# Quick Start

Canonical: https://useformwork.com/docs/getting-started/quick-start

Create, test, publish, and share your first FormWork form.

This guide takes you from an empty project to a working published form. You only need an account and access to a project.

## What you will build

A one-page contact form with a required name, email address, and message. You will preview it, publish it, copy its public link, and find the resulting entry.

## 1. Create the form

1. Open a project and stay on the **Forms** tab.
2. Select **Create Form**.
3. Enter a **Form Name**, such as **Contact Form**.
4. Select **Create Form**.

FormWork opens a new draft with one page. The form name is used for both the initial internal name and public title; you can separate them later in **Settings**.

## 2. Add three fields

In **Fields**, use **Add Field** to create:

| Type | Label | Suggested settings |
|------|-------|--------------------|
| Text | Full name | Required; autocomplete **Name** |
| Email | Email address | Required; autocomplete **Email** |
| Textarea | Message | Required; 5 visible rows |

Select a field to edit it. Changes save automatically after a short delay, so there is no field-level Save button.

> Field IDs are permanent machine names. Choose a custom ID when creating a field only if an integration needs a predictable name; otherwise let FormWork generate one.

## 3. Set the public text

Open **Settings** and review:

- **Internal Title** — the name admins see
- **Form Title** — the heading respondents see
- **Form Description** — brief instructions
- **Submit Button Text** — for example **Send message**
- **Success Message** — the confirmation shown after submission

Settings also save automatically.

## 4. Test the draft

Select **Preview**. Complete the form as a respondent would and check:

- Required fields block an incomplete submission.
- Email validation catches a malformed address.
- The page and success text are clear.
- The layout works on a narrow screen.

Draft preview URLs contain `preview_version_id` and are for testing, not live collection.

## 5. Publish

Return to the builder and select **Publish**. FormWork validates the whole version first. If it finds broken references, invalid field configuration, unsafe template cycles, or workflow errors, follow the links in the validation panel and correct them.

After publishing:

- The published version is live.
- New respondents use it.
- Future edits happen in a separate draft.

## 6. Share the form

Open **Share**. You can copy either:

- The **Direct Share Link** for email, messages, or a standalone page
- The **Website Embed Code** for any site that accepts custom HTML

```html
<formwork-form form-id="your-form-id"></formwork-form>
<script src="https://app.useformwork.com/static/client.js" type="module"></script>
```

The published link and embed always load the latest published version. See [Sharing & Preview](/docs/forms/sharing-preview) for draft and archived behaviour.

## 7. Check the entry

Submit the published form, then:

1. Return to the project and open the form.
2. On **Entries**, select the new row.
3. Review **Answers**, **Revision History**, **Workflow Runs**, and **Files**.

A respondent starts as a draft entry and becomes complete after successful submission. FormWork autosaves draft answers and can resume an unfinished entry in the same browser.

## Build on it

- Add every available control with [Field Types](/docs/forms/field-types) and [Field Settings](/docs/forms/field-settings).
- Split a long form into pages with [Form Structure](/docs/forms/form-structure).
- Show the right questions with [Conditional Logic](/docs/logic/conditional-logic).
- Add business checks with [Validation Rules](/docs/logic/validation-rules).
- Notify people or update data with [Workflows](/docs/workflows/basics).
- Match your brand with [Appearance](/docs/forms/appearance).