Have you ever created a workspace within Nexl and thought, "I wish other people could contribute to this!" Well with Nexl Forms, they can!

Nexl Forms allow you to build forms or surveys, publish them, and distribute them to third-party participants. But unlike other form-builders, Nexl's built-in Forms function connects directly to a Nexl list. This allows you to collect responses and bring them into Nexl seamlessly—no import or export required.

This article will take you through how Nexl Forms work, to help you understand the Forms feature and how to leverage it for your Marketing and BD initiatives.

Note: Using Nexl Forms requires familiarity with Projects Lists, Marketing Preferences, and Key Activities. Click the links provided to learn more about these features.

Within any Project or App in Nexl, you can create various types of lists. Nexl lists are extremely powerful—you can leverage all the company, contact, and engagement data Nexl provides within a super flexible, super-powered spreadsheet. To learn more about Nexl lists, click the link above or explore our Help Center!

Below we will go through all the steps required to create a Form within Nexl:

In order to create a Form within Nexl, you first must create a corresponding contact list within a Project or App.

Click the plus icon to create a new tab, then select 'New Contact List' from the dropdown.

Once you have created your list, you can automatically add any of Nexl's existing data by clicking the 'Columns' button on the right-hand side. Once the corresponding menu opens, check or un-check the columns you want to see. In addition basic contact information like names, emails, and job titles, you can bring any of Nexl's engagement data into your list, such as number of interactions, date last contacted, who-knows-who information, and more.

In addition to Nexl's built-in columns, you can also create custom columns to capture additional information. Use the 'Add Column' button to create a custom column.

For example, let's imagine we're creating an invite list for an event. Using custom columns, you can track important information relevant to the event, like RSVP statuses or dietary restrictions.

Once you have configured any additional information you want to track, it's time to build your Form! To start, click the 'Form' button above the list.

From here, you can create a new Form, or view and edit any existing Forms associated with the list. To edit an existing form, click the 3 dots menu beside the Form title. To create a new Form, click the 'Add Form' button.

Next, use the pencil icon on the top right of the Form to edit the title. This is the title that will display at the top of the Form when you share it with third parties.

You can also use the 'Description' field to provide additional information about the Form, such as details about the event, instructions on how to fill out the Form, or anything else recipients might find helpful.

By default, your Form will have an email address field. This field is required if you want to associate a particular Contact with their response. However, by selecting the field block, you can edit the input label and add an optional description to the field. Simply click on the field block, then use the editing options that appear on the right-hand side.

If you do not want to associate a response with a particular Contact record or respondent (for example, if you are collecting anonymous submissions), use the 'Hide Field' toggle to remove the email address collection from the Form.

Be sure to click the 'Save' button after editing the input label, description, or default values, or changing the 'Hide Field' toggle.

In addition to the default email field, you will see a number of other fields available on the left. Any custom columns you have added to your list will automatically appear as field options. You can drag and drop any of these fields into the form-builder to add them to your Form. You can also use the drag-and-drop to reorder your fields.

Any fields you drag and drop into the Form can also be edited by clicking the field block. This will allow you to change the way certain fields are displayed, or mark certain fields as required.

Once you've built your Form, you can use the 'Settings' tab to customize what happens after the Form is submitted.

The first dropdown under the 'Settings' tab is the 'Form' dropdown. In this section, you will see two options: 'Set Consent Status to Given', and 'Include Default Footer'.

By selecting 'Set Consent Status to Given', you can automatically update the Marketing Preferences of anyone who submits your Form. When this is turned on, Contacts who submit the Form will inherit the 'Consent Given' status in their Marketing Preferences.

NOTE: This setting may not be appropriate for all jurisdictions. Please review your data privacy compliance requirements prior to using this setting.

Click here to learn more about Marketing Preferences in Nexl.

By selecting 'Include Default Footer', your Form will automatically display the default footer you have created in your Form Settings.

To create a default footer, click the Admin menu and select 'Forms' from the dropdown. Then, click the General Settings button in the top right.

From here, you can use 'Styles' section to set custom CSS for your Form. Under the 'Styles' section, you'll find the 'Default footer' section, where you can create your default footer.

The next section you'll find in the Settings tab is the Confirmation Page dropdown. This section allows you to set up a page that will be displayed to the respondents after they submit the Form.

Within the Confirmation Page dropdown, you can enter a Header to title the page, as well as a Message to display under the title (such as a thank-you message or follow-up steps). You can also enter a Redirect Link, to automatically send respondents to another webpage after the Confirmation Page is displayed (such as your homepage, a resource page, or a content download page).

The last dropdown available under the Settings tab is the Key Activity dropdown. This allows you to create a custom Key Activity that will automatically appear on a respondent's Activity Feed.

Within the Key Activity dropdown, you can select the activity type, enter a title for the activity, and provide a description. Both the activity title and description will both appear on each respondent's Activity Feed, along with the date and time they submitted the Form.

Within the 'Description' field, you'll notice pre-filled text that says '{{Form_Title}}'. This text serves as a placeholder for the title you have given your Form. If you want to add more detail, simply type around the placeholder within the text box. (For example, entering '{{Form_Title}} for conference invite' as the Key Activity description in the Form below, would display as 'Contact List Form for conference invite' on the respondent's Activity Feed.)

Once you have configured your Key Activity, check the 'Create activity' checkbox to enable the automatic activity creation, then click the 'Save' button.

Once you have built your Form and configured your Settings, you can preview your Form by clicking the 'Preview' button in the top right corner.

Clicking the 'Preview' button will open a new tab and display what your Form will look like as currently designed.

When you are happy with the design and configuration of your Form, the final step is to publish it. You can publish your Form by clicking the 'Publish' button in the top right corner.

Once you have published your Form, you will be presented with a number of options for distributing or displaying your Form. On the 'Link' tab, you will see the unique URL generated for your Form, which you can quickly copy using the copy icon on the right side of the text box.

In addition to generating a unique URL for your Form, Nexl will also generate a unique QR code for your Form. This allows people to scan the code with their mobile device, and be taken directly to your Form. This option is great for sharing a Form at in-person events (such as check-in forms or feedback forms). You can download the QR code using the 'Download QR' button.

Within the 'Embed' tab, you will be presented with a block of code that can be used to embed your Form on your website.

As you receive Form submissions, you will see the responses populate within the Contact List that the Form is connected to. If you have set a Key Activity to be created when your form is submitted, this will appear in the Activity Feed of the Contacts who submit your Form as well.