This guide is for course providers. Use a General form for surveys, training enquiries, sign-ups, workshop interest or applications, without someone booking a course.
Each set of answers is saved as a response. Open Forms in your Admin dashboard; you need the Course Owner or System Admin role. For questions asked during a booking, use Create a Checkout Form (Booking or Registration Form) instead; General forms do not create bookings. See Choose Between a Checkout, General or Feedback Form to compare form types.
Create a Survey or Enquiry Form to Send to Customers
In Forms, select New Form and choose General.
Enter a Name for your team, such as "Training Enquiries", then select Create Form.
In Form Editor, enter the Form Title people should see and a short description.
Select Save at the top.
The form starts as a Draft. Add your questions and settings, then publish it to share a link or website embed, as described in "Publish and Share a Form Link" below. A form used only in a lesson can stay a draft. The form type cannot be changed after creation.
Can a General Form or Survey Work Without a Mandatory Email Address?
No. Every General form asks for an email address, including surveys. The main Email field is locked: it cannot be removed, made optional or hidden with a condition, and a response cannot be submitted without a valid email. There is no anonymous response setting. Cademy uses the email to match the response to a contact, or to create one.
Asking for an email does not mean people need a Cademy account. Anyone can complete the published link or a website embed without signing in.
Add and Edit Form Questions
Use a custom field for a question whose answer belongs to this response, such as "What training do you need?". To also save a name or phone number on the person's contact, see "Collect and Update Contact Details" below.
Add a Question to a General Form
Open Forms > your form > Form Editor.
Select Add Field > New Custom Field… and choose a question type.
Enter the question under Label. For choice questions, enter one answer per line under Options.
Keep Show on the Public Form on, when offered.
Select Add Field, then Save at the top of the form.
Question Types for General Forms
The picker lists, in this order: Rating (one to five stars), Scale (one number between points you set), Text (short answer), Text Area (longer answer), Date, Number, True/False (Boolean) (yes or no), Telephone, Email, Website, File Upload, Address, Multiple Choice Checkboxes (one or more choices), Single Choice Options (one choice from a visible list), Dropdown (one choice from a list) and Statement (instructions, with no answer).
Add a Scale Question
Select Add Field > New Custom Field… > Scale and enter the question under Label. Set Lowest Point and Highest Point: whole numbers from 0 to 10, with the lowest smaller than the highest (default 0 to 10). Add Lowest Point Caption and Highest Point Caption if useful, up to 40 characters each. Select Add Field, then Save. A Scale answer does not create a public course review.
Make a Question Required
In Form Editor, open the question's Field Options, turn on Required, select Save in the window, then Save at the top. People must answer it while it is shown. A hidden conditional question does not need an answer.
Show or Hide Questions With Conditions
Creating or changing conditions needs Teams or Custom, or an account with Conditional Fields included, and the feature enabled for your account. Open the follow-up question's Field Options. Under Visibility, select Only When…, choose a question above it, a comparison and the answer that shows the follow-up. Select Save, then Save at the top.
For example, show How many people need training? when Who is the training for? is My team or My organisation. Conditions apply on the link, the embed and in lessons. Hidden answers are cleared and not saved. See Show or Hide Form Questions Based on Answers.
Edit, Move or Remove a Question
In Form Editor, move your pointer over a question to show its controls:
Edit: click a custom question to change its wording or choices.
Move: use Drag to Reorder, or Insert Field Here to add a question above it.
Width: in Field Options, where available, choose how much of the row the question takes.
Remove: use Remove Field. Earlier answers are kept. Locked fields, such as Email, cannot be removed.
Save the window, then Save at the top. Before removing a File Upload question, download the files you need from its responses. A conditional question must stay below the question it checks; removing that question or changing an answer it uses shows a warning about the affected rules.
Make a Statement Appear in a Different Place or Box on the Form
Questions and Statements appear in the order they are listed in Form Editor. To show a Statement in another place, drag it with Drag to Reorder to the position you want, or delete it and add it again with Insert Field Here above the question it should introduce. Select Save at the top.
A General form is one list of questions, with no separate boxes or sections.
A Statement always takes the full width of the form. It cannot sit beside another question.
On a Checkout form, questions can only be moved within their own box. A Statement in Contact & Registration Fields cannot be moved into the Organisation Section, but the whole Organisation Section can be moved above or below it with Move Section Up or Move Section Down.
Set Answer Limits and Format Checks
Open the question's Field Options. For Number or Date, set Minimum and Maximum if needed; for example, a minimum of 1 prevents a request for zero people. Text, Text Area, Website, Email and Telephone questions offer a Pattern under Validation: a regular expression that checks the answer format. Leave it blank unless you need it, and add an Error Message explaining how to correct the answer. Save the options, then the form.
Add a File Upload Question
Let people attach files, such as a training brief, to their response.
In Form Editor, select Add Field > New Custom Field… > File Upload.
Enter a Label, such as "Upload your training brief".
Set Maximum Files and Maximum File Size (MB). Under Accepted File Types, enter allowed types separated by commas, such as .pdf, .docx, or leave it blank to allow any type.
Select Add Field, then Save at the top.
The default is one file up to 10 MB. You can allow 1 to 10 files of 1 to 50 MB each, but Maximum Files multiplied by Maximum File Size must be 100 MB or less. Files are not included in CSV exports; open each response to download them.
Add Instructions With a Statement
Use a Statement for instructions that do not need an answer. A custom Statement belongs only to this form. In Form Editor, select Add Field > New Custom Field…, choose Statement, enter a Label to identify it and write the instructions in Statement. Select Add Field, then Save. To change it later, click it in Form Editor, edit the text and save the window and the form.
Change the Form's Title, Cover and Submit Button
Set the public heading, introduction, cover image and submit button in Form Editor.
Change the Form Title, Introduction and Cover
Enter the Form Title and a short description, use Cover above the title to add an image, and select Save. Form Title is the public heading; the name in your Forms list is Settings > Internal Name, which the public page uses if Form Title is blank. Icon is only for your team.
Change the Submit Button
Click the submit button at the bottom of the form. Set the Button Label, such as "Send Enquiry", and its Alignment, select Save in the window, then Save at the top. The default is a full-width button labelled "Submit".
Saving changes updates every place using the form, including lessons. Unpublish it first if you want to close its public link and website embeds while editing.
Collect and Update Contact Details
Use Contact Fields to save a person's name, phone number or other details on their contact in Contacts. The answers are also saved with the response.
Add a Contact Field to a General Form
In Form Editor, select Add Field and choose a field under Contact Fields, such as Phone, then select Save. To create a new shared field, select Add Field > New Contact Field…. For field types, settings and choices, see Create Custom Contact Fields for Your Forms.
Edit a Shared Statement on a General Form
A Statement added from Contact Fields is shared: changing its text changes it on every form using it. A custom Statement belongs only to this form. See Create Custom Contact Fields for Your Forms.
Update Existing Contacts From Form Answers
For a public link or website embed, Cademy uses the submitted email to find the contact, or creates one. Inside a lesson, the response belongs to the registered learner. Blank answers never clear saved details. To choose whether new answers replace saved ones:
Open Forms > your form > Settings.
Under Contacts, set Update Existing Contacts. Off keeps saved details and only fills in blanks. On lets new answers from Contact Fields replace saved details, such as a new phone number.
Select Save.
If a contact's phone number did not change, check that the form uses Phone from Contact Fields, not a custom question called "Phone", and that Update Existing Contacts is on. Editing a saved response later changes only that response.
Edit Contact Fields on One Form or Several Forms
For one form, change a built-in field's wording with Field Options > Custom Label, where offered. For every form, edit the field under Settings > Fields > Contacts; this also changes copies of the form. Use a custom question when its wording should belong only to this form.
Show a Thank-You Message or Redirect After Submission
Choose what appears after someone submits through the public link or a website embed. Open Forms > your form > Settings > After Submission. Inside a lesson, learners see a saved receipt of their answers instead.
Show a Thank-You Message
Under What Happens After Someone Responds, choose Show A Message, enter a Confirmation Message, such as "Thank you. Our team will be in touch.", and select Save.
Redirect to a Webpage After Submission
Choose Redirect To A URL, enter the full address under Redirect URL, starting with https:// or http://, and select Save.
Set Form Confirmation Emails
Send an email to the person who submits the form. New General forms use Cademy's standard thank-you email.
Open Forms > your form > Settings. Under Emails, find Contact Confirmation Email.
Choose Default Confirmation, one of your own templates, or the separate Turn Off button to send nothing.
Select Save.
To prepare a template, see Create and Reuse Email Templates. If a confirmation does not arrive, check the setting, that the selected template still exists, the submitted email and the spam folder. A System Admin can check what was sent under the response's Emails; see Check response emails and delivery status.
Send Response Notifications to Your Team
Email your team when a new response arrives.
Open Forms > your form > Settings.
Under Owners, choose the team members or groups who should receive notifications.
Under Emails, turn on Admin / Owner Email Notifications.
Select Save.
These are sample settings, not the defaults. Owners do not restrict who can open the form. To stop the emails, turn the switch off and save; responses are still saved.
Why Your Team Is Not Getting Form Notifications
Selecting Owners alone does not send emails: Admin / Owner Email Notifications must be on. With no Owners selected, Cademy emails your account's notification recipients, or your System Admins if none are set.
Add Form Responses to Inbox
Create an Inbox conversation for each new response so your team can read it and reply. Open Forms > your form > Settings, turn on Add Responses To Inbox under Inbox and select Save. New responses then appear under Inbox in the main menu, and stay in the form's Responses tab.
Replies to the owner notification and Default Confirmation emails join the response's conversation. Turning the switch on does not add earlier responses to Inbox.
Publish and Share a Form Link
Anyone with the published link can fill in the form without signing in. The page shows your logo, form title, description and cover image.
Open your form in Forms and select Save.
At the top, open Draft and select Publish.
Open Share. Under Public Link, select Open to check the form people will see.
Select Copy and share the link in an email, message or social post.
How Many Forms Can I Publish?
Your plan limits how many General forms can be published at the same time. Drafts (a form used only in lessons can stay one), deleted or archived forms and Feedback forms do not count.
Plan | Published General forms |
Free | 1 |
Starter (older plan) | 3 |
Pro | 10 |
Teams | 50 |
Custom | The limit set for your account. Contact Cademy if you need it checked. |
For your plan, see What Each Cademy Plan Includes and Costs.
Can't Publish a Form: Reached Your Published Forms Limit
When you select Publish and your account already has as many published General forms as your plan allows, Cademy shows You have used 100% of your published forms limit, usually with the plans that allow more and an Upgrade Your Plan link. The form stays a draft.
In Forms, find every General form whose status is Published, including old surveys or enquiry forms you no longer use. Each one counts.
Open a form you no longer need, open Published at the top and select Unpublish. Its responses are kept.
Return to your new form and select Publish again.
If you have more published forms than your plan allows, for example after changing plan, unpublish enough of them to go below the limit before publishing another. If the count still looks wrong, contact Cademy Support with the names of your published forms.
Test the Form Before Sharing
After publishing, open Share > Public Link > Open.
Fill in the form with your own email address and submit it.
Check that you see your thank-you message or chosen webpage.
Return to Forms > your form > Responses and open your response.
This creates a real response, which you can delete afterwards. If the link says the form is no longer accepting responses, check that the form is Published. For a form with conditions, use Preview Logic in Form Editor to try different answers without saving a response, then Exit Preview.
Add a Form to a Lesson
A General form can also collect information inside an online lesson, such as a learning goal or a document. It can stay a draft and does not use a published-form slot. Each Registration has one response to the same form. See Add Forms to Lessons. To see where the form is used, open Forms > your form > Usage.
Put an Enquiry Form or Survey on Your Website (Embed)
Put the form on a page of your own website. Answers go to the same Responses tab as the shared link. You need the System Admin role and access to edit your website.
If the Embeds app is not installed, open Apps, select Cademy Embeds and select Install.
Open Forms > your published form > Share > Embed on Your Website. Only published General forms are listed.
Check the preview, select Get Code and choose your platform under Your Platform.
Paste the Embed Code into your page, and the Helper Script - Once Per Site once per website, as the steps show. Save your page and check the form appears.
The embed shows the questions and submit button, without the form's logo, title, description or cover. Add a heading on your page if you need one. For the full steps by platform, see Embed Courses or Forms on Your Website.
View and Manage Form Responses
Edit a Form Response
See Edit a form response in View and Manage Form Responses.
Delete a Form Response
See Delete a response in View and Manage Form Responses.
Check Response Emails and Delivery Status
See Check response emails and delivery status in View and Manage Form Responses.
Add Internal Notes and Status Columns to Responses
See Add internal notes and status columns in View and Manage Form Responses.
Edit or Delete an Internal Column
See Edit, hide or delete internal columns in View and Manage Form Responses.
Export Form Responses as CSV
See Export form responses as CSV in View and Manage Form Responses.
View Form Reports
View Form Analytics: Views and Responses
See Check form views and response totals in View and Manage Form Responses.
View Campaign Tracking Details for Responses
See Find campaign details saved with responses in View and Manage Form Responses.
Rename, Duplicate, Unpublish or Delete a Form
Manage a General form from Forms and the form's status menu.
Unpublish a Form to Stop Responses
Open the form, open Published at the top and select Unpublish. Answers are kept. The public link shows a closed page and website embeds stop accepting responses. To reopen them, open Draft and select Publish. Lessons still accept responses.
Rename a Form
In Forms, open the three-dot menu beside the form, select Rename…, enter the Name and select Save. This changes the name in your list; use Form Editor > Form Title for the public heading.
Duplicate a Form
In Forms, open the three-dot menu, select Duplicate…, enter a Name and select Duplicate. The copy keeps the type and settings, starts as a draft with no responses, and uses the same shared Contact Fields.
Delete a Form
Export the responses you need from Forms > your form > Responses, and download any uploaded files.
Open the form's Usage tab. If it lists lessons, remove or replace the Form block in each lesson and save it. A form used in a lesson cannot be deleted: Delete… opens This Form Is Being Used.
In Forms, open the three-dot menu beside the form, select Delete… and confirm with Delete.
A form with responses is archived: it leaves the list, but its responses are kept. A form without responses is deleted. Use Unpublish if you only want to close the public link and embeds.
Frequently asked questions
Does completing a General form book someone onto a course?
No. It saves their answers as a response. For questions asked during a booking, use a Checkout form.
Can the same person complete the form more than once?
Yes, through the public link or a website embed; each submission is a separate response. Inside lessons, there is one response to the same form per Registration.
Will changing a question affect answers already received?
The saved answers are kept, but changing the wording can change the question label shown on earlier responses. Add a new question if you are asking something different.
What if someone submitted the wrong email address?
The submitted email cannot be edited. Ask them to submit again with the correct address, and delete the earlier response if you no longer need it.
What should I send Cademy if I still need help?
Use the chat in your dashboard or email support@cademy.io. Include the form name or public link, the step you tried and any error message, and the response's Reference if it concerns a response.