What is SharePoint Form? How to Use Them Effectively

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SharePoint offers businesses a method to create documents and data repositories to collect important information. Users are always looking for a platform that provides ease of configuration to build libraries and lists. SharePoint forms are making the world easier for online platforms with their unique features and benefits. 

Are you feeling tired of so many complex procedures to build forms? Have you faced issues in customizing a form? Well, SharePoint forms have it all in one place. We will be sharing the best insights of SharePoint forms in this content piece. 

What are SharePoint forms? 

It is a window with multiple numbers of labels that enable the user to enter their information. SharePoint online forms help to simplify the business processes, workflows, and effortless management of the database. 

You might be asked to add first and last name, email, contact details, address, and more as a user. The SharePoint custom forms are capable of preventing users from entering incorrect data. It has great solutions and tools to make building forms easier. 

When you set up a Facebook or Email account, it asks for the relevant details as a registration method. SharePoint forms are the gatekeepers of the database that maintain the accuracy and quality of data in real-time. They are robust and highly interactive with the users. In some instances, the business wants relevant fields to appear only if a particular item is selected. This functionality is supported in SharePoint and saves the user from adding irrelevant information. 

How to Create a Form in SharePoint?

SharePoint empowers the users to store, manipulate, and collaborate with all types of data. Users prefer SharePoint lists to capture information like announcements, tasks, issues, or events. The process to create SharePoint forms is:

  • Permissions 

In all the versions of SharePoint, users need permission to edit for creating and managing forms. Aside from forms modifications from SharePoint, you might need additional third-party tools. It is significant to provide permissions for additional tools. 

  • Customization 

There are several things in the SharePoint custom template that you might want to customize based on your requirements. Let us look at some sectors: 

List Form 

SharePoint has multiple types of columns:

  • Single-Line Text 
  • Yes/No
  • Person
  • Date
  • Number

You can click on the New button or +New item in the SharePoint list and see the default list item. When you add new data in the column, it is added to the list automatically. Some traits you know:

  • Different data fields are represented through different controls. 
  • Compulsory data in the fields will have an asterisk (*), which cannot be left blank. 
  • The data fields in the form are arranged based on the order created in the SharePoint list. 

How to create SharePoint custom forms? 

At some point, you need to change the look and feel of the custom form. Steps you might want to follow on the list setting page: 

In Modern SharePoint, you need to redirect to the list settings. While, in the classic SharePoint, click on the list tab and then the List setting button. The appearance is the same in both classic and modern. 

To reorder the fields in the SharePoint forms, you can follow the below procedure: 

  • On the setting page, scroll down towards the columns section and click on the column ordering link. 
  • Use the numbered dropdown fields to arrange the column based on your requirements 
  • Changes made here will be displayed on the form, not in the list view, then click OK to save the changes. 

Marking the form fields as required is important. SharePoint forms enable this at multiple places in a single list. Redirect towards the list settings page:

  • Scroll down towards the Columns section in the List settings page
  • Click on the field that you want to require in the form 
  • You will see the Edit Column page that looks different based on its type and data 
  • You will see a “Require that this column contains information”, Click on the Yes radio button 
  • Select OK to save the changes 

What are the unique features of SharePoint forms that you must know?

  1. Custom Forms for List View 

You can create separate views for the new, display, and edit SharePoint forms. Go to the list in SharePoint and switch to the List tab or Library. Go to the Designer icon and open the app in the new window. On the Virto forms, the designer interface chooses the type of form you want to customize. You can edit, new, and display. 

  1. Drag-and-Drop Form building

You have the existing item field and basic controls on display. You can rearrange, add, or delete elements after certain permissions. The Drag and Drop SharePoint fields are ready-to-use controls that create a form in just a few minutes. 

  1. Flexible SharePoint form permission 

You can manage the user permissions to display in the form layout for users and user groups. You can grant read-only or view permission in certain fields for selected users. 

What are the benefits of SharePoint forms? 

  • Hide form fields

Many people get frustrated when they see extraneous fields in the form. An even worse case is when someone is filling the form on behalf of another person. SharePoint helps to modify these fields and hide them for a better user experience. 

  • Set Required Fields 

It isn’t easy to know the fields you need to fill while some you can avoid. You can set default to certain fields like title, name, or contact number in the SharePoint forms. 

  • Grouping 

A large form will have a wide collection of data that might get mixed up. With the help of SharePoint, users can group similar data, which makes more sense and will be visually pleasing.

  • Submission notification 

Manipulate the “Source” URL queries in the link to the form. Add a thank you or success page to let users know that their response has been successfully submitted. 

End Note!

Working with SharePoint forms is worth the effort. We have described its usage, features, and benefits of sharepoint to make it easier for you. It might take some time and effort to build a perfect form. Simple enhancements will improve user experience and make it seamless to collect data. 

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