Learn how to use short text fields to capture and validate almost any type of information within your Smart Form.
Use a Short Text field when you want respondents to type a short answer such as their name or address.
Tip Although a Short Text field would work, it’s better to use an E-mail field for an email address and a Number/Amount field for numbers.
Example
Field Settings
Required
Label
Enter the text you want to show in the answer field. This could be the question or a hint to help respondents fill in the field. When the respondent begins typing, the label moves above the field.
Data Binding
Enter the data binding for the field. The data binding is used to label and store the information the respondent enters in this field.
Tip For more information on how to name your data bindings, see Assign data bindings.
Optional
Hint
Enter a short hint to help explain the question. The hint appears below the answer field.
Info-bubble HTML
Enter more information to help explain the question. Users can view the info-bubble by hovering over an icon beside the answer field. You can use HTML tags to format the info-bubble content.
Keyboard Type
To help respondents on mobile devices, select the most appropriate keyboard for the question.
Text
Text only. This is the default keyboard on most mobile devices. This is a good choice if the answer will contain mainly letters (such as a name).
Telephone
Similar to a telephone keypad with numbers and symbols such as parentheses. This is a good choice if the answer is a telephone number.
Numeric
Numbers only. This is a good choice if the answer will contain mainly numbers (such as an account number).
Start with Numbers
Numbers only. This is a good choice if the answer will contain mainly numbers (such as an account number).
Minimum Length
Enter the minimum number of characters that must be entered.
This is useful if you know how long the answer should be (such as a 10-digit employee number) or if you want to ensure the answer is valid (such as entering at least 2 characters for a last
name).
Maximum Length
Enter the maximum number of characters that can be entered. This is useful if you want to limit the answer length.
Use Mask
You can use a mask to:
Format answers. For example, you may want to display phone numbers as (123) 456-7890, or you may want to display dates as MM/DD/YYYY.
Control the information respondents can enter. For example, you can make sure postal codes are entered correctly using the pattern A1A 1A1.
The mask is applied as the respondent types the answer. For example, a phone number entered as 1234567890 will change to (123) 456-7890.
1. Click the toggle switch to select this option.
2. Enter the mask information.
Tip For help, see Masks Explained or click Help with Masks in the editor.
Include Mask Characters in Value
Select this option to include the mask formatting in the field value. For example, if you’re using the form data to create a PDF, you may want to include the mask so phone numbers are formatted nicely. In this case, the field value would be (123) 456-7890. But if you’re sending the form data to a database, you may want to strip out the mask formatting. In this case, the field value would be 1234567890.
Switch Keyboards to Match Mask
Select this option to automatically toggle the keyboard on mobile device to match the mask characters. For example, when entering a postal code, the text keyboard will appear when a letter is required and the numeric keyboard will appear when a number is required.
Apply Text-transform Rule
Change the answer to all uppercase or all lowercase. For example, you may want to use uppercase letters for a postal code.
1. Click the toggle switch to select this option.
2. Select Uppercase or Lowercase.
Additional Validators
Check if a respondent’s answer is a valid Air Miles number or a valid social insurance number. Please contact FormHero for more validation options.
1. Click the toggle switch to select this option.
2. Click in the Add a Validator field, then select one of the options.
Make this field required
Respondents must answer the question to move to the next panel. Click the toggle switch to select this option.
Tip An * is shown beside the question to indicate that it’s required. You can style the * using CSS.
Disable this field
The question is shown but respondents can’t edit the answer. For example, you may want to show an example answer.
1. Click the toggle switch to select this option.
Disable when Prepopulated
The question is shown but users can’t edit the answer if the field has been prepopulated with data. For example, you may have captured the user’s city in a previous question and just want to display it here. Users can edit the answer if it hasn’t been prepopulated.
1. Click the toggle switch to select this option.
Masks Explained
A mask contains a pattern that defines the answer value. Respondents must enter an answer that fits the mask pattern. A mask can also be used to change the answer’s appearance by adding spaces or other characters.
Here are a few simple mask examples.
Answer must contain a specific number of characters
Let’s say the answer is an employee number. If all employee numbers are 10-digits long, you would use the mask 9999999999.The mask has 10 numbers, which means the answer must contain 10 numbers. Each number in the mask represents the highest number that can be entered in that position. In this example, any number from 0-9 can be used for each digit in the employee number.
Answer is a phone number
If the answer is a phone number, you could use a mask like (999) 999-9999.As in the previous example, the mask specifies that the answer must contain 10 numbers, and each number can have a value from 0-9. This mask also adds formatting with parentheses around the area code, a space and a dash.
Answer is a postal code
If the answer is a postal code, you can use the mask @9@ 9@9 to make sure it’s entered correctly. The mask specifies that the answer must contain 6 characters. The 1st, 3rd and 5th characters must be a letter; the 2nd, 4th and 6th characters must be a number from 0-9. The mask also adds a space after the 3rd character.