Dubsado's form builder is a drag-and-drop interface for creating and customizing form templates. This article covers the builder's core tools: elements, settings, styling, sharing, and text formatting.
Form builder overview
To access the form builder, navigate to Forms ➔ Form templates. Click any template to open it, or click +New Form Template to create one.
The form builder uses a drag-and-drop interface. Here are a few key interactions:
Drag elements from the Elements panel, or add them inline with the + icon.
Click an element once to open its settings.
Double-click an element or hover and click the pencil icon to edit text inline.
Drag elements to rearrange them. A green line shows where the element will land.
Use Preview to see the form as your client will see it.
The form builder does not auto-save. Save your work frequently using the Save form button. When you are finished, click the down arrow next to Save form and select Save and close to return to form templates.
Elements
The Elements panel contains all the building blocks for your form. General elements such as text boxes, short answers, and containers are available on every form type. Other elements are type-specific and only appear when you are building certain form types.
For a complete guide to all available elements, see Form elements.
Form settings
The Settings panel in the form builder toolbar lets you configure how your form behaves. Available settings vary by form type.
General settings
These settings are available on most form types.
Expiration date -- Set when the form expires. You can choose a fixed date or a relative timeframe (for example, a number of hours, days, or weeks before or after a project date). Lead capture forms support fixed expiration dates only. When expiration is enabled, you can also configure a reminder to notify your client before the form expires.
Completion message -- Customize the message displayed after a client completes the form. Not available on lead capture forms.
Password protection -- When enabled, the form is only accessible through the client portal after your client logs in. When disabled (the default), anyone with the link can access the form directly.
Lead capture forms and proposals have additional type-specific settings (such as public sharing options and invoice settings) that appear above the general settings. See the respective form type articles for details.
Form styling
The Styling panel controls the visual appearance of your form.
Question styling
These settings apply to question elements such as Short Answer, Free Response, Multiple Choice, and others. They do not apply to Text Box or Package elements.
Font -- Choose from available font families.
Font size -- Set the font size.
Font color -- Set the font color.
General styling
Top padding / Bottom padding -- Adjust the spacing at the top and bottom of your form (in pixels).
Submit button text -- Customize the text on the submit button. Available on lead captures, proposals, and questionnaires.
Custom CSS
Click Edit CSS to open a code editor in the sidebar where you can write custom CSS to style your form.
Custom CSS may cause your form to display or behave unexpectedly. Dubsado does not provide support for CSS-related issues.
See CSS cheat sheet for Dubsado forms for tips and examples.
Sharing your form
The Sharing panel provides options for distributing your form publicly. This panel is available on lead capture forms and public proposals only.
Embed code -- Copy and paste HTML embed code into your website to display the form inline.
Direct link -- Copy a shareable link to send via text, social media, or anywhere else.
The Sharing panel is only visible for lead capture forms and proposals configured to create a new project (public proposals). If your form is already applied to a specific project, the Sharing panel will not appear.
Text formatting toolbar
When you edit text inside a Text Box or Package element, a formatting toolbar appears with these options:
Heading and paragraph formats
Bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough
Font and font size
Text color and text background color
Text alignment options
Numbered and bulleted lists
Insert table
Insert image
Hyperlinks
Smart fields (insert dynamic content like client names or project dates)
FAQ
Does the form builder auto-save?
No. The form builder does not auto-save. Save your work frequently using the Save form button. When you are finished, click the down arrow next to Save form and select Save and close to return to form templates.
Can I use the form builder on a mobile device?
The form builder has a mobile layout with a simplified bottom navigation bar that includes Canvas, Settings, and Styling options (and Sharing when applicable). However, the experience is optimized for desktop.