Forms and Surveys

Build a lead capture form

Required fields, consent, and workflow connection.

Beginner20 minWeek 8

Purpose

This SOP helps you build a lead capture form that feeds the CRM correctly. A lead capture form should not just collect information. It should create or update the contact, apply the right source tag, collect the right fields, trigger the right workflow, update the pipeline where needed, and send the correct confirmation. A form built without a path creates orphan contacts. A form built with a clear path becomes a reliable front door into the CRM.

When to Use This SOP

Creating a contact form
Creating a quote request form
Creating a consultation request form
Creating a lead magnet form
Creating an event signup form
Creating a QR code destination
Creating a landing page form
Rebuilding forms that do not route leads correctly
Connecting forms to workflows, pipelines, and reporting

Before You Start

Do not build the form before the path is planned.

You should already know:

What the form is for
Who the form is for
Where the form will be used
What fields need to be collected
What fields should be avoided
What consent language is needed
What source tag or value should be applied
What pipeline stage should be created or updated
What workflow should catch the form submission
What confirmation the contact should receive
What internal notification the team should receive

Step-by-Step Procedure

1
Define the form purpose
Write one sentence that explains what the form does.
Examples:
- This form captures consultation requests.
- This form delivers a downloadable guide.
- This form collects event registrations.
- This form captures quote requests.
- This form routes QR code scans from an event flyer.
The form purpose controls fields, consent, follow-up, and reporting.
2
Define the destination path
Before building the form, define what happens after submission.
Ask:
- Does the contact receive a confirmation?
- Does the contact get redirected?
- Does the contact receive a download?
- Does the contact get a booking link?
- Does the team receive a notification?
- Is an opportunity created?
- Does the pipeline stage update?
- Does a workflow start?
- Does another workflow stop?
A form submission should never end with silence.
3
Choose only necessary fields
Keep the form short.
Good starter fields:
- First name
- Last name
- Email
- Phone, if call or SMS follow-up is part of the path
- Business name, if relevant
- Service or interest
- One qualifying question
- Notes or context, only if the team will use it
Avoid:
- Long intake questions too early
- Sensitive information not needed yet
- Duplicate questions asked elsewhere
- Fields no one reviews
- Fields that do not map cleanly to the CRM
The form should collect enough information to route the lead, not everything the business might ever want to know.
4
Map form fields to CRM fields
Every form field should have a destination.
Decide:
- Which field updates first name
- Which field updates last name
- Which field updates email
- Which field updates phone
- Which custom field stores service interest
- Which custom field stores notes or context
- Which fields should not be imported or stored
Do not collect form data that disappears or lands in the wrong field.
5
Add consent language
If the form triggers email, SMS, phone follow-up, downloads, appointments, or marketing, the form should explain what the person can expect.
Consent language should be clear and specific.
Example:
By submitting this form, you agree to be contacted about your request using the information provided. Message and data rates may apply for SMS. Reply STOP to opt out where applicable.
This is a planning baseline, not legal advice. Consent requirements vary by country, state, industry, message type, and platform requirements.
6
Apply a source tag or source value
Every form should identify where the lead came from.
Examples:
- source-website
- source-landing-page
- source-facebook
- source-linkedin
- source-qr-event
- source-guide-download
- source-referral
If the same form is used in multiple places, consider using unique links, hidden fields, or separate source paths so reporting stays useful.
7
Connect the workflow
Connect the form to the correct workflow.
The workflow may:
- Apply tags
- Create or update an opportunity
- Send confirmation email
- Send internal notification
- Start appointment follow-up
- Stop another sequence
- Create a task
- Route based on interest
- Hand off to long-term nurture
Do not publish the form until the workflow connection is tested.
8
Connect pipeline logic
Decide whether form submission should create or update an opportunity.
Ask:
- Should every submission create an opportunity?
- Which pipeline should it use?
- Which stage should it enter?
- What happens if the contact already has an open opportunity?
- Should an existing opportunity be updated instead?
- Should the team review before creating an opportunity?
Forms that create duplicate opportunities can damage reporting quickly.
9
Configure the thank-you action
A form should show or send a clear next step.
Options:
- Inline thank-you message
- Redirect to thank-you page
- Redirect to booking page
- Deliver a download
- Send confirmation email
- Show next-step instructions
The thank-you action should match the promise that led to the form submission.
10
Send an internal notification
The team should know when a meaningful lead arrives.
Internal notifications should include:
- Contact name
- Email
- Phone
- Source
- Form name
- Service or interest
- Notes or qualifying answer
- Link to contact record, if available
- Next action expected from the team
Do not send vague notifications like “New lead submitted” without enough context.
11
Test the form like a real contact
Submit the form from the public page or actual destination, not only from a preview screen.
Confirm:
- Form loads on desktop
- Form loads on mobile
- Required fields work
- Consent language appears
- Thank-you action works
- Contact record is created or updated
- Fields map correctly
- Source tag is applied
- Workflow starts
- Opportunity is created or updated
- Confirmation sends
- Internal notification sends
12
Review the contact record after submission
Open the test contact record and confirm:
- Name is correct
- Email is correct
- Phone is correct
- Source is correct
- Tags are correct
- Custom fields are correct
- Opportunity is correct
- Conversation or confirmation is visible
- Workflow history is correct
Do not consider the form complete until the record is clean.

Checks Before You Finish

✓Form purpose is clear
✓Destination path is defined
✓Only necessary fields are included
✓Fields map correctly
✓Consent language is present where needed
✓Source tag or source value is applied
✓Workflow connection is tested
✓Pipeline logic is tested
✓Thank-you action works
✓Internal notification sends
✓Desktop and mobile tests are complete
✓Contact record was reviewed after submission
✓No duplicate opportunity was created by mistake
✓The form can be explained from submission to CRM outcome

Common Mistakes

Watch for these

Building the form before planning the path
Asking for too many fields
Collecting data that does not map anywhere
Forgetting consent language
Forgetting the thank-you action
Publishing a form without workflow connection
Not applying a source tag
Creating duplicate opportunities
Sending vague internal notifications
Testing only in preview mode
Not checking the contact record after submission
Sending QR or social traffic to an untested form