its type, label, options, and logic.

Delete - Deleting a field is as simple as selecting it and clicking the red delete button or the trashcan icon, but be cautious as this action removes associated data.

Copy - To copy a field, use the pages icon and duplicate it.

Move - Moving a field requires clicking on it, using the directional arrow icon, and dragging it to the desired location.

Learn more about Formstack’s field operations.

How to apply conditional logic to a field 

Select the field, and then in the left sidebar, locate the chevron icon next to Logic and choose it. Then, select Add Rule.

Setting up and Differentiating Confirmation and Notification Emails 

A confirmation email is sent to the user who submits a form, acknowledging their successful submission. On the other hand, a notification email is sent to the form owner or designated recipients, providing information about the form submission and including a summary of the submitted data or a link to access it. To add both confirmation emails and notification emails, you can navigate to "Settings > Emails & Actions." 

Read Formstack’s guides on confirmation and notification emails.

Choose the Perfect Style for Your Form 

Above the label "basic fields" in the left sidebar, you will find two tabs: one labeled "build" and another labeled "style." Click on the "style" tab and select one of the FutureVU themes. If you intend to embed the content on a webpage, choose the FutureVU theme that matches the color scheme of your webpage.  

Can I collect sensitive data in Formstack? 

Birthdates are okay to collect but all other sensitive data such as socials should not be collected in Formstack, and you should Instead use REDCap.

How to add an image to a form  

1. Select the description field and drag it to the desired location. 

2. Edit the description field. 

3. Click on the insert image icon, which resembles a picture. 

4. Choose the option to upload your image (either image.jpg or image.png). 

5. Once the image is uploaded, select it by highlighting it and align center. 

6. Size your image. We recommend a width of 640px or less. 

Please compress your images before uploading, and do not include text in your images unless it is a logo. Text within images is not accessible and does not comply with Section 508.

Saved Sections 

Save time by utilizing saved sections. Read Formstack’s guide on saved sections now!

Need further assistance?  

Check out the Formstack resource articles and if that doesn’t answer your question, please open a ticket with Digital Strategies. 

Watch a recorded Formstack training session.