Tip of the fortnight 10: The DOs and DON'Ts of web form validations you need to know
Hello fellow form builders,
I'm sure you've been reading a lot of how-to articles about creating stunning forms, automating your favorite integrations, and how to reach the epitome of perfect form building.
What if I told you there's a common pitfall that can bring down your conversions? That's right—if your responders encounter several errors as they fill out a form, they can easily grow frustrated. On the contrary, you don't want your customers to leave you with a blank form either. A solution for this can be found in field validations.
If you're already familiar with field validations inside Zoho Forms, this article will cover the DOs and the DONTs of it. If you're new to this topic, there's no need to stress—I'll pitch why you should start using them.
The DOs of field validations
Provide dynamic errors in preferred languages
Being clear while communicating errors is pretty important. In Zoho Forms, we have a list of error
messages that instantly appear when a user incorrectly fills in a field. This is shown before they even move on to the next field. Be that as it may, there may be a need to personalize these errors in a specific language based on your audience. Construct your error messages on par with language and style of your field labels.
Provide clear instructions
It's common to neglect adding instructions. But instructions or hints are likely to improve your form's usability. Displaying instructions and the exact format of an answer when a form loads can help customers finish up the form quicker. This reduces the likelihood of errors and, ergo, improves your form's conversion rates.
Here's a list you can keep in mind while constructing errors:
- Keep the language simple and clean : Clear-cut instructions work best. Keep your audience in mind during construction and use language they'll understand.
- Keep jargons at bay : Avoiding jargons is your key to better communication. Sentences with jargons can cause confusion and may sometimes lead users to misunderstand the context.
- Keep the form's length in mind : Long sentences can go beyond the width of the field box, making your form look ugly. Try to use minimal words while delivering what has to be said.
Mark required fields
Getting hit with spam or unfilled submissions is the last thing you'd want for your forms. Solve this by marking a field as Mandatory, leaving the user no choice but to give an answer for that field in order to advance further with the form.
This leaves an asterisk (*) sign at the end of the mandatory field's name. It also helps users know what fields they need to enter to quickly wrap up the form. This will help them avoid frustration. You can also use it to your advantage while creating Sign up, Subscriptions, Event Registrations, and more where contact information must be captured.
Positioning of field labels
You can structure your form by changing the form field's position based on the form you are creating. By default, the field labels are fixed on top of the input box. I will explain the effects each brings, and you can decide based on that.
- Top : Your respondents will be able to see the field name and the label at a glance. They'll also be able to quickly move from the label and the input of the field. One disadvantage would be that it makes the form appear longer that it already is.
- Left : For shorter field labels, you can use this position. This does create strain for the users though, as they find it hard to match a label to its field.
- Right : This position has less cognitive strain compared to the Left alignment as users easily know which label goes with which input box. This also serves as a good choice for shorter field labels.
With both left and right alignments, the form size will appear smaller than the top positioned case we discussed above. One of the constraints is that when you are translating your form, the field label's length may or may not fit into the given space.
The DON'Ts of field validation
Ignoring sensitive data handling
As you collect sensitive data (like social security numbers) from your respondents, you may need to perform
data encryption to handle it securely. How is this helpful in securing the information? The data will be encrypted at your database level and will be encrypted in rest as well as transit. It will also be masked while printing or downloading. When you go to share it with others, whether through email notifications, PDFs, printing, downloading, document merge, or integrations, you will be prompted with an alert to question your decision. At this point you can decide on your actions.
Ignoring personal data handling
When you're collecting personal information from your customer—say an email address, phone number, bank details, etc.—in an Insurance Form, you can add an extra degree of sensitivity by
marking it as Personal . Zoho Forms became GDPR compliant, allowing you to create more secure forms. It treats personal information as any information related to the directly identified/unidentified person. Similar to data encryption, you will be prompted with an alert if you go to share any personal information.
Though field validations can be pretty easy for you to implement, they have a major impact on the user's experience. And, ultimately, aren't we always on the lookout for ways to provide an easy form-filling experience for our respondents?
So try this out and let us know how useful you found it in the comments below—we'd love to hear from you!
Until next fortnight,
Prasana
To get updated every fortnight on useful form tips, click follow under our
community learning series.
Access your files securely from anywhere
Zoho Developer Community
New to Zoho LandingPage?
Zoho LandingPage Resources
New to Zoho Survey?
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Bigin?
Topic Participants
Prasana Lakshmi
Global Music Distributors
jeremy
Sticky Posts
Tip #10: Automatically add tags to Zoho CRM records using form responses
You may be using tags to filter records, create reports based on specific tags, or let your sales team to know which clients to give priority to. Don't skip tagging for the crm records added via forms. The tags can be set to be automatically captured during the form submission. How it works When you set up a configuration to push form entries into CRM, you can add a tag to them automatically. The tag value can vary based on the respondent's input (captured using form fields), or you can include aTip #8: Pass Adwords data (GCLID) and UTM parameters to Zoho CRM using forms
When you are using forms to capture leads, you may wonder: " How did they find me? Which marketing campaign worked best?" You can answer this question by capturing the Google Adwords data (GCLID) or the UTM parameter details in your CRM using forms. This can be a great way to gauge the effectiveness of your campaigns and identify the most effective ways to capture leads. Capturing GCLID parameters How it works If a person finds your form by clicking an ad, a GCLID gets created. When they fill outZUG (Zoho User Group) In-person Meetups - Maximize Data Efficiency with Zoho Forms & Beyond
Hello Zoho Community, Join us for our upcoming meetups in ANZ, where we'll dive into seamless data handling and maximizing efficiency through Zoho Forms and beyond. Explore the potential of Zoho Forms customization and integration, from mastering theTip #9: Modify deal properties in Zoho CRM using form responses
How to modify deal properties of Zoho CRM records using form responses? Deal properties in Zoho CRM records are constantly modified based on the status of the deal. You can automatically modify deal properties (like the deal closing date, or deal name) and even update the deal stage, using form inputs. This can drastically reduce the work your team would otherwise do to search and change individual record details manually. How it works This works by integrating the form with the Deals module of ZohoTip #2: Prefill forms automatically with existing Zoho CRM data
How to automatically prefill a form with existing Zoho CRM data? Prefilled forms can be useful when you want your prospects to view and confirm their data, and in a wide range of other situations. In Zoho Forms, we prefill the fields with the values from Zoho CRM using the Zoho CRM field. What is a Zoho CRM field? A Zoho CRM field acts as a two-way communication channel, by sending data to Zoho CRM from forms and fetching information from CRM into Forms. The field will look up data from your CRM
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
Zoho TeamInbox Resources
Zoho DataPrep Resources
Zoho CRM Plus Resources
Zoho Books Resources
Zoho Subscriptions Resources
Zoho Projects Resources
Zoho Sprints Resources
Qntrl Resources
Zoho Creator Resources
Zoho Campaigns Resources
Zoho CRM Resources
Design. Discuss. Deliver.
Zoho Show Resources
Get Started. Write Away!
Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.
Zoho CRM コンテンツ
-
オンラインヘルプ
-
Webセミナー
-
機能活用動画
-
よくある質問
-
Ebook
-
-
Zoho Campaigns
- Zoho サービスのWebセミナー
その他のサービス コンテンツ
Nederlandse Hulpbronnen
ご検討中の方
Recent Topics
Allow a brand to connect multiple facebook pages at the same time
Our company have multiple facebook pages to represent, every branch, right now we can only link one facebook page, so we can only recive messages from one branch. It would be nice to be able to connect all pages.5名限定 課題解決型ワークショップイベント Zoho ワークアウト開催のお知らせ （12/19）
ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。Zoho ユーザーコミュニティチームの藤澤です。 12月開催のZoho ワークアウトについてお知らせします。 ※定員に達したため、受付を終了しました。 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Zoho ワークアウトとは？ Zoho ユーザー同士で交流しながら、サービスに関する疑問や不明点の解消を目的とした「Zoho ワークアウト」を開催します。 Zoho サービスで完了させたい設定やカスタマイズ、環境の整備など……各自で決めた目標達成に向け、 他の参加者と同じ空間で作業を行うイベントです。先輩ユーザーや他の参加者と意見交換をしながら集中して作業に取り組むことが可能です。Whatsapp reply not reflected under Tickets for offline agent
Hi, We are encountering a situation where WA response from customer is not reflected under tickets (if the agent handling the case previously is not active due to off day/ MC). The ticket will remain in the offline agent's queue until agent is back toMissing Folders on iPhone Zoho Mail
Under mailboxes on my iPhone, I don't have an inbox, sent folder, deleted photo, etc. See pics.Select CRM Custom Module in Zoho Creator
I have a custom module added in Zoho CRM that I would like to link in Zoho creator. When I add the Zoho CRM field it does not show the new module. Is this possible? Do i need to change something in CRM to make it accesible in Creator?Send Whatsapp with API including custom placeholders
Is is possible to initiate a session on whatsapp IM channel with a template that includes params (placeholders) that are passed on the API call? This is very usefull to send a Utility message for a transactional notification including an order numberIncrease Round Robin Scheduler Frequency in Zoho Desk
Dear Zoho Desk Team, We hope this message finds you well. We would like to request an enhancement to the Round Robin Scheduler in Zoho Desk to better address ticket assignment efficiency. Current Behavior At present, the Round Robin Scheduler operatesSeparate One-Time Mentions from Ongoing Ticket Following in Zoho Desk
Dear Zoho Desk Support Team, We are writing to request an enhancement to the mention functionality within Zoho Desk. Currently, when an agent is mentioned in a ticket, they receive notifications for all subsequent activity on that ticket, similar to beingMass update Accounts in Zoho Desk
We used the integration feature to bring in all of our accounts from Zoho CRM. While all of the names and links are in place, on the Zoho Desk side the email, phone, website, and address fields are blank. By going into each account I can select "UpdateVivaldi will not open the Zoho Mail app when I click a email link in the browser
I'm running Vivaldi on Arch with the Plasma desktop and have under default applications Zoho Mail set as my default email client. Whenever I click a email link in Vivaldi I get the below when it should be launching Zoho. Any ideas on rectifying this issue?Digital publisher
Kinetic Digital Publisher provides comprehensive digital publishing services, including eBook creation, formatting, cover design, and marketing. We help authors publish and promote their work across online platforms with ease.Time Zone Correction with Daylight Savings Time
Hey, I'm writing a series of reports where the source data is synced from an external source which stores the date/time information in GMT, but I want the reports to be in local time. Now, I understand there is the CONVERT_TZ function which allows meLoad form in iframe without header
I am trying to load a form into an iframe without the header, but I am not having any luck. I am using openUrl() to load the iframe with the form URL and zc_Header set to false, e.g. #Form:Add_Case?zc_Header=false but it is still loading the header. AnyFilter embedded report
How to filter embedded report in a page, below code is not working. dateField => startDate & dateField=< endDate The report should print on page containing records from startDate to endDate. params='zc_Header=true&Service_Date__gte=<%=startDate%>&Service_Date__lte=<%=endDate%>'Creator Simplified #5: Set file upload restrictions in Zoho Creator
Hey Creators, Welcome to the next post in the Creator Simplified series. Today, we’ll explore how to implement file upload restrictions to limit user submissions to specific file types. By implementing an allowed list for file uploads, you can optimizeField Type: Address, Change District/State to Dropdown with picklist??
Using the Address Field type, is there a way to make the District/State field be a dropdown with a picklist so the users can select rather than type the state name every time? I know this can be done if I use a drowdown field for the State (or entire address information), but that isn't as tidy as using the address field type. I apologize if this is a duplicate. I posted this question the other day, or so I though. Can't find that post.cutomized fields are not showing up in zoho creator from zoho crm
We have customized fields in zoho crm under accounts module like "Last production upgrade" --> This field is a date. When created a solution in zoho creator i couldn't find any of the customized fields. Would you please help me on this matter? ThanksHow to Add Bulk Data in Zoho Creator Forms Using Deluge Without Exceeding Execution Time Limit
I have a database form with a column named 'Product Name' containing 8000 values in a Zoho Creator form. In another form named 'Returns Data,' I have a column with the same name, 'Product Name.' How do I add these 8000 values to the 'Returns Data' formOpen New Free Zoho Account
Hi Team, Do you guys offer a free email hosting? I do have a domain already. If yes, what is the process to open the new account? Thanks,554 5.7.1 : Recipient address rejected: user info@intimspace.de does not exist
554 5.7.1 : Адрес получателя отклонен: пользователь info@intimspace.de не существует I can't send an email to Google at info@intimspace.de. An error comes. I entered everything correctly in DNS https://zohomail.tools/#domainDetails/intimspace.de/ALLEmails going back unread
Hi all, When in Zoho mail - when I recieve a new mail it puts back all emails read that day back to unread - I then have to go back through and open all emails I have already read! Gets very annoying... Any idea on the bug fix?Been getting this error, every now and then "Get count limit exceeded, please try again after 3 mins"
it is really annoying.Constraints on Tasks
We have a use case where we have certain fixed date tasks and need to schedule predecessor tasks around these. Predecessor tasks need to be completed with a lag before the fixed date. We should be able to schedule the start and end date for predecessorMoving Project Dependencies Not Moving Precedessors
Most of the time we want to base our start dates around an event that is in the middle of the project template. If I set a bar up at the date we want it, it doesn't move the predecessors up. Is there a way to change this? eg. there is no point startingCan you set task due dates to be "x" days before the milestone?
We have a milestone set as the date of our first event. All of the tasks need to happen in increments prior to the milestone event. Is there a way to configure this without having to set up each task due date? Thanks!Default ticket template in helpcenter
Hello, I have a web form and a ticket template created. How can I make that my default ticket template? If an user clicks New ticket or create a ticket, I want that template to be the default one. Thank you for the time and info.Expanded data-capturing capabilities with enhanced tabular sections
We are thrilled to announce an update to Zoho Recruit that brings even more flexibility and customization to your recruiting process. With the addition of 10 new field types to the tabular sections, you now have the power to enhance your tabular sectionsIntegration of Business Hours in Email Templates
Dear Zoho Desk Team, We would like to propose a feature enhancement to Zoho Desk that would greatly improve the utility of the Business Hours settings and streamline communication with our clients. Feature Request: Integration of Business Hours in EmailAdd Owner to deluge-created module record note
Is it possible to include the "owner" aka "creator", of a Note when creating it via delulge? This sets "superadmin" as the Note creator. I need to override it. notemap = Map(); notemap.put("Parent_Id",program_contact_id); notemap.put("Note_Content",program_contact_data.get('Note'));Blueprint - Field Validation Criteria (During)
When setting validation criteria elsewhere in Zoho, or even workflow criteria etc., there are Is Empty and Isn't Empty options. Within the Field Validation Criteria within Blueprint, those options aren't available. Is there a particular reason for this?Delete Field that is used in a Zoho Flow connection
I'm trying to delete a Field used in a Webhook created by Zoho Flow with CRM Connection and i get the following alert: When going to the alert i get to the following issue, can't edit it since its been deployed by a pluggin But yes i have here the promptedUse image on img HTML tag
Hi how could I do to use my image saved in Workdrive to use it in an HTML img tag ? I need to display it on my website without having to use iframes. Regards,ZOHO Compain emails going to spam after authentication is successful
Hello, I am frustrated right now. I have recently setup the zoho email compaign, The auto responder email went to receipient spam folder. then, I researched a lot and completed authentication (SPF, DKIM) in email deliverability, email relay in zoho crm.Security Policies
To protect against cyber threats and attacks, organizations need to set up security policies for their employees' accounts. Security policies are rules and regulations for every individual or group using the organization's assets and resources. EnablingZoho CRM functions editor is not in the programming language deluge
I am trying to write a function for a button. I helped someone before in deluge and I'm using this new editor I'm not familiar with - I guess it is new. Why is the default code statically typed? The editor will not let me create a variable without a type."Age in Days" calculation in Advanced Analytics
Hi Can someone advise how this is calculated? I am getting values on this report which I cannot understand. Thank youAutomatically set quotes to "lost" if deal is set to lost
Hi, Is there a way to automate that if a deal (opportunity) is lost the related quotes are also set to lost? Thanks!Subdomain
How can i make subdomain in my zoho websiteA/R Aging Details shows wrong aging days
In the A/R Summary Report all of the invoices are in the right aging buckets. When I run the A/R Aging Details report I get aged dates of +300 days when they should be in the 0-90 day range.Global Choice List share ownership
I have created several forms that use one or more Global Choice Lists. These lists have been published to Org. I would like to allow one or more admins to edit the choices in these lists. Any help appreciated. GeoffNext Page