# formbase Docs — Getting Started

# Introduction

What formbase is, what it does, and who it is for.

## Introduction

formbase collects and verifies information from your customers. Send one person a prefilled form, get structured answers back, and let your workflow or AI agent carry on.

<h2 id="what-is-formbase">What is formbase?</h2>
<p>
  Most workflows run fine until they need something only a customer can give: billing details, a signed contract, a missing invoice line, a
  yes or no. The run stops, and somebody writes an email.
</p>
<p>
  formbase is that step. You build a form once, then send it to one named person as a <strong>request</strong>. They open a branded form in
  their own language with what you already know filled in. When they finish, formbase hands the answers back to your workflow.
</p>

<h2 id="the-customer-step">How a request works</h2>
Build your form →</a>',
    },
    {
      title: 'Create a request',
      description:
        'By hand from the <strong>Share</strong> sheet, or from Make, Zapier, an AI agent, or your own code. Prefill what you know and lock what must not change. <a href="/requests/creating-requests/">Creating requests →</a>',
    },
    {
      title: 'The recipient completes it',
      description:
        'formbase emails the invitation and the reminders (Pro and Business; Free gets 10 invitation emails to try it), or gives you a secret link to send yourself (every plan). Each link completes once, and a request that nobody finishes expires. <a href="/requests/invitations-and-reminders/">Invitations and reminders →</a>',
    },
    {
      title: 'The answers come back',
      description:
        'formbase posts a signed callback with the answers under stable field keys, so a renamed question never breaks your mapping. The Requests page shows every request and where it stands. <a href="/requests/callbacks/">Callbacks →</a>',
    },
  ]}
/>

> ℹ️ **No automation needed**
> <p>
>     Every published form also has a <strong>public link</strong> for anyone to fill in — as a link, a QR code, an embed, or a popup. Answers
>     from both channels land in the same inbox. <a href="/getting-started/share-a-public-link">Share a public link →</a>
>   </p>

<h2 id="engine">What you can build</h2>
<ul>
  <li>
    <strong>A document-style editor.</strong> Headings, text, and questions sit side by side, and the layout you build is what the recipient
    sees. <a href="/building-forms/understanding-the-editor">Understanding the editor →</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>An AI agent in the editor.</strong> Describe the form and it builds the fields, pages, and logic, then edits, translates, or
    analyzes answers on request. <a href="/ai/using-ai">Using AI →</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Logic and calculations.</strong> <a href="/building-forms/conditional-logic">Show, hide, and route</a> on earlier answers,
    compute totals with <a href="/building-forms/calculated-fields">calculated fields</a>, and reuse answers with{' '}
    <a href="/building-forms/answer-piping">answer piping</a>.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>More than text.</strong> <a href="/building-forms/file-uploads-signatures">File uploads and signatures</a>,{' '}
    <a href="/building-forms/payment-collection">payments</a>, <a href="/integrations/cal-com">Cal.com bookings</a>,{' '}
    <a href="/building-forms/repeating-groups">repeating groups</a>, and <a href="/building-forms/documents-block">documents</a> for the
    recipient to read.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Translations.</strong> Translate a form with AI or by hand. formbase flags rows that are missing or out of date, and carries the
    recipient's language into emails and PDFs. <a href="/building-forms/translating-form-content">Translating forms →</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Your brand.</strong> Your colors and fonts, your <a href="/branding-domains/custom-domains">domain</a>, and your{' '}
    <a href="/branding-domains/custom-email-domains">sending address</a>.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Integrations and APIs.</strong> Deliver answers to Slack, Notion, Google Sheets, Airtable, and{' '}
    <a href="/integrations/overview">more</a>, or use the <a href="/developers/rest-api">REST API</a>,{' '}
    <a href="/integrations/webhooks">webhooks</a>, and the <a href="/developers/mcp-server">MCP server</a>.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Teams.</strong> Invite your whole workspace with no per-seat fees.{' '}
    <a href="/workspaces-teams/inviting-members">Members and roles →</a>
  </li>
</ul>

<h2 id="plans">Plans</h2>
<p>
  formbase is free to start: unlimited forms, workspaces, and members, and 1,000 submissions and requests a month. Pro and Business raise
  the limits and add request emails (Free gets 10 invitation emails to try them), custom domains, advanced analytics, AI Skills, and more.{' '}
  <a href="/subscription-billing/plans-pricing">Compare plans →</a>
</p>

<h2 id="next-steps">Where to start</h2>
<p>
  New here? Follow this section in order: <a href="/getting-started/sign-up">sign up</a>, build a form, send your first request. Or jump
  straight to what you came for.
</p>
<div class="not-prose grid gap-3 sm:grid-cols-2">
  - [Send your first request](/getting-started/send-your-first-request) — Assign a form to one person and watch the answers come back
  - [Automate with the API](/requests/creating-requests) — Create requests from your workflow, with prefilled values and a callback
  - [Connect an agent](/guides/ai-agents/connect) — Let Claude or Cursor build a form and send requests for you
  - [Share a public link](/getting-started/share-a-public-link) — Open the same form to anyone — link, embed, or QR code
</div>


# Sign up & workspace

Create your account, set up your workspace, and invite your team.

## Sign up & workspace

Create your account, set up a workspace, and invite teammates. No credit card needed.

<h2 id="create-account">Create your account</h2>

  <p>
    Open <a href="https://app.formbase.so">app.formbase.so</a>. There are two ways in, and neither needs a password:
  </p>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <strong>Google</strong> — one click. Google Workspace accounts work too.
    </li>
    <li>
      <strong>Magic link</strong> — type your email and click <strong>Continue</strong>. formbase shows <em>Check your email</em> and sends
      you a link. Open it and you are signed in.
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>Signing in for the first time creates your account. No credit card, no trial clock.</p>

<h2 id="workspace">Create your first workspace</h2>

  <p>
    A <strong>workspace</strong> holds your forms, submissions, integrations, and teammates. The first screen after signing in says{' '}
    <em>Welcome to formbase</em> and has one button: <strong>Create Workspace</strong>. New to the workspace/account/form distinction? See{' '}
    <a href="/getting-started/faq#workspace-vs-account">how they fit together</a>.
  </p>
  <p>
    All it asks for is a name — your company, team, or just <em>Personal</em>. Your timezone comes from your browser. Change either later in{' '}
    <strong>Workspace Settings</strong>, under <strong>Workspace details</strong>.
  </p>
  <p>
    Need more than one? Every plan includes unlimited workspaces — useful for separating clients, brands, or projects. See{' '}
    <a href="/workspaces-teams/multiple-workspaces">multiple workspaces</a>.
  </p>

<h2 id="invite-team">Invite teammates (optional)</h2>
<p>
  Working solo? Skip ahead. For teams, open the workspace switcher at the top of the sidebar → <strong>Workspace Settings</strong>, then
  click <strong>Invite</strong> in the <strong>Members</strong> section. You get a link that anyone can use to join. Members and workspaces
  are unlimited on every plan, and any member can invite — renaming, removing members, and deleting the workspace are the owner's. See{' '}
  <a href="/workspaces-teams/inviting-members">inviting members</a>.
</p>

<h2 id="next-steps">Next steps</h2>
<p>You have an account and a workspace. Next: build a form and publish it — everything else in formbase starts from a published form.</p>
<div class="not-prose grid gap-3 sm:grid-cols-2">
  - [Build your form](/getting-started/build-your-form) — Build and publish in minutes
  - [Inviting members](/workspaces-teams/inviting-members) — Roles, seats, and invitations in detail
  - [Plans & pricing](/subscription-billing/plans-pricing) — Compare Free, Pro, and Business features
  - [Getting started FAQ](/getting-started/faq) — Common questions about your first hour
</div>


# Build your form

Go from an empty canvas to a published form — the one thing every request and every public link needs.

## Build your form

A form is the design: the questions you ask and the way they look. Publishing it is what makes it usable — as a request sent to one person, or as a public link open to everyone. This page gets you to a published form.

<h2 id="quick-start">Publish in four steps</h2>
<p>The editor works like a document. Type where you want text, and press a key to add a question.</p>

Forms</strong> in the sidebar and click <strong>Form</strong>, top-left. Or go to <a href="https://app.formbase.so/try">app.formbase.so/try</a> to build one without an account.',
    },
    {
      title: 'Add questions',
      description:
        'Click in the editor and press <strong>/</strong> to open the block menu. Pick a question type, type the label, and hit Enter. Drag the handle on the left to reorder.',
    },
    {
      title: 'Preview',
      description: 'Click <strong>Preview</strong> in the toolbar to walk through the form exactly as the person answering it will.',
    },
    {
      title: 'Publish',
      description:
        'Click <strong>Publish</strong> (top-right). The form goes live, its field keys freeze, and a <strong>Share</strong> button appears in the toolbar — it is only there once a form is published.',
    },
  ]}
/>

> ℹ️ **Safe to experiment**
> <p>Edits autosave as a draft. Your live form keeps the last published version until you publish again.</p>

<h2 id="what-publishing-does">What publishing does</h2>
<p>Publishing is not only "make it visible". It fixes three things you will rely on later:</p>
<ul>
  <li>
    <strong>Field keys are frozen.</strong> Each question gets a stable name like <code>company_name</code> that automations address it by,
    and that name stays the same through every later edit. <a href="/requests/field-keys">Field keys →</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>A version is snapshotted.</strong> Anyone answering keeps the version they opened, even while you keep editing the draft. Every
    plan sees the publish history; reverting to an earlier version is Business.{' '}
    <a href="/building-forms/version-history">Version history →</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Both channels open.</strong> The Share sheet switches between a <strong>Public link</strong> channel and a{' '}
    <strong>Requests</strong> channel, and the form's first share link is created for you.
  </li>
</ul>

> ✅ **Other ways to start**
> <p>
>     <strong>Templates</strong> — open <strong>Templates</strong> in the sidebar for 19 ready-made forms in six categories.{' '}
>     <strong>AI</strong> — open AI chat (bottom-right) and describe what you need. See <a href="/ai/using-ai">Using AI</a>.
>   </p>

<h2 id="next-steps">Next steps</h2>
<div class="not-prose grid gap-3 sm:grid-cols-2">
  - [Send your first request](/getting-started/send-your-first-request) — Assign the form you just published to one person
  - [Tour the editor](/building-forms/understanding-the-editor) — Toolbar, block menu, theme, share, settings
  - [Question types](/building-forms/field-types) — Text, choice, file upload, payment, decision, and more
  - [Using AI](/ai/using-ai) — Generate a form from one prompt
</div>


# Send your first request

Assign your published form to one person, watch what they see, and find the answers afterwards.

## Send your first request

You have a published form. Now assign it to one person: their own link, with what you already know filled in. Here you make one and open it yourself, so you see both halves — what the recipient gets, and what you get back.

> ℹ️ **Works on every plan**
> <p>
>     You deliver the link yourself here, so nothing needs upgrading. Letting formbase email the invitation and chase people with reminders
>     needs a <strong>Pro or Business plan</strong>. On Free, formbase can email your first{' '}
>     <a href="/subscription-billing/limits-quotas#free-invitations">10 invitations</a> to try it.
>   </p>

<h2 id="send">Make one and open it yourself</h2>

Share</strong> in the top toolbar. An unpublished form cannot be requested, so publish first if the button is not there.',
    },
    {
      title: 'Switch to the Requests channel',
      description:
        '<strong>Requests</strong> is the channel for one named person; <strong>Public link</strong> is for anyone with the URL. Pick Requests.',
    },
    {
      title: 'Fill in the Manual tab',
      description:
        "Under <strong>Create a request</strong> there are three tabs. <strong>Manual</strong> is the by-hand one: <em>Who is it for?</em>, <em>Prefill answers</em> (lock any the recipient may only confirm), <em>Hidden fields</em>, and <em>Callback and options</em>. <strong>curl</strong> and <strong>MCP</strong> hand you the same request as a snippet, already written against this form's field keys.",
    },
    {
      title: 'Click Try it yourself',
      description:
        'Under <strong>See what they will get</strong>, this turns your draft — prefill, locks, hidden fields, callback, expiry — into a <a href="/requests/creating-requests/#test-mode">test request</a> addressed to you, and shows its link. Nothing is emailed, it spends none of your monthly allowance, and its submission never reaches the inbox, the counts, exports, or your integrations.',
    },
  ]}
/>

<h2 id="recipient">What the recipient sees</h2>

<p>
  Open the test link in a new tab and answer the form as your recipient would. It is the form you authored — your theme, your logo, your
  language — with no captcha and no sign-in. When you submit, you get your thank-you page.
</p>

<p>
  Open the same link again afterwards. Instead of a blank form you get the <strong>outcome page</strong> — your thank-you page again, or{' '}
  <em>You have already submitted</em>, under the same cover and logo. A request is answered once, by one person, and the link says so rather
  than quietly collecting a second response. Expired and canceled requests show a short notice there instead.
</p>

<h2 id="requests-page">Find it on the Requests page</h2>

<p>
  Click <strong>Requests</strong> in the sidebar, between Forms and Trash. This is every request in the workspace, across every form. Open{' '}
  <strong>Filter</strong> and tick <strong>Show test requests</strong> to see the one you just made — test requests are hidden by default
  and carry a <strong>Test</strong> badge.
</p>

<p>Click a request to open its drawer. It answers two questions:</p>

<p>
  From here you can copy the request link, cancel the request, send a reminder (Pro), or replay a callback. A request expires 30 days after
  it is created unless you set your own <strong>Expires in (days)</strong>, between 1 and 365.{' '}
  <a href="/requests/managing-requests">The Requests page →</a>
</p>

<h2 id="callback">What you left out</h2>

<p>
  Doing it by hand is the whole loop in miniature. When a workflow creates the request instead, three things join in — and they are the
  reason requests exist:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <strong>Prefill and context.</strong> Send what you already know, so the recipient confirms instead of retyping. Lock the values they
    are only confirming, and attach your case id where they cannot change it.{' '}
    <a href="/requests/creating-requests#three-buckets">Prefill, locked fields, and context →</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>A callback.</strong> The moment they finish, formbase POSTs a signed payload to your endpoint with the answers keyed by field
    key, and your run continues. Expiry and cancellation fire it too, so nothing hangs.{' '}
    <a href="/requests/callbacks">Callbacks &amp; signing →</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Delivery and chasing.</strong> On Pro and Business, formbase emails the invitation and sends the reminders on your schedule,
    from your own domain once you set one up. Free gets 10 invitation emails to try it, without reminders.{' '}
    <a href="/requests/invitations-and-reminders">Invitations &amp; reminders →</a>
  </li>
</ul>

> 💡 **Same thing from your own code**
> <p>
>     The <strong>curl</strong> and <strong>MCP</strong> tabs on that same card are not a different feature — they run exactly what the Manual
>     tab runs. Copy one, swap the recipient, and you have automated the step. <a href="/requests/creating-requests">Creating a request →</a>
>   </p>

<h2 id="next-steps">Next steps</h2>
<div class="not-prose grid gap-3 sm:grid-cols-2">
  - [Share a public link](/getting-started/share-a-public-link) — Open the same form to anyone, by link, embed, or QR
  - [Requests overview](/requests/overview) — The full model: statuses, expiry, and what you need
  - [Creating a request](/requests/creating-requests) — Prefill, locked fields, context, and every option
  - [Decisions & approvals](/requests/decisions-and-approvals) — Ask for approve, decline, or changes — and branch on it
</div>


# Share a public link

Open the same form to anyone — copy the link, embed it, or print a QR code.

## Share a public link

The second channel: a share link anyone can open, any number of people, any number of times. Same form, same answers inbox — no named recipient and no callback.

<h2 id="copy">Copy the link</h2>

Share</strong> and pick the <strong>Public link</strong> channel to find it.",
    },
    {
      title: 'Copy it',
      description:
        'That URL is live. Open it in a new tab and answer it once — that is the first row you will see on the next page. Then send it, post it, or put it behind a button.',
    },
    {
      title: 'Name it if you plan to make more',
      description:
        'One form can have several share links, each with its own settings and analytics. <strong>Create new link</strong> adds one; <strong>Link name</strong> labels it — "Newsletter", "Social Media". The name is yours only; respondents never see it.',
    },
  ]}
/>

<h2 id="ways">Three ways to put it in front of people</h2>

<h2 id="limits">Per-link settings</h2>

<p>Each share link carries its own settings, grouped into Link, Query parameters, Appearance, and Limits:</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <strong>Set expiration date</strong> — the link stops working after this date.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Limit response slots</strong> — how many response slots this link hands out. A started response claims a slot even if it is
    never submitted. <a href="/sharing-publishing/response-limits">Response limits →</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Default language</strong> — which translation the link opens in; respondents can still switch from the picker.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Query parameters</strong> — UTM values and hidden-field values appended to the URL, so you can tell campaigns apart.{' '}
    <a href="/building-forms/hidden-fields">Hidden fields →</a>
  </li>
</ul>

<p>
  A link with responses is <strong>revoked</strong> rather than deleted: it stops accepting new ones but keeps its analytics, and you can
  re-activate it later.
</p>

<p>
  <a href="/sharing-publishing/sharing-embedding">Share links →</a>
</p>

> ℹ️ **Which channel should this be?**
> <p>
>     Use a <strong>share link</strong> when anyone may answer and you do not know who in advance. Use a{' '}
>     <a href="/getting-started/send-your-first-request">request</a> when one named person owes you one answer and your workflow needs to know
>     when it arrives. Both spend from the same monthly allowance, and both land in the same inbox.
>   </p>

<h2 id="next-steps">Next steps</h2>
<div class="not-prose grid gap-3 sm:grid-cols-2">
  - [See answers arrive](/getting-started/see-answers-arrive) — Where responses from both channels land
  - [Embedding & popups](/sharing-publishing/embedding-popups) — Put the form on your own site
  - [Response limits](/sharing-publishing/response-limits) — Cap how many responses a link accepts
  - [Custom domains](/branding-domains/custom-domains) — Serve the form from your own domain (Pro)
</div>


# See answers arrive

One inbox for both channels — where answers land, how to get notified, and how to route them onward.

## See answers arrive

A request and a public link collect into the same place. Here is that place, how to be told when something lands, and how to push it into the rest of your stack.

<h2 id="where">One inbox, both channels</h2>

<p>
  Open the form and click <strong>Submissions</strong> in the top toolbar. It opens on the response list; every answer is here, whoever it
  came from, and the <strong>Channel</strong> column says which channel each one arrived through:
</p>

<p>
  The test request you answered is not here: a test submission is stored on the request, but kept out of the inbox, the counts, exports, and
  your integrations. The public link you answered is.
</p>

<p>The same toolbar button has three views:</p>
<ul>
  <li>
    <strong>Summary</strong> — per-question charts and breakdowns.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Submissions</strong> — the full response list, with search, filters, and <strong>Download as CSV</strong> or{' '}
    <strong>Download as Excel</strong>.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Analytics</strong> — completion funnel, devices, and traffic sources, filterable by channel (<em>Pro</em>).
  </li>
</ul>
<p>
  See <a href="/submissions-analytics/submission-inbox">submission inbox</a> for the full walkthrough.
</p>

> ℹ️ **A request also has a page of its own**
> <p>
>     The inbox holds the answers. The <a href="/requests/managing-requests">Requests page</a> holds everything around them: who has not
>     opened yet, what you prefilled, which reminders went out, and whether the callback was accepted. The answers are in the inbox; the state
>     of the request is on the Requests page.
>   </p>

<h2 id="notifications">Get notified</h2>

  <p>
    Open <strong>Settings → E-mail Notifications</strong> and turn on <strong>Notify on new submission</strong>. Your own address is filled
    in for you. This works on Free, no upgrade needed. On Pro, you can add more recipients and write your own subject and body. See{' '}
    <a href="/submissions-analytics/self-notifications">self-notifications</a> for details.
  </p>

  <p>
    Want the person who answered to get a confirmation too? Turn on <strong>Send confirmation to respondent</strong> <em>(Pro)</em> from the
    same panel. On a request, it goes to the recipient you named. See{' '}
    <a href="/submissions-analytics/respondent-notifications">respondent notifications</a>.
  </p>

<h2 id="route">Route answers onward</h2>

<p>Notifications tell a person. These two tell a system — and which one you want depends on the channel:</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <strong>Integrations</strong> fan every submission out as it lands. Connect <a href="/integrations/google-sheets">Google Sheets</a>,{' '}
    <a href="/integrations/notion">Notion</a>, <a href="/integrations/slack">Slack</a>, <a href="/integrations/airtable">Airtable</a>,{' '}
    <a href="/integrations/discord">Discord</a>, <a href="/integrations/linear">Linear</a>, <a href="/integrations/github">GitHub</a>, or a
    signed <a href="/integrations/webhooks">webhook</a> from <strong>Settings → Integrations</strong>. Sheets, Notion, Airtable, and Linear
    also sync past responses when you connect them.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Callbacks</strong> belong to one request. Instead of "a submission happened", your workflow is told "the request you were
    waiting on ended", with the answers keyed by field key — and it is told on expiry and cancellation too.{' '}
    <a href="/requests/callbacks">Callbacks &amp; signing →</a>
  </li>
</ul>

<h2 id="next-steps">Next steps</h2>
<div class="not-prose grid gap-3 sm:grid-cols-2">
  - [Tour the dashboard](/getting-started/dashboard) — Sidebar, workspace switcher, AI, and where every setting lives
  - [Submission inbox](/submissions-analytics/submission-inbox) — Filter, search, sort, and review each response
  - [Self-notifications](/submissions-analytics/self-notifications) — Get emailed when new responses come in
  - [Respondent notifications](/submissions-analytics/respondent-notifications) — Confirm with a custom subject, body, and PDF
</div>


# Understanding the dashboard

Tour the formbase dashboard — sidebar, workspace, AI panel, and settings.

## Understanding the dashboard

A map of formbase outside the editor. Skim once — every section links to a dedicated page when you want depth.

<h2 id="layout">The layout</h2>

<p>Three regions:</p>
<ul>
  <li>
    <strong>Sidebar</strong> (left) — workspace switcher, navigation, plan and AI credits, your profile.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Main area</strong> (center) — whichever page you opened. The default is <strong>Forms</strong>, the folder explorer.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>AI launcher</strong> (bottom-right) — the button that opens AI chat in a panel on the right.
  </li>
</ul>
<p>
  Two shortcuts work anywhere:  /  opens search, and{' '}
   /  opens and closes AI chat.
</p>

<h2 id="workspace-switcher">Workspace switcher</h2>

  <p>
    Top of the sidebar. Click to switch workspaces, create a new one, open <strong>Workspace Settings</strong>, or leave a workspace you
    don't own. <a href="/workspaces-teams/overview">Workspaces overview →</a>
  </p>

<h2 id="sidebar">Sidebar navigation</h2>

<p>One line each — follow the link for full docs.</p>
<ul>
  <li>
    <strong>Search</strong> — the same palette as : jump to any form, page, or action.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Forms</strong> — the folder explorer, and where <strong>Form</strong> and <strong>Folder</strong> create new ones. Rename,
    duplicate, move, share, delete. Sort by name, created date, or last edited; filter by status or editor.{' '}
    <a href="/workspaces-teams/folders">Folders →</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Requests</strong> — everything you are waiting on from customers, across every form: status, reminders, and callbacks. Open one
    for its timeline. <a href="/requests/managing-requests">The Requests page →</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Trash</strong> — deleted forms. Restore one to a folder of your choice, or delete it for good. After 30 days formbase removes it
    for you. <a href="/workspaces-teams/trash">Trash →</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Domains</strong> — share domains for your links, email domains for your sending address, and your Cloudflare Turnstile keys{' '}
    <em>(Pro)</em>. <a href="/branding-domains/custom-domains">Custom domains →</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>AI Skills</strong> — teach the AI reusable domain knowledge, tone rules, and question guides your whole team can apply{' '}
    <em>(Pro)</em>. <a href="/ai/overview">AI overview →</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Integrations</strong> — workspace-wide connections (Google Sheets, Slack, Notion, etc.) reusable across forms.{' '}
    <a href="/integrations/google-sheets">See integrations →</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>OAuth and API Keys</strong> — API tokens and connected apps for programmatic access, scoped to the active workspace.{' '}
    <a href="/developers/api-tokens">API tokens →</a>
  </li>
</ul>
<p>Below that:</p>
<ul>
  <li>
    <strong>Templates</strong> — 19 ready-made forms in six categories (Requests, Business, Feedback, Events, HR, Support). Click one and it
    becomes a new form in this workspace.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Help</strong> — a page of links into these docs, plus a way to reach support.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Feedback and Roadmap</strong> — opens the public board where you can send feedback and follow what's coming next.
  </li>
</ul>

<h2 id="account">Plan, credits, theme, and language</h2>

  <p>Just above your avatar sits one card with four rows:</p>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <strong>Free plan</strong> / <strong>Pro plan</strong> / <strong>Business plan</strong> — with <strong>Upgrade</strong> or{' '}
      <strong>Manage</strong> on the right, which opens the <a href="/subscription-billing/plans-pricing">subscription page</a>.
    </li>
    <li>
      <strong>AI credits</strong> — your balance, shown as an estimate of chats left. <strong>Add credits</strong> tops it up. Credits
      belong to you, not to the workspace; a Business owner can switch on <strong>Share my AI credits with members</strong> so the workspace
      draws from their balance instead. <a href="/ai/ai-credits-usage">AI credits &amp; usage →</a>
    </li>
    <li>
      <strong>Toggle theme</strong> — a switch between light and dark. <a href="/branding-domains/appearance-theming">Appearance →</a>
    </li>
    <li>
      <strong>Language</strong> — the dashboard language: Automatic, English, Norsk, Deutsch, Nederlands, Français, Español, or Türkçe. It
      does not change what your respondents see. <a href="/building-forms/language-setting">Form language →</a>
    </li>
  </ul>

<h2 id="profile">Your profile</h2>

<p>Click your avatar at the very bottom of the sidebar. The menu has two items:</p>
<ul>
  <li>
    <strong>Settings</strong> — opens <strong>Account Settings</strong>: your photo and display name, the sign-in method linked to the
    account, and <strong>Delete Account</strong>.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Log out</strong>.
  </li>
</ul>

<h2 id="ai">AI chat</h2>
<p>
  The button in the bottom-right opens AI chat — an assistant that can create, edit, and analyze your forms. It is on every page, and{' '}
   /  opens and closes it. For what it can do, see{' '}
  <a href="/building-forms/understanding-the-editor#ai-chat">AI chat in the editor guide</a> and <a href="/ai/overview">AI overview</a>.
</p>

> ℹ️ **Connect your own agent**
> <p>
>     Prefer Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, or another tool? See <a href="/guides/ai-agents/connect">Connect an AI agent</a>.
>   </p>

<h2 id="settings-pages">Settings — what lives where</h2>
<ul>
  <li>
    <strong>Workspace Settings</strong> (workspace switcher → Workspace Settings) — workspace name, timezone, notification email language,
    AI credit sharing, members and the invite link, and deleting the workspace. Members can open it and invite; renaming, removing members,
    and deleting need the owner. <a href="/workspaces-teams/inviting-members">Inviting members →</a>
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Account Settings</strong> (avatar → Settings) — your photo and display name, sign-in method, delete account.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Form settings</strong> — per-form, from <strong>Settings</strong> in the editor toolbar: General, Access, Submissions, E-mail
    Notifications, Integrations, and Danger Zone. <a href="/building-forms/form-settings">Form settings →</a>
  </li>
</ul>

<h2 id="next-steps">Next steps</h2>
<div class="not-prose grid gap-3 sm:grid-cols-2">
  - [Understanding the editor](/building-forms/understanding-the-editor) — Full editor tour
  - [Folders](/workspaces-teams/folders) — Organize forms at scale
  - [Inviting members](/workspaces-teams/inviting-members) — Add teammates to your workspace
  - [Build your form](/getting-started/build-your-form) — From blank canvas to a published form
</div>


# Getting started FAQ

Common questions about your first hour with formbase.

## Getting started FAQ

Quick answers to the questions every new formbase user asks in their first hour.

<h2 id="is-it-free">Is formbase really free?</h2>
<p>
  Yes. The Free plan includes unlimited forms, 1,000 submissions and requests a month from one shared allowance, 100 MB of storage,
  unlimited workspaces and members, conditional logic, file uploads, integrations, translations, CSV and Excel exports, and email
  notifications to your own address. No credit card to start. AI works on Free too — you buy a credit pack, the same as on every plan.
</p>
<p>
  Need more room? Pro and Business raise the allowance to 50,000 a month, storage to 500 GB, and add request invitations and reminders,
  custom domains, custom themes, advanced analytics, and AI Skills. Business adds version history. Pro starts with a 14-day free trial on
  monthly billing. See <a href="/subscription-billing/plans-pricing">plans &amp; pricing</a> for the full comparison.
</p>

<h2 id="respondent-account">Do respondents need a formbase account to fill out a form?</h2>
<p>
  No. Anyone with the share link (or a published embed) can submit with no account. You can optionally gate a form behind a password, or
  require respondents to log in with a formbase account (via Google or email magic link) before they can submit. See{' '}
  <a href="/sharing-publishing/authentication-gate">authentication gate</a> for details.
</p>

<h2 id="what-is-a-request">What is a request, and how is it different from a share link?</h2>
<p>
  A share link is public: anyone who has it can submit, any number of times. A <strong>request</strong> is one assignment of the same form
  to one named person — with values you already know prefilled (and optionally locked), one completion, its own expiry, its own reminders,
  and a signed callback to your workflow the moment they finish.
</p>
<p>
  Both are channels on the same form, and a form can use both at once. Create a request by hand from{' '}
  <strong>Share → Requests → Manual</strong>, or from Make, Zapier, Claude via MCP, or the API. Handing out the link yourself works on every
  plan; having formbase email the invitation and chase it needs Pro or Business, though a Free account can have formbase email its first 10
  invitations to try it. See the <a href="/requests/overview">requests overview</a>.
</p>

<h2 id="submissions">Where do submissions go?</h2>
<p>
  Into one inbox per form, whichever channel they came through. The <strong>Submissions</strong> button in the form toolbar has three views:{' '}
  <strong>Summary</strong> (charts per question), <strong>Submissions</strong> (the response list), and <strong>Analytics</strong> (traffic,
  conversion, and device breakdown — Pro). You can also get an email on every response (more addresses on Pro), or route submissions to
  Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, Slack, Discord, Linear, GitHub, or a signed webhook. See{' '}
  <a href="/getting-started/see-answers-arrive">see answers arrive</a> for the walkthrough.
</p>

<h2 id="delete-account">Can I delete my account and all my data?</h2>
<p>
  Yes. Click your avatar at the bottom of the sidebar → <strong>Settings</strong>, then scroll to <strong>Delete Account</strong> in the
  Danger Zone. Type your email address to confirm. This permanently removes your forms, submissions, files, and the workspaces you own.
  There is no undo.
</p>
<p>
  If you have an active Pro or Business subscription, deleting your account also cancels it — formbase tells Polar to stop billing as part
  of the deletion, so you won't be charged again.
</p>

<h2 id="ai-off">Can I use formbase without AI?</h2>
<p>
  Yes. AI is optional throughout — ignore the AI button and build every form by hand with the slash menu. Credits are only spent when you
  ask AI to do something. When they run out, the editor keeps working; only AI chat stops.
</p>

<h2 id="mobile">Can I use formbase on mobile?</h2>
<p>Yes. The editor, dashboard, and all management features work on mobile browsers. Respondent-facing forms are fully responsive.</p>

<h2 id="workspace-vs-account">What's the difference between a workspace, an account, and a form?</h2>
<ul>
  <li>
    <strong>Account</strong> — you, the person. Tied to your email, your plan, and your AI credits. One per human.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Workspace</strong> — a shared container for forms, submissions, members, domains, and integrations. Unlimited on every plan.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Form</strong> — one document with questions, logic, and a theme. It reaches people through requests and share links. Lives
    inside a workspace.
  </li>
</ul>

<h2 id="transfer">Can I transfer a form or workspace to someone else?</h2>
<p>
  You can duplicate a form within the same workspace and share access by inviting that person to the workspace. There is no self-serve way
  to move a form to a different workspace or transfer workspace ownership — contact support for either.
</p>

<h2 id="undelete">I deleted a form by accident — can I get it back?</h2>
<p>
  Yes. Open <strong>Trash</strong> in the sidebar and click <strong>Restore</strong>. You pick the folder it comes back to. Deleted forms
  stay in Trash for 30 days before formbase removes them for good.
</p>

<h2 id="inactive-form-archival">Will my forms be deleted if I stop using them?</h2>
<p>
  On the Free plan, yes — eventually. A free-plan form that goes more than a year without any edits or submissions is automatically moved to
  Trash — and only after formbase emailed you a warning at least 30 days earlier. You then have 30 days to restore it before it's
  permanently deleted along with all its submissions and files. Pro and Business forms are never auto-archived for inactivity. See{' '}
  <a href="/subscription-billing/limits-quotas#inactive-forms">Limits &amp; quotas</a> for full details.
</p>

<h2 id="auth-gate-account">If I turn on authentication, do my respondents need to create a formbase account?</h2>
<p>
  Yes. When authentication is required, respondents must log in with a formbase account — via Google or an email magic link. See{' '}
  <a href="/sharing-publishing/authentication-gate">authentication gate</a>. If you only need to confirm an email <em>answer</em>, Business
  plans offer <a href="/building-forms/email-verification">respondent email verification</a> — a one-time code on the email question itself,
  no account needed.
</p>

<h2 id="integrations">What integrations does formbase support?</h2>
<p>
  formbase delivers submissions to Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, Slack, Discord, Linear, GitHub, and signed webhooks, and connects to
  Cal.com for <strong>Schedule appointment</strong> blocks. Every plan can stream form analytics to Google Analytics and Axiom. There is no
  per-plan cap on how many integrations a form has. Zapier and Make are listed as <em>Coming soon</em> on the Integrations page — but both
  already run the whole request loop through their HTTP steps today. See the <a href="/integrations/overview">Integrations</a> section.
</p>

<h2 id="next-steps">Next steps</h2>
<div class="not-prose grid gap-3 sm:grid-cols-2">
  - [Understanding the editor](/building-forms/understanding-the-editor) — Slash menu, blocks, drag-to-reorder, and more
  - [Plans & pricing](/subscription-billing/plans-pricing) — Compare Free, Pro, and Business side by side
  - [Authentication gate](/sharing-publishing/authentication-gate) — Password protect or require login to submit
</div>