When building a form, you'll notice there is a drop-down menu where you can select different types of fields. We want you to take full advantage of Civic Review, and to do that you need to understand what all these field types mean.

This article will explain in detail the different types of fields, and how to use them.

Here is a list of all the field types you will see in the form builder.

The first type is text. This will allow applicants to type anything. This is great for things like business names, applicant names, or any sort of short description. A text field will look like this:

This field type will look the same as a text field but provides more space for the applicants. This is great for detailed descriptions where applicants are definitely going to need more space.

The email field is great to use for...drumroll, please...Emails! What a surprise. This field will require applicants to enter their email in the correct format. It will look like this:

If an applicant does not enter their email in the correct format, it will not let them continue and an error message will pop up saying "must enter a valid email"

This field works similarly to the email field. It requires applicants to enter their phone numbers in the correct format. It will look like this:

This field requires the applicant to enter numbers only. For example, if you ask the applicant for the estimated cost of the project, they would enter 20000. Not $20,000, or twenty-thousand. This ensures that all applicants are entering the cost in the same format, which makes reporting easier for you, and allows us to calculate fees.

The dropdown menu is great when applicants are selecting one item from a large list. (We like to say more than 4 items) This keeps everything neat and organized and makes it easy for the applicant to select the correct item. It will look like this:

We like to use radios when an applicant needs to select an item from a list of 4 or fewer items. It will only allow them to select one item. It will look like this:

Checkbox fields are great when you want an applicant to signify that they agree with a statement or something along those lines. It's the equivalent of checking a box! It might look something like this:

If you want applicants to be able to select more than one item at a time or to check the box next to every statement, a checkbox group is a good way to go. Applicants can "select all that apply." It will look like this:

This field type is pretty self-explanatory. This will allow applicants to upload documents and images. You can also allow them to upload multiple files at once if you choose.

The datepicker is very convenient if you need an applicant to enter a date. Maybe a birthdate, or the date of an event. It will pull up a calendar, and they can select the correct date. This makes reporting more convenient for you because everything will be in the same format. It looks like this:

This is very similar to the datepicker, but allows applicants to select times. This is great if you want to know the start time and end time of an event, or something similar. It looks like this:

A collection field is great when an applicant needs the ability to add multiple items to a list. For example, you need the applicant to list all contractors on a job, or you need all the addresses of properties a landlord owns. We recommend you don't use a collection field if you need the applicant to answer more than 5 fields because the formatting starts to look pretty odd.

The map allows applicants to place a pin on an exact area of a map, or add lines to show the area of a property. It looks like this:

This is a way for you to split up a page by adding a header. It can clarify a certain section. It looks like this:

The paragraph field is an easy way for you to give instructions to applicants, or to add a note of important information. The applicant will not be able to fill out this field, it is only for them to read. It might look like this:

You can use markdown coding within these paragraph fields to format text with bulletpoints, links, and bold/italic text. Check out this help article to learn how to do that: Basics of Markdown Coding.

There is a brief explanation of each of the fields. Hopefully, this makes your form-building experience a bit easier!