AdvoLogix Help

Designing an Intake Form

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Intake forms are created using the AdvoLogix Intake Form Designer. The designer provides a rich “what you see is what you get” (WYSIWYG) user experience for selecting and positioning data elements within the form. The designer also provides control over several aspects of the user experience during data entry.

The Intake Designer feature is available in the Lightning Experience only.

Intake Designer Overview

The Intake Designer allows users to customize an intake form for a specific data entry user experience. A series of menu options and sidebar actions provide the designer with the ability to control the content, aesthetics, behavior of the intake process.

1. Intake Designer Menu

The Intake Designer's menu provides the following features and actions.

  • Preview: allows the user to visualize the form's appearance at run-time, in data entry mode.

  • Save and Close: saves the form's changes and returns the user to the prior context.

  • Save: saves the forms changes and stays within the designer.

  • Drop-down menu:  provides access to two options
    • Edit Description: allows the user to describe the form for internal use.
    • Edit Instructions: allows the user to provide run-time instructions for data entry personnel.

2. Intake Designer Sidebar

The intake designer sidebar is controlled by the toolbar at the top of the sidebar. The toolbar has three options each of which exposes a unique set of form control actions as described below.

2.1. Form Properties
  1. Properties: this area displays basic form information and (via the gear icon) provides access to customize the following form properties:

    • Form Name
    • Record Type (for new records created with this form)
    • Runtime options for displaying section numbering and a link to the user instructions.

  2. Records to Create: this area displays a list of lookup records that will be created within the form. There are three action controls within this section:

    • The plus icon in the upper right corner allows users to select additional records to be created. It is important to note, the list of available records to create is derived from the underlying objects lookup fields. Any lookup field on the underlying object may be created within the form.

    • The checkbox to the left of each object allows the user to temporarily hide a section within the form. This feature improves the work experience for complex forms and does not impact the run-time behavior of the form.

    • The delete icon to the right of each record will permanently remove the record from the form. The base object cannot be removed.

  3. Related Lists to Include: this area displays the related lists available for collecting related information within the form. There are three action controls within this section:

    • The plus icon in the upper right corner allows users to select additional related lists. It is important to note, the list of available related lists is derived from the underlying objects relationship to other objects.

    • The checkbox to the left of each object allows the user to temporarily hide a section within the form. This feature improves the work experience for complex forms and does not impact the run-time behavior of the form.

    • The delete icon to the right of each object will permanently remove the record from the form. The base object cannot be removed.
2.2. Field Pool

The Field Pool option provides access to the data fields for each record being created. Users simply drag fields from this area and drop them within the appropriate section of the form. It is important to note, fields may only be dropped to their corresponding record section within the form. For instance Contact fields may not be dropped within the Account section of the form.

  1. Search fields: allows users to quickly filter the list of fields displayed in the field pool.

  2. Field type toolbar: allows users to quickly filter the list of fields by field type.

  3. Record to create heading: allows users to expand and collapse the available fields within the corresponding object.

Best Practice:

MultiSelect Picklist fields should be placed within the 1-column section to display properly.

2.3. Intake Form Elements

The Intake Form Elements option provides a simplified hierarchical overview of the form design. Records to create form the top level of the hierarchy followed by the sections and columns within the record to creates section of the form.

  1. Moving the record's section within the form may be accomplished by dragging and dropping the record above or below other records in the form.

3. Intake Designer Form Area

The form area comprises the record sections, field areas, and individual fields of the intake form. Hovering the mouse over a given area exposes options unique to the underlying element within the form.

3.1. Record Section Options

Hovering over the section's title bar exposes two icons with the following actions:

  1. The plus icon provides the ability to add a new field section to the form. Field sections may be one column or two columns. One column sections span the width of the form.

  2. The gear icon allows user to modify properties and behaviors relative to the underlying record section. The following options are available for record sections. It is important to note, the base object section varies slightly from the other record sections in the form, as noted below:

    • Title: allows the user to specify the section title.

    • Subtitle: allows the user to specify an optional section subtitle. Subtitles appear right-aligned in the section heading.

    • Record Type: allows the user to specify the type of the record created for the underlying section. This option is not applicable for objects without record types.

    • Allow User to Choose an Existing Record: Can be used at run-time to specify an existing record in lieu of completing the form section to create a new record. This option is not available for the base record section.

    • Allow User to Assign Later: Can be used at run-time to skip the creation of the record associated with the underlying record section. This option is not available for the base record section.

    • Section Option Collapsible: Allows the end-user to collapse the underlying section at run-time.

    • Set Visibility: Some sections have the ability to control run-time visibility. See the topic below for more information on setting visibility.
3.2. Field Options

Hovering over the field exposes two icons with the following actions:

  1. The gear icon allows user to modify properties and relative to the underlying field. The following options are available for fields:

    • Field Label: allows user to override the default field label.

    • Default Value: allows the user to set a default field value.

    • Required: enabling this checkbox will force the user to enter a value for this field at run-time.

    • Set Visibility: Some sections have the ability to control run-time visibility. See the topic below for more information on setting visibility.
  2. The delete icon will remove the field from the form.
3.3. Setting Run-time Visibility

Intake form sections (groups of fields) and individual fields may be conditionally hidden as the form is completed. This allows forms to dynamically capture specific information based on the user's prior responses.

By default, everything is visible unless visibility settings are established. When visibility has been established the field or section is only visible when the visibility criteria are met. Visibilty criteria (illustrated above) can be established using the same criteria techniques used throughout the platform. 


The eye icon (illustrated above) identifies the designer objects which have established visibility settings.

Controlling the Form's Run-time Aesthetics and Behavior

Various elements of run-time form behavior (when users are entering data) and may be controlled through a combination of form and section options. The following examples provide instructions for controlling these options.

  1. Form Name: is established via the form properties.

  2. Instructions: displaying the hyperlink is controlled via the form properties. Instruction content is modified via the main toolbar.

  3. Section Numbering: is controlled via the form properties.

  4. Section Title: is established via the section properties.

  5. Section Subtitle: is established via the section properties.

  6. Create New, Existing, and Assign Later: is controlled via the section properties. Create New will automatically manifest as an option when either Use Existing or Assign Later has been enabled.

    TIP: To enable the Assign Later option, go to the settings (gear icon) for that section.

  7. Collapse Section: is controlled by the section properties.
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