Public vs Testing Forms
Understand the difference between public and testing forms, and when to use each type for your use case.
Overview
Every form in SyncForms has a status that determines who can access it and how it can be shared. Understanding these statuses helps you control form access and ensure your forms are ready before going live.
Testing Forms
Forms set to Testing are private and only accessible when you're signed in to SyncForms.
- Default status for new forms
- Only accessible when signed in
- Perfect for testing before going live
Public Forms
Forms set to Public are accessible to anyone with the form link.
- Accessible via direct URL
- Can generate QR codes
- Can be embedded on websites
Testing Forms
Testing forms are the default status for all new forms. They're designed to give you a safe space to build, test, and refine your forms before making them publicly available.
When to Use Testing Status:
- During Development: While you're still building and configuring your form
- Testing Submissions: When you want to test how submissions are written to QuickBase
- Internal Review: When you need team members to review the form before launch
- Temporary Forms: Forms that should never be publicly accessible
Testing Form Limitations
- • Cannot generate QR codes
- • Cannot create shareable public links
- • Cannot be embedded on external websites
- • Only accessible when signed in to your SyncForms account
How to Access Testing Forms:
- 1Sign in to your SyncForms account
- 2Navigate to your Forms dashboard
- 3Click on any form with Testing status
- 4Use the Preview button in the form builder to test submissions
Public Forms
Public forms are accessible to anyone with the form link. They're perfect for collecting submissions from customers, clients, or anyone outside your organization.
When to Use Public Status:
- Customer Forms: Contact forms, feedback forms, or support requests
- Public Surveys: Surveys or questionnaires for external audiences
- Embedded Forms: Forms you want to embed on your website
- QR Code Forms: Forms accessed via QR codes at events or locations
- Shareable Links: Forms you want to share via email, social media, or messaging
Public Form Features
Shareable Links
Copy and share direct URLs to your form
QR Codes
Generate QR codes for easy access
Embed Code
Embed forms on your website
Changing Form Status
You can change a form's status at any time in the form builder. This gives you flexibility to test forms privately and then make them public when ready.
How to Change Form Status:
- 1Open the form in the Form Builder
- 2Look for the Status dropdown in the form settings panel
- 3Select either Testing or Public
- 4Click Save Form to apply the change
💡 Pro Tip: Test Before Going Public
Always test your form thoroughly in Testing mode before switching to Public. Test all field types, validation rules, and submission flow to ensure everything works correctly. Once a form is Public, anyone with the link can access it.
Best Practices
- Start with Testing: Always create forms in Testing mode first. This gives you a safe environment to build and test.
- Test Submissions: Submit test data in Testing mode to verify submissions are written correctly to QuickBase.
- Review Before Public: Have team members review the form in Testing mode before making it Public.
- Monitor Submissions: After going Public, monitor submissions to ensure everything is working as expected.
- Switch Back if Needed: You can always change a form back to Testing if you need to make changes or pause submissions.