---
title: Creating & Managing Form Types 
description: form types
---

[Skip to content](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/creating-managing-form-types-#main-content)

![word mark primary - dark](https://support.ravencontrols.com/hubfs/word%20mark%20primary%20-%20dark.svg)

Open main navigation

Close main navigation

- [Support](https://support.ravencontrols.com/form)

[Support](https://support.ravencontrols.com/form?hsLang=en-gb)

 How can we help you?

- There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

1. [Raven Academy](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy?hsLang=en-gb)
2. [Forms](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/forms?hsLang=en-gb)

# Creating & Managing Form Types

## Forms let you collect structured information from the public, your contacts, and your own team, then work every submission through to a clear outcome. Build your own form types, choose how they are shared, and configure how submissions are handled.

A **Form Type** is the reusable definition of a form. It contains the questions, published versions, sharing options, and who can see the answers.

A **submission** is a completed form. Each submission stays linked to the version of the form it answered, so your records always show the questions as they were asked.

### Ways to use a Form Type

Every Form Type works in the same way. Choose how each one is used by turning features on or off in its **Share** and **Settings** tabs.

- **Public link:** Anyone with the link can complete the form without a Raven account. For example, Lost Property or a Wheelchair Request.
- **Requests:** Send the form to a named person with a due date and automatic reminders. For example, a Risk Assessment or Organiser Waiver.
- **Attach to an Issue:** Complete a form directly from an Issue. For example, an Injury Report or Witness Statement.
- **Approval:** Require a person or Team to approve a submission before it is complete.
- **Outcomes:** Resolve a submission with an outcome without creating an Issue.
- **Save and continue:** Let respondents save their progress and finish the form later.

You can use any combination of these features on a single Form Type.

### Where to find Forms

- Create and manage Form Types under **Manage \> Form Types**.
- View and work with submissions from **Forms** in the left-hand menu.

**Note:** Forms is enabled per account. If you do not see Forms in your menu, ask your account administrator to check your permissions or contact your Raven Account Manager.

 Creating a Form Type

Users with the **Create Form Type** permission can create a new Form Type.

### How to create a Form Type

1. Go to **Manage \> Form Types**.
2. Select **New form type**.
3. Enter a **Name** and optional **Description**.
4. Select **Create form type**.

The form builder opens on the **Build** tab.

A new Form Type starts with public links, requests, approval, outcomes, and save and continue turned off. Answers are open to everyone with Forms access. Turn on the features you need after building and publishing your form.

**Tip:** You can change the Form Type's name and description at any time. Open the **Manage** menu on the Form Types list and select **Edit Name/Description**.

 Building Your Form

The **Build** tab is where you design your form. Add questions from the **Add to the form** panel and arrange them on the canvas.

### Question types

- **Short text** and **Long text:** Collect free-text answers.
- **Choice:** Let respondents select from a list of options.
- **Dropdown:** Display a Choice question as a dropdown.
- **Choice grid:** Ask a Choice question for each row, such as a rating for different areas of a venue.
- **Yes / No:** Collect a simple yes or no answer.
- **Number:** Collect a numeric answer.
- **Date & time:** Collect a date and time, or a date only.
- **Media:** Allow respondents to upload photos, video, audio, and PDFs.
- **Signature:** Let respondents enter their full name and draw their signature. This works with touch on mobile devices.

### How to add and arrange questions

1. Select a question type from the **Add to the form** panel.
2. Drag questions into the required order, or use **Move up** and **Move down**.
3. Select a question to open its settings.
4. Use **Undo** and **Redo** to step through your changes.
5. Select **Preview** to see the form as a respondent will see it.

Nothing entered in Preview is recorded.

### Question settings

Every question has a **Label**, optional **Help text**, and a **Required** toggle.

Depending on the question type, you can also:

- Change the question **Type**.
- **Duplicate** a question.
- Set a **Max length** for Short text and Long text.
- Set a **Minimum** and **Maximum** for Number questions.
- Choose **Date & time** or **Date only**.
- Add a **Not applicable** option to Yes / No questions.
- Manage options and display style for Choice questions.
- Allow multiple answers.
- Allow multiple media uploads.
- Allow drawing on uploaded photos.

Each media upload can be up to **50MB**, or **500MB for video**.

 Structuring Your Form

Use the **Structure** group to organise longer forms.

- **Section:** Groups related questions under a heading. From the section menu, you can rename it, move it up or down, merge it with the section above, or delete it.
- **Page break:** Splits the form into pages. Respondents see their progress, such as “Step 1 of 3”.
- **Repeating group:** Lets respondents complete the same group of questions more than once, such as entering details for multiple witnesses.

Repeating groups can contain up to five copies and can only contain questions.

**Note:** Deleting a section also removes the questions inside it. Merge the section instead if you want to keep those questions.

 Conditional Questions

Conditional questions let you show a question only when an earlier **Yes / No** or **Choice** question has a specific answer.

### How to add a conditional question

1. Select the question.
2. Under **Show only when**, choose the controlling question and answer.

Sections and repeating groups can also be conditional.

Conditional questions can be chained up to two levels deep. Questions inside a repeating group cannot be conditional.

 The Lead Field

Every form needs one **Lead field**. This is the answer used to identify a submission in submission lists and on Issues.

### How to set the Lead field

1. Select a **Short text** or **Long text** question.
2. Mark it as the **Lead field** in its settings.

There can only be one lead field per form, and it cannot be inside a repeating group.

If the lead field has no answer, the submission appears as **Untitled submission**.

**Important:** If answers are restricted to specific Teams, the lead field can still appear on the Issue to anyone who can open that Issue. Make sure the lead field does not contain sensitive information.

**Tip:** Choose the question that best identifies the submission at a glance, such as “What did you lose?” for a Lost Property form.

 Publishing and Version History

Nobody can complete a form until it has been published.

While you build a form, your changes are saved as a draft. Respondents always see the live version until you publish your changes.

### How to publish a form

1. Select **Publish...** at the top of the builder, or open the **Versions** tab.
2. Review the **Unpublished changes**.
3. Add an optional **Release note** describing what changed.
4. Select **Publish**.

The new version goes live immediately.

Before publishing, the form must have at least one question and a lead field. Conditional questions must also come after the question controlling them.

Published versions cannot be edited. Each submission stays linked to the version it answered.

If someone has a form open when you publish a new version, their answers are still accepted against the version they started.

### How to discard a draft

Select **Discard draft** to remove all unpublished changes and return to the live version.

Published versions and their submissions are not affected.

### Version history

From the **Version history**, you can:

- **View this version:** See the form as it was.
- **Compare with:** See what changed compared with the live version.
- **Restore as draft:** Use an earlier version as the starting point for a new draft.

 Branding Your Form

Choose what appears at the top of your form from the **Settings** tab.

### How to add branding

1. Open the Form Type's **Settings** tab.
2. Find **Branding**.
3. Choose **Use account logo**, **Upload a logo**, or **No logo**.
4. Select **Save branding**.

 Sharing a Public Link

A public link lets anyone complete a form without a Raven account.

### How to open a form to the public

1. Make sure the Form Type has a published version.
2. Open the **Share** tab.
3. Turn on **Public link**.
4. Select **Copy link**.

You can share the link directly, print it, or turn it into a QR code.

Turn the **Public link** switch off to stop accepting submissions.

Anyone who follows an inactive link sees **This link is no longer active**.

### Managing a public link

From the **Manage link** menu, you can:

- Set a **Closing date**.
- **Regenerate the link**.

Regenerating the link immediately stops the old link from working wherever it has been shared.

### What the public sees

The public sees a mobile-friendly form with your branding, form name, and questions.

After submitting, they see a thank-you page with a unique reference they can keep if they need to get in touch.

If the Form Type uses approval, the thank-you page tells the respondent that their submission still needs sign-off.

### Built-in protection

Every submission is checked for spam and abuse before it reaches you.

Repeated submissions from one address are slowed, and a hidden field flags automated submissions.

**Note:** The public always sees the live published version. Draft changes are not visible until they are published.

 Save and Continue

For longer forms, you can let respondents save their progress and return later.

### How to turn on Save and Continue

1. Open the Form Type's **Settings** tab.
2. Find **Save and continue**.
3. Turn on **Let respondents save their progress and finish later**.
4. Select **Save setting**.

### What the respondent sees

- A **Save & finish later** button appears on the form.
- After saving, they are told to return to the same link to continue and can copy the link.
- On a public link, they can enter an email address and select **Send me this link**.
- When they return, they see **Welcome back** and select **Continue** to pick up where they left off.

**Note:** Save and continue works on public links and requests. It is not available when a form is completed from an Issue.

 Controlling Who Can See Answers

Each Form Type has its own access rule for who can read submissions.

### How to restrict access

1. Open the Form Type's **Settings** tab.
2. Find **Who can see this type**.
3. Under **Access**, choose: 
     - **Open to everyone with forms access**
     - **Only these Teams**
4. If using Teams, select the required Teams.
5. Review **What saving this changes**.
6. Select **Save access**.

Access is checked when a submission is opened, so changes apply immediately to existing submissions.

### Who can always see a submission

The following users can always see a submission:

- The person who sent the request.
- The approver.
- Users whose permission group has **Can read every form submission, overriding any Team restriction** enabled.

### What users outside a Team see

A restricted Form Type still appears in the Forms list.

Users outside its Teams see submissions with a lock icon. They can see the form's name, lead field, when it was filled in, and what it is attached to, but not the answers.

Raven tells them which Team to ask.

**Important:** Once a Form Type is restricted to Teams, the person who filled in a submission cannot see it again in Raven unless they are in one of those Teams. If changes are requested, they update the form using the link they were sent.

Restricting a Form Type does not close its public link or stop it being attached to Issues. The rule only controls who can read the answers.

 Approval

Approval lets you require a person or Team to sign off a submission before it is complete.

### How to set up Approval

1. Open the Form Type's **Settings** tab.
2. Find **Approval**.
3. Turn on **Submissions need approval before they are complete**.
4. Choose an **Approver**.
5. Select **Save approval**.

The approver must have the **Approve Form Submission** permission.

The first decision ends the approval wait and Raven records who made the decision.

**Tip:** Use a Team as the approver for time-critical sign-offs so any available Team member can approve the submission.

 Outcomes

Outcomes let you resolve a submission without creating an Issue.

### How to set up Outcomes

1. Open the Form Type's **Settings** tab.
2. Find **Outcomes**.
3. Turn on **Submissions can be resolved with an outcome**.
4. Enter an outcome label, such as **Item returned** or **No action required**.
5. Select **Add**.
6. Add any other outcomes you need.
7. Select **Save outcomes**.

Submissions using outcomes show as **Needs attention** until someone deals with them.

Removing an outcome stops it being used for new submissions. Existing submissions keep their recorded outcome.

 Sending a Form as a Request

Requests let you send a private form link to a specific person, with a due date and automatic reminders.

### How to turn on Requests

1. Open the Form Type's **Share** tab.
2. Turn on **Requests**.

### How to send a request

1. Go to **Forms** in the left-hand menu.
2. Select the Form Type.
3. Select **Request a form...**.
4. Choose who will complete it: 
     - Select someone from the **Contact Directory**, or
     - Select **Someone not in the directory** and enter their **Name**, **Organisation**, **Email**, and **Mobile**.
5. Choose how to send it: **Email the link**, **Text the link**, or **Copy the link**.
6. Choose a **Due date** and, if needed, a **Destination Log**.
7. Select **Send by email**, **Send by text**, or **Create request**.

Raven automatically reminds the recipient three days and one day before the request is due.

**Note:** The Form Type must have a published version before you can send a request. If you copy the link yourself, Raven cannot send automatic reminders.

### What the recipient sees

- The email or text names who requested the form, the form, and when it is due.
- The form shows who requested it and the due date.
- If the due date has passed, the recipient can still submit the form.
- After submitting, reopening the link shows **Already sent**.
- If the request is cancelled, the link shows that the request was withdrawn.

### Requests to Raven users

When you send a request to a Raven user, only that user can open the link.

They must sign in to Raven and complete two-factor authentication if it is set up.

Anyone else who opens the link is told they do not have access.

### Tracking requests

Outstanding requests appear at the top of the Form Type's submissions list.

Each request shows who it was sent to, how it was sent, when it is due, and its state:

- **Sent, not opened**
- **Link not opened yet**
- **Opened**
- **In progress**
- **Cancelled**
- **Overdue**

From a request's **Follow up** menu, you can:

- **View history:** See when it was sent, opened, started and submitted, along with reminders and changes.
- **Copy link:** Copy the request link again.
- **Send reminder now:** Send an additional reminder immediately.
- **Change due date:** Reschedule the request.
- **Destination Log:** Change where the response will land.
- **Cancel request:** Stop the link from working. The request keeps its history.
- **Send again:** Reissue a cancelled request with a new link.

### When the response comes in

The completed form appears as a submission showing who it was requested from and who completed it.

If you selected a Destination Log, open the submission's **Follow up** menu and select **Attach to Log as a Note**.

 Form Type Permissions

Forms access is controlled through **Manage \> Permission Groups**.

### Form Type permissions

- **View Form Type:** See the Form Types list.
- **Create Form Type:** Create new Form Types.
- **Edit Form Type:** Build, publish, share, and change settings on Form Types.
- **Archive Form Type:** Archive and reinstate Form Types.

### Forms permissions

- **View Form Responses:** See the Forms area and open submissions, subject to each Form Type's access rule.
- **Send Request Form:** Send a form as a request and follow requests up.
- **Approve Form Submission:** Approve or request changes when you are the Form Type's approver.
- **Resolve Form Submission:** Resolve a submission with an outcome.

### Issue permissions

- **Add Form to Issue:** Attach new or existing forms to an Issue.

Creating an Issue from a submission also requires permission to create Issues.

### Reading every submission

Turn on **Can read every form submission, overriding any Team restriction** for permission groups that should be able to read answers across all Form Types.

**Tip:** Permissions control what a user can do. Each Form Type's access rule controls which answers they can read. A user needs both to open a submission.

 Archiving a Form Type

When a Form Type is no longer needed, archive it instead of deleting it. This keeps its submissions and history available.

### How to archive a Form Type

1. Go to **Manage \> Form Types**.
2. Open the **Manage** menu for the Form Type.
3. Select **Archive form type...**.

An archived Form Type stops accepting submissions and its public link closes.

Existing submissions remain available under **Forms**.

To view archived Form Types, select **Show Archived**.

To make an archived Form Type available again, select **Reinstate form type**.

- [Dashboard](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/dashboard?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Log Page](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/log-page?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Issues](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/issues?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Checklists](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/checklists?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Notes](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/notes?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Logs](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/logs?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Categories](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/categories?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Sites](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/sites?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Maps](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/maps?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Notifications](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/notifications?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Processes](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/processes?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Reports](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/reports?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Raven Eye](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/raven-eye?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Service Level Objectives (SLOs)](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/service-level-objectives-slos?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Mass Notifications](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/mass-notifications?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Meetings](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/meetings?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Users](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/users?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Account Settings](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/account-settings?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Raven Mobile App](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/raven-mobile-app?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Integrations](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/integrations?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Teams](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/teams?hsLang=en-gb#main-content)

    - [Teams](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/teams?hsLang=en-gb#teams)
- [Resolutions](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/resolutions?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Event Markers](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/event-markers?hsLang=en-gb#main-content)

    - [Event Markers](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/event-markers?hsLang=en-gb#event-markers)
- [Webhooks](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/webhooks?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Contacts](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/contacts?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Forms](https://support.ravencontrols.com/raven-academy/forms?hsLang=en-gb)

[![brand mark - primary](https://support.ravencontrols.com/hubfs/brand%20mark%20-%20primary.svg "brand mark - primary")](http://ravencontrols.co.uk)

<https://www.linkedin.com/company/raven-controls/> [mailto:support@ravencontrols.com](mailto:support@ravencontrols.com)

Copyright © 2025, Raven Controls