Fluent Forms

Building Forms Manually

In-depth guide to the form builder — drag-and-drop fields, configure settings, arrange layouts, and control visibility.

This guide covers everything the form builder offers, from adding your first field to fine-tuning layout and visibility settings.

The form builder layout

The builder has three panels:

  • Field palette (left) — all 20 available field types, listed with icons and descriptions
  • Canvas (centre) — your form, where fields live and can be rearranged
  • Configuration panel (right) — settings for the currently selected field

On mobile, the palette and config panel are replaced by floating Add Field and Configure buttons that open as slide-over sheets.

Adding fields

Drag and drop (desktop)

Drag any field type from the palette on the left and drop it onto the canvas. As you drag, drop zones appear showing exactly where the field will land.

  • Drop between rows to create a new row with a single field
  • Drop next to an existing field to place fields side by side in the same row (up to 4 per row)

Click to add

Click a field type in the palette and it's added to the bottom of your form automatically. On mobile, tap the Add Field button to open the palette, then tap a field type.

Configuring a field

Click any field on the canvas to select it. The configuration panel opens on the right (or as a sheet on mobile) with these settings:

Common settings (all field types)

  • Label — the name shown to the person filling the form
  • Field name — a machine-readable identifier, auto-generated from the label
  • Required — toggle on to make the field mandatory
  • Placeholder — hint text shown inside the empty field

Type-specific settings

Each field type has its own options. Here are some examples:

  • Dropdown / Multi-Select — add, remove, and reorder options
  • Multiple Choice — options list + horizontal or vertical layout
  • Number — min, max, step
  • Percentage — range slider toggle, allow negatives
  • Measurement — custom unit label (e.g. psi, mm, kg)
  • Date — default to today's date
  • Signature — require drawn signature, signer role (customer or staff)
  • Image Upload — max number of images, max file size
  • Table Matrix — define columns (checkbox, text, dropdown) and rows
  • Masked Input — input pattern / mask
  • Inspection — allow notes, allow photos, max images
  • Inspection Matrix — checklist items (each with pass/fail/advisory status, notes, photos)
  • UK Vehicle Lookup — choose which DVLA fields to display (make, model, fuel, MOT due, etc.)
  • GPS Location — toggle map link

Row layout

When a field is selected, the config panel also shows a Layout section for that row. You can set the row to 1, 2, 3, or 4 columns to control how fields display side by side.

Deleting a field

At the bottom of the configuration panel there is a Delete button. Removing a field also auto-shrinks the row layout to fit the remaining fields.

Rearranging fields

Drag any field on the canvas to move it. You can:

  • Reorder within a row — drag left or right to swap positions
  • Move between rows — drag up or down to drop into a different row
  • Create a new row — drag a field to a gap between rows

When you move a field out of a row, the row's column count adjusts automatically. If a row ends up empty, it's removed.

Form title

Click the form title at the top of the canvas to rename it. This is the name your team will see when filling in the form.

Internal vs Public

The form builder toolbar has a Viewable toggle with two options:

  • Internal (default) — only authenticated users in your company can view and fill the form. Ideal for internal inspections, checklists, and team workflows.
  • Public — anyone with the link can view and fill the form, no login required. Useful for customer-facing forms like intake questionnaires or feedback forms.

Changing visibility doesn't affect who the form is assigned to — it only controls whether a login is required to open it.

Build vs Preview mode

The toolbar also has a Mode toggle:

  • Build — the default editing view with the palette, canvas, and config panel
  • Preview — shows exactly how the form will look to the person filling it in, including your company logo (if enabled) and the correct field layout

Use Preview to check the form before publishing.

Additional settings

Two toggles appear in the canvas settings area:

  • Show Logo — display your company logo at the top of the form when it's being filled in. Requires a logo to be uploaded in Company Settings and a plan that supports custom branding.
  • Voice Fill — enable the microphone button so users can fill the form by speaking. Enabled by default.

Auto-saving

The form builder auto-saves your changes as you work. You'll never lose progress — just close the builder when you're done and your form is saved.