Form view

Form view transforms your table into shareable web forms for collecting data from anyone, with automatic validation and customizable thank-you pages.

This guide covers how to create and customize Baserow forms for data collection, including field configuration, conditional logic, and submission handling.

Learn more about views in general: Views overview

What is Form view?

Form view creates web forms automatically from your table fields. Instead of manually building forms from scratch, Form view generates a form based on your existing table structure. When someone submits your form, their responses create new rows in your table.

Form view excels at: Customer feedback collection, lead generation, event registrations, survey responses, job applications, order forms, contact forms, and any scenario where you need external users to submit structured data.

Form view vs other view types

Feature Form Grid Gallery Kanban
Best for Data collection Data management Visual browsing Status tracking
External access ✓ Public submissions Via sharing only Via sharing only Via sharing only
Data entry mode Single record at a time Bulk editing Limited Limited
Automatic validation ✓ Built-in Manual Manual Manual
Conditional logic ✓ – – –
Pre-filling ✓ URL parameters – – –
Branding ✓ Logo & cover – ✓ Cover only –

Learn more: Grid view | Gallery view | Kanban view

Create a Form view

  1. Click the view dropdown at the top-left of the table
  2. Select Form from the view type options
  3. Choose Collaborative or Personal permission type
  4. Enter a name for your form view
  5. Click Create view

Creating a form view in Baserow

All compatible table fields appear in your form automatically. Incompatible field types (Formula, Created on, Count, UUID, Rollup, Last modified, Lookup) are excluded automatically since they calculate or generate values automatically.

Form display modes

Form view offers two display modes optimized for different scenarios.

Standard form mode

All fields display on a single scrolling page. Best for short forms (1-9 questions), quick data entry, and forms where users need to see all fields at once.

Survey mode

Fields display one at a time with navigation buttons. Best for long forms (10+ questions), mobile-optimized experiences, and higher completion rates on complex forms. Learn more: Form survey mode

Switch modes: Click Change mode in the toolbar and select your preferred display option.

Configure form fields

Control which fields appear on your form and how they’re presented to form respondents.

Add or remove fields

Create new fields: Click + Create new field in the sidebar to add fields that don’t exist in your table yet. The new field appears in both your form and table.

Add fields: Select fields from the left sidebar to include them on your form. Click Add all to include all compatible fields at once.

Remove fields: Click the eye icon next to any field to hide it from the form. Hidden fields don’t appear to respondents but remain in your table.

Adding and removing form fields

Configure individual fields

Click any field to access its configuration options:

Field label: Customize how the field name appears on the form. For example, change “email” to “Your email address” for clarity.

Description: Add helper text that appears below the field label to guide respondents.

Required toggle: Make fields mandatory for form submission. Respondents cannot submit without completing required fields.

Configuring form field options

Field-specific options

Single and Multiple select fields: Display as radio buttons (single) or checkboxes (multiple) for better user experience. Customize which options appear on the form.

Radio and checkbox components in forms

Link-to-table fields: Choose between “Single” (dropdown) or “Multiple” (dropdown with + button to add more) selection modes.

Link to table field configuration

Reorder fields

Standard mode: Click and drag fields using the drag handle (⋮⋮) to reorder them directly in the form editor.

Reordering fields in standard form mode

Survey mode: Click Order fields at the bottom to open a popup where you can drag fields to reorder them.

Reordering fields in survey mode

Survey mode works better for longer forms (10+ questions). Standard mode is better for shorter forms where users want to see all questions.

Brand your form

Add visual elements to make forms match your organization’s branding.

Add header and description

Click the header section at the top of your form to add:

  • Title - Main form heading
  • Description - Explanatory text about the form’s purpose

Add logo and cover image

Logo: Click Add a logo and upload your organization’s logo (appears in the form header).

Cover image: Click Add a cover image in the gray area at the top and upload a banner image (appears above the form).

Form with logo and cover image

Replace or remove images anytime by clicking them and selecting the appropriate option.

Customize submit button

Click the pencil icon next to the Submit button to change its text. For example, change “Submit” to “Register Now” or “Send Feedback.”

Customizing submit button text

Form conditions (conditional logic)

Show or hide fields based on values entered in other fields. Conditional logic creates dynamic forms that adapt to respondent input.

How it works: Define conditions similar to Baserow filters. When conditions are met, specified fields appear. When conditions aren’t met, fields remain hidden.

Form conditions configuration

Learn more about condition syntax: Advanced filtering

Configure post-submission behavior

Control what respondents see after submitting your form.

Show a thank-you message

Customize the message displayed on the submission confirmation page. Enter your message in the Show a message box. This is the default post-submission behavior.

Configuring thank-you message

Dynamic content: Use {row_id} in your message to display the newly created record’s ID. For example: “Thank you! Your submission #{row_id} has been received.”

Redirect to a URL

Send respondents to a specific webpage after submission. Enter the URL in the Redirect to URL field. This overrides the default thank-you page.

Include {row_id} in redirect URLs to pass the record ID: https://example.com/thank-you?id={row_id}

Share and preview forms

Share your form

Click Share form in the toolbar to generate a public link. Anyone with the link can submit your form without a Baserow account.

Learn more: Public sharing

Sharing form publicly

Preview before sharing

Click Preview in the toolbar to see your form as respondents will see it. This opens the form in a new tab with the public URL.

Previewing form

Test all fields, conditions, and submission behavior before sharing with real users.

Form notifications

Enable notifications to receive alerts when someone submits your form. Toggle Receive form notifications at the bottom of the form editor.

Learn more: Form submission notifications

Pre-fill form fields

Pre-fill forms with data using URL parameters, making it easier for respondents to complete forms with information you already know.

Common use case: Pre-fill and hide fields that shouldn’t be changed, like referral sources or campaign tracking codes.

Basic pre-fill syntax

Add parameters to your form URL in this format: ?prefill_<field_name>=value. Spaces in the field name are replaced with + to avoid any issues with the query parameter.

Example: Pre-fill a name field ?prefill_Name=John+Smith

Pre-fill multiple fields

Use & to separate multiple pre-filled fields: ?prefill_Name=John+Smith&prefill_Email=john@example.com

Field-specific pre-fill formats

Single select: A single select field can accept the value that is shown in the select dropdown ?prefill_single+select=Business

Multiple select: Separate values with commas ?prefill_multi+select=Marketing,Sales,Support

Rating: A rating field accepts a number to indicate how many stars should be filled. ?prefill_rating=4

Link-to-table: A link row field can accept the value that is shown in the select dropdown. ?prefill_link+row=Engineering

Date: A date field can accept a date in the following formats and will use the date format of the field to parse the date. (YYYY-MM-DD, DD/MM/YYYY, or MM/DD/YYYY) ?prefill_Start+Date=2024-01-15

Hide fields dynamically

Hide specific fields using URL parameters: ?hide_<field_name>

Example: ?hide_Internal+Notes

Learn more in this blog: Pre-fill forms with link row data

View form submissions

Form submissions automatically create new rows in your table. View submissions in any table view, though Grid view provides the most comprehensive access to all data.

Submission location: New submissions appear at the bottom of grid view unless active filters hide them, active sorts move them to different positions, or the table has specific row ordering

Real-time updates: Submissions appear immediately in your table. Multiple team members can monitor submissions simultaneously.

Form view toolbar options

The toolbar at the top of the Form view provides quick access to:

Share form - Generate public links (covered above)

Change mode - Switch between standard form and survey mode

Preview - See form as respondents see it (covered above)

Form view also has the standard view management menu (⋮) with options for duplicate, rename, delete, webhooks, and view type conversion.

Why use Form view?

Form view bridges the gap between your internal database and external data collection. Unlike other view types designed for browsing or managing existing data, the Form view focuses entirely on creating new records from external submissions.

No manual form building: Forms automatically include all compatible table fields. Add, remove, or reorder fields without starting over. Changes to your table structure update the form automatically.

Built-in validation: Required fields, field types, and conditional logic ensure data quality. Forms only accept properly formatted data based on your field configurations.

Instant database updates: Form submissions immediately create new rows in your table, visible in Grid view and other views. No manual data entry or import required.

Flexible sharing: Generate public form links to share with anyone, or embed forms in websites using iframes. Forms work without Baserow accounts or workspace access.

Frequently asked questions

Which field types work with Form view?

Most field types work in forms. Compatible: Text, Number, Rating, Boolean, Date, URL, Email, File, Single select, Multiple select, Phone number, Link-to-table, Collaborator, Duration, Password. Incompatible: Formula, Created on, Count, UUID, Rollup, Last modified, Last modified by, Lookup (these calculate automatically and don’t need user input).

Can I edit form submissions after they’re submitted?

Forms only create new records; they don’t edit existing ones. Once submitted, responses become regular table rows that you can edit manually in Grid view or other views. For editing existing data, share appropriate views instead of forms.

How do I prevent duplicate form submissions?

Forms don’t automatically prevent duplicates. Consider using form conditions to warn users, or manually review submissions in Grid view. For advanced deduplication, use webhooks with external automation tools.

Can I require authentication for form submission?

Standard form sharing creates public links accessible to anyone. For authenticated access, use view sharing instead of form sharing, or implement authentication through external tools that embed your form. Enterprise plans may have additional authentication options.

Do form submissions trigger notifications?

Yes, if enabled. Toggle Receive form notifications at the bottom of the form editor. You’ll receive notifications when anyone submits the form. Learn more: Form submission notifications

Can I accept file uploads through forms?

Yes. File fields in your table become file upload fields in forms. Respondents can upload files directly through the form, and the uploads attach to the created row. Consider file size limits and storage implications for public forms.

How do I test forms without creating real data?

Use preview mode to see the form, but any submission creates real data. Create a test table for form testing, or manually delete test submissions from your production table. Consider adding a “Test submission” checkbox field to identify and filter out test data.

Can I use forms in survey mode?

Yes. Survey mode displays one question at a time instead of all fields on one page. Click Change mode in the toolbar to switch between standard and survey modes. Survey mode is better for longer forms with many questions.

Form features

View basics

Other view types

Advanced tutorials

Still need help? If you’re looking for something else, please feel free to make recommendations or ask us questions; we’re ready to assist you.