Public form question types

A Form is bound to one database. Its field configurations refer to database field keys; the database schema remains the authority for each kind, option list, requiredness, and record validation. A public submission goes through the normal Database record-create path after Form-specific validation.

The current contract contains 11 public-collectable kinds. The canonical list is generated so a new kind cannot be added silently.

Canonical contract values:

• text
• long_text
• number
• date
• select
• multi_select
• status
• checkbox
• url
• email
• phone

Question kinds

Short text text

A single-line text answer, trimmed before storage. It supports placeholder, requiredness, help text, case-sensitive regex validation, minimum and maximum length, custom tooltip, and custom error message. An empty answer is omitted so the database can enforce requiredness and defaults.

Long text long_text

A multi-line text answer with the same length, pattern, message, placeholder, and required settings as Short text. It stores one trimmed string; it is not a Page rich-text block.

Number number

A finite numeric answer. Display can be a normal input, slider, numbered scale, stars, or rating symbols. Slider and scale use minimum, maximum, and step; scales may label endpoints; ratings can set a symbol count and icon. Validation can separately enforce numeric minimum and maximum. The server converts the submitted string to a number and rejects non-finite input.

Date date

A date-control answer stored as a trimmed date string and then revalidated by the Database kernel. It has no Number display variants. Its meaning and time zone follow the underlying Date field settings.

Select select

One option key from the database field. It can render as dropdown, radio group, or buttons. Options are sorted by database option order and carry their names and colours to the public renderer. The Database kernel rejects a key that is not an allowed option.

Multi-select multi_select

Several database option keys. The public endpoint accepts an array or a comma-separated string, trims each value, and omits an empty list. Option membership is still checked by the Database kernel. The Select radio/button variant settings do not redefine the multi-choice control.

Status status

One lifecycle option key. Like Select, it can render as dropdown, radio, or buttons and uses the database’s ordered, coloured options. It stores one key; the field’s option order and completion semantics remain part of the Status field rather than the Form.

Checkbox checkbox

A boolean answer. The public endpoint accepts a boolean or the case-insensitive string true; other strings become false. False is a real value, not an empty answer. It has no text-length or numeric-bound behaviour.

URL url

A URL-oriented single-line input stored as a trimmed string. Requiredness and the underlying Database URL validation apply. Form regex and length rules can add stricter project-specific checks, but the Form does not fetch the URL.

Email email

An email-oriented input stored as a trimmed string and checked by the Database field rules. It can also use Form length and regex rules. Passing validation does not prove the mailbox exists.

Phone phone

A phone-oriented input stored as a trimmed string. Formatting is preserved as accepted by the Database Phone field; the Form contract does not resolve a country or promise deliverability.

Fields public Forms do not collect

User, File, Place, JSON, and Relation are writable database kinds but are excluded from unauthenticated collection because their IDs or payloads could expose internal resources or accept unsafe references. Computed, system, Button, and Time-tracking kinds are not writable answers. If a schema-required field is not public-collectable, the Form cannot safely publish a valid submission path.

The synthetic record-title question uses key __record_title__. It is not a database field kind and is hidden until explicitly enabled.

Field configuration

Each question can override its label and icon, visibility, requiredness, help text, placeholder, display, validation, step number, and order. A schema-required field is always visible. The synthetic title is opt-in. Every other database field defaults to visible even when it was added after the Form was last saved; hide new internal fields explicitly.

Requiredness is enforced by the record-create path. Form validation is checked in the client for immediate feedback and repeated in the kernel for public submissions. Invalid regular-expression patterns are ignored rather than blocking every response, so test a custom pattern before publishing.

Form flow and publishing

With no steps, all questions share one implicit step. Otherwise each Form step has an ID, optional title, and description, and question step values assign them by array position. Themes support traditional or conversational flow, card or plain frame, background colour/gradient/image, radius, colour scheme, and scoped text, input, accent, and button colours.

Builder edits can live in draft; public and in-app respondents read only the published top-level content. Public config needs enabled and an optional normalised slug. A public response receives no draft fields or internal uncollectable fields from the resolver.