Creating a form

There are two main ways to create a form in your forum, depending on what kind of information you want to collect from users:

If you'd like to guide users to include specific information when they create a new topic—such as asking them questions or providing a posting format—you can use the new topic message template feature. This template appears as pre-filled text in the message field and helps ensure posts are more complete and easier to respond to.

To learn how to set this up, see the Set a Message Template for New Topics article.

If you want to collect additional information from users when they sign up for your forum, you can add custom profile fields to the registration form. These fields can be made required or optional, and you can choose from several field types depending on the kind of data you want to gather.

Some examples of supported field types include:

• Single-line text box
• Multiple-line text box
• Multiple-selection checkboxes
• Single-selection radio buttons
• Single-selection dropdown menu
• Multiple-selection dropdown menu

Custom profile fields can also be shown or hidden after signup and can be set to be editable only during signup or at any time via the user’s profile.

For detailed instructions, visit the Adding a New Custom Profile Field article.

Both of these options—message templates and custom profile fields—help you collect the information you need in a structured, user-friendly way.

If you still need help, please contact us.