Forms

Use a Drupal web form, rather than Google Forms or other free web forms, whenever possible. Drupal web forms are much more accessible, keep users on our website rather than sending them elsewhere, and we have more flexibility and control over the styling and functionality of Drupal web forms.

Request a new Drupal web form by submitting the aptly named Form to Request Web Forms.

Use an active title

Title the form with an active verb. Leave out the word form (but consider putting it in the description of the form itself, so users can find it by searching).

Please don't:

  • OKC contact form
  • Library instruction request form

Please do:

  • Contact OKC
  • Request instruction

Briefly describe the purpose of the form

Imagine a user lands on the page without having followed a link from a previous page. What would they need to know to make sense of the rest of the form? Include examples of why they might want to fill out the form and when they should expect a response.

This text blurb goes in the form's "body" in Drupal.

Good examples:

  • Use this form to request items from our technology collection for academic or research purposes. We will email you about the status of your request as soon as we can, usually within one weekday (Mon–Fri).
  • We're here to help you. Ask us about using the Libraries, finding materials you need, and getting help. An NC State University Libraries staff member will respond to your message, usually within one day.

Ask only for what you need

Forms should feel easy, not daunting. Most fields on your form should be required. For any optional fields you include, add "(optional)" to the field label.

If your form is getting lengthy, consider adding in conditional logic. For example, if the user selects "Student," show the "Undergraduate? / Graduate student?" fields, rather than making those an optional field that all users see.

Think twice (or thrice!) about asking for data you might not need or that might make the user feel unwelcome, like asking about their gender or age.

Use plain and welcoming language

“Thinking about how a form can be organized as a conversation instead of an interrogation can go a long way toward making new [users] feel welcome.” ―Luke Wroblewski, Web Form Design: Filling in the Blanks

Make your form easy to use for people who are distracted, stressed, neurodivergent (e.g., dyslexic), or who have cognitive impairments (e.g., trouble concentrating). To test your tone, try reading your form questions out loud: is it a conversation or an interrogation?

Use help text

Some questions on a form benefit from extra clarification or including examples. Don't include examples in the placeholder text of the form field: examples belong in the help text so the user can still see them after they click into the field.

Position the help text above the form field, not below it. (In Drupal, this is a field-specific form setting.)

Consider error messages

What kind of error message would pop up for a user who doesn't fill out the form the way you expect them to? For example, if they use dashes when inputting their phone number, will the form show a red "Numbers only" message?

You might not have control over error messages or input types. If you do: test every field and make those error messages both friendly and helpful. If you don't: include a properly formatted example in the help text.

Confirm form submission

After the user clicks "Submit," the next page should confirm what the user just did and let them know what they should expect next. Be specific. You might also include a sign-off from the person or organization involved.

If the form asked for a lot of information (such as an application), make sure it automatically sends the submitter their form submission by email. In that email, you can repeat the next steps. This way, the user has proof they submitted the form in their records.

Please don't:

  • Thanks!
  • Your response has been recorded.

Please do:

  • Thank you for registering! We'll send you a confirmation email within the next 2 business days.
  • Thanks for submitting your request! You'll receive a copy of your submission by email. We'll follow up with you by email by April 10. —Event Planning Committee

If you're using a Google web form, you can change the cold-sounding default message under Settings > Presentation > Confirmation message. You can also use this logo image as a header to make the form look more professional and trustworthy.

Good Examples

Recommended Reading

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