Skip to main content

Search

Welcome to Support

CMS: Entry Form widget vs. Form widget - which to use and where responses go

  • Updated

Editor 2.0 websites can use two kinds of forms. TeamSideline's Entry Form widget shows an Entry Form you build in Content > Entry Forms; its responses are saved in TeamSideline and emailed to the form's Email Address 1 to 5. The website builder's Form widget is built in the Site Editor; its responses stay with your website, in the Site Dashboard, and never appear in TeamSideline's reports.

Applies to: Org admins · All plans, for organizations with Editor 2.0 (the CMS module) · Editor 2.0 (CMS)

Where: Content > Entry Forms; Content > Site Editor; Reports > Report Exports > Entry Form Responses

Which one to use

Entry Form widget Form widget
Where you build it Content > Entry Forms on your admin site On the page, in the Site Editor
Fields Text, multi-line text, drop-down list, check box, date, email and phone fields The website builder's own field types and layouts
Where responses go Saved in TeamSideline: View Responses on Content > Entry Forms, and Reports > Report Exports > Entry Form Responses Your website's Site Dashboard, or a tool you connect to the form
Who gets an email Each address in Email Address 1 to 5, plus the person who submitted the form when it has an Email field Whoever the Form widget's own settings name
Use it when You want responses kept with your other TeamSideline records, or you already use the form You need the website builder's field types or integrations and don't need responses in TeamSideline

Add an Entry Form to a page

  1. Go to Content > Entry Forms. For a new form, click Add Entry Form, enter the Entry Form Name (up to 25 characters), the Form Introduction Text and up to five Email Address boxes, and click Add. You'll see "The Entry Form was successfully created."
  2. Click the Add Entry Field icon (green plus) on the form's row. Enter the Field Name, choose the Field Type, check Is Required if needed and click Add. Repeat for each field.
  3. Click the form's eye icon so it turns green. New forms start hidden (red eye), and hidden forms can't be chosen in the Site Editor.
  4. Go to Content > Site Editor and open the page.
  5. Add TeamSideline's Entry Form widget to the page and choose your form in the widget's settings. The list shows your visible Entry Forms by name.
  6. Click Republish.

What you'll see: the page shows the form's introduction text and fields. Each submission is saved in TeamSideline and emailed to the form's recipients. To change the fields or recipients later, edit the form in Content > Entry Forms; the widget shows it as it is on your admin site.

Find the responses

  • Entry Form widget: on Content > Entry Forms, click the View Responses icon (magnifying glass) on the form's row. Each response shows its Response Id, Date/Time and a column for each field. To download them, go to Reports > Report Exports > Entry Form Responses, choose the Entry Form, the fields, an optional Response Date Range, the Columns and the Export Type, and click Export.
  • Form widget: in the Site Editor, click the information icon (i) in the top bar and choose Take Me to Site Dashboard. Choose Form Responses on the left, pick the form and click Export CSV to download them. To send responses somewhere automatically, such as an email address or Google Sheets, select the Form widget, open its form settings and use Integrations.

Link people to a form

  • Link to the page that holds the form, not to the form itself. In the Site Editor, point a button or text link at that page.
  • In emails, the Links drop-down on Send Communication lists your website's menu pages under Menu Pages. Once your new website is live, it no longer has an Entry Forms group. For a page that isn't on your menu, paste the page's address from your browser.
  • Once your new website is live, links to your old website's Entry Form pages open your new home page. Replace them with links to the new page.
  • On Content > Configurations > Site Links, the Entry Form link type builds the old website's address. Use the URL link type with the new page's address instead.

If it doesn't work

  • Your Entry Form isn't in the widget's list. It's hidden or deleted. On Content > Entry Forms, click its eye icon so it turns green, then choose it again.
  • Visitors see "This form is no longer available." The form was hidden or deleted after it was added to the page. Show it again with the eye icon, or choose another form in the widget.
  • A submission is refused. The message names the field, for example "The "(field name)" field is required." or "The format of "(field name)" does not appear to be correct. Look at it again and make sure you have entered it correctly." Email fields need a complete email address, and phone numbers need 10 digits.
  • Nobody got an email. Check that the form has at least one Email Address. The response is saved either way; see the related article on Entry Form emails for filtered addresses.
  • Form widget responses aren't in Report Exports. That's expected: they're only in the Site Dashboard and in any integration you connected.

Good to know

  • Entry Forms are shared by both editors, so forms you built for your old website can be added to your new one with the Entry Form widget, and their earlier responses stay in TeamSideline.
  • Redirect To, the page visitors see after they submit, applies only to the legacy website.
  • For surveys and polls, see CMS: Survey Options.

Related articles