Learn how to create your own Intake Form with your desired fields.
Accessing the Intake Forms builder
To get started, navigate to the Intake Forms window.
In the Smokeball Desktop App, select File from the top-left corner of Smokeball, then select Intake Forms.
In the Smokeball Web App, select the gear icon in the bottom-left corner and select Intake Forms.
Creating the form
- Select Create Form.
- Under Form type, choose whether you wish to create a Matter or Lead Intake Form.
- Enter the Form Name.
- Select the relevant Countries for your form (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland)
- Select the Matter Types this form applies to.
- From the Form building options, select how you would like to build the form:
- Generate using Smokeball AI: Smokeball will generate an intake form based on the selected matter type(s) and data available in the matter.
- Upload and convert an existing form: Upload a form you already use (for example, a client information sheet), and Smokeball AI will convert it into a digital intake form.
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Build custom form: Start from scratch with a blank form and manually add your own questions and fields.
- Select Create Form.
You will then be taken to the Form Creator to build or review the form.
Building the form
A custom intake form is made up of sections that contain components.
Sections
The left panel of the form builder contains all the form sections. Each section represents a page for your form. For example, the first section could be where a prospective client enters their basic details, and the second section is where they start providing details of their case.
Select Edit to add, delete or rearrange sections in the form.
Components
The right panel of the form builder contains components, the building blocks for the form.
To add a component, drag it over a plus icon in the middle of the form builder.
Rename a component by clicking on its name, entering the new name and pressing the Enter key on your keyboard.
Rearrange components on the form by dragging the dots on the left side of the component.
Select the field settings icon on the top-right corner of the component to access further actions, such as adding description text, marking the component as mandatory, or deleting the component. Field settings may vary depending on the type of component.
Mapped fields
A Mapped field component allows you to add fields that will be mapped back to that respective field in the lead or matter. To add mapped fields, expand on the categories listed under Available fields and tick the fields to add to the form:
Mapped fields are indicated by the orange diagram icon, which also tells you which field in the Smokeball lead or matter it is mapped to:
Group of fields
The Group of fields component is a handy way to cluster fields together.
One of the most useful features of using groups is the Repeat fields option. This is especially handy when you may have multiple of the same party type on a matter and need to collect identical information for each party.
When clients need to enter information for another contact, they can click Add and the fields will automatically duplicate for them.
Important Note: Add the Group of fields component onto the form builder before dragging other components into it. You cannot drag existing components into a group of fields.
Multiple Choice
The Multiple choice component allows respondents to choose multiple options from the list. Click on Add Choice to add a new option, and Add "Other" to add an option for "Other".
Single select
The Single select component allows respondents to choose one option from a list. Click on Add Choice to add a new option, and Add "Other" to add an option for "Other".
Short Text
The Short text component is where respondents can enter short-form text.
Long text
The Long text component allows respondents to enter longer-form text, such as paragraphs.
Text info
Use the Text info component to add any text to the form, such as a preamble, section title or description. Handy hint: Enable Description text from the field settings to add more text in this component.
Number
The Number component allows only numerical input and restricts any non-numerical input.
Note: Use the Phone number field if you are collecting phone numbers from the client.
Date
The Date component allows respondents to enter a date.
Currency
The Currency component requires respondents to enter a monetary value in the field.
Phone number
The Phone number component requires respondents to enter a phone number in the field. They cannot enter letters or symbols in this field, other than + (e.g. +44).
Address
The Address component requires respondents to enter an address in the field. Addresses entered in this field can be auto-completed using Google Maps:
The Email component requires respondents to enter an email address in the field.
Smokeball Payment
The Smokeball Payments component allows you to add a payment link to your intake form to receive Client Account payments as part of your intake process. Learn more about Smokeball Payments.
Appointment
The Appointment component allows clients to book specific staff members at designated times. The available staff and times can be configured to prevent double-booking. Scheduled appointments also sync with your staff members' Smokeball calendars for easy tracking. Learn more about setting up an Appointment component.
File upload
The File upload component allows respondents to attach any files to the form. There is a limit of 5 files, with a maximum of 128MB each.
Adding conditions to your form
Conditions create a logical flow in your form based on the responses given by the respondent. For example, if a respondent selects an option in a Choice component or enters information in a text field, a new component will appear that is relevant to their previous selection.
You can set up conditions in the following component types:
- Text (includes Text options in mapped fields)
- Choice (includes Choice options in mapped fields)
- Multi-select
- Number
To access conditions:
- Select the double arrow icon on the bottom-right corner of the component where you wish to start the flow:
- Select Add condition. An "If" and "Then" line will appear on the screen.
- The "If" line triggers what happens in the "Then" line. Select the appropriate options under the Choice and Answer drop-down menus.
- Select the appropriate Component.
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Question: Send the respondent to a single component in the remaining form.
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Section: Send the respondent to a different section in the remaining form.
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Group: Send the respondent to a Grouped Field in the remaining form.
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Question: Send the respondent to a single component in the remaining form.
- Select Add condition to add multiple conditions to the component.
- Once you are done, select Save conditions.
Notes:
- When selecting a component in the Then line, only subsequent components to the form will appear. This prevents you from creating circular logic flows.
- Components with condition/s attached to them are denoted with an orange icon.
- You can chain conditions together as far as you like. The top of the conditions window displays the condition set before and after a component, so you can check the flow at a glance.
Previewing your form
Select the Preview form button at the top of the form builder to view how the form appears to respondents.
To easily progress through the form without filling in mandatory fields, uncheck Field validation.
Select Settings to preview and make changes to the confirmation message that appears after the respondent completes the form.
You can also choose from a set list of automated fields by selecting the arrow and boxes icon in the text editor.
Saving your progress
Click on the X icon on the top-right corner of the form builder to save the progress on your custom form.
Making your form active
Once you are ready to share the form, toggle on Active next to the Settings button.
You can also toggle it on from the list of intake forms.
Duplicating a form
You can duplicate a form by clicking the three dots icon next to a form and selecting Duplicate.
This will help you to make minor modifications to the form without having to recreate it.
Embedding the form on your website
To enable prospective clients to complete your custom form, you can embed it on your website.
Do you have additional questions about setting up your custom intake form? Our Frequently Asked Questions article may have the answer.