Form templates

Design the forms users see when they create, edit, or review student and application information.

Form templates control which fields users see, how fields are grouped, and which fields are required when users collect student or application information. Configure form templates after fields exist, then use pipeline form management when a specific template should appear at a specific application stage.

What form templates control

A form template is a reusable form layout. It does not create the field itself. It decides how configured fields appear in a user workflow.

Use form templates to control:

Area	What it controls
Field visibility	Which student fields or application fields appear on the form.
Required fields	Which fields must be completed before the form can be submitted.
Sections	How related fields are grouped, such as identity, contact details, or study preferences.
Layout	How many columns the form uses on desktop, tablet, and mobile screens.
Form access	Whether the form appears in pipeline workflows, sidebar navigation, or both.
Defaults	Which form users see when creating or editing students and applications.

Form templates work with fields and pipelines:

Setting	Use it for
Fields	Create the information your agency can collect.
Form templates	Arrange fields into forms for specific tasks.
Pipeline Form Management	Choose which form template appears at each application stage and for each role.

Before you start

Prepare these items before creating form templates:

Item	Why it matters
Student fields	Student form templates can only include fields that already exist.
Application fields	Application form templates need application fields from the selected pipeline.
Pipeline	Application and combined forms need a pipeline so Edmissa knows which application fields are available.
Roles	Sidebar forms require role visibility settings.
First form plan	Decide which form should be simple, which form should be complete, and which form should be tied to application work.
Sample student and sample application	Test the template before users rely on it for daily work.

Do not start by creating many templates. Start with the few forms your team will use every day, then add more only when a role or stage needs a different experience.

Open Form Templates

Use this path when you want to create or maintain form templates:

Open Settings.
Go to Form Templates.

The Form Templates page shows the templates available for the selected student record type. In an Edmissa workspace, the default record type is usually Students.

The top actions are:

Action	What it does
Admin View	Shows all form templates across record types and pipelines for admins.
Manage Fields	Opens field settings so you can create or update fields before changing forms.
Create Template	Starts a new form template.

Each template card can show:

Detail	What it means
Template name and description	The purpose of the form.
System badge	The template was created by the system. Admins can customize it, but system templates cannot be deleted.
Disabled badge	The template is inactive and should not be used for new work.
Visible fields	How many fields currently appear on the form.
Required fields	How many visible fields must be completed.
Pipeline	The application pipeline connected to the template, when applicable.
Sidebar order	Where the template appears when it is shown in sidebar navigation.

Choose a form type

When you create a template, first choose what information the form collects.

Form type	Use it when
Student Fields Only	The form updates student profile information, such as contact details, nationality, study preferences, or academic background.
Application Fields Only	The form updates application information for one pipeline, such as program, intake, submission date, offer status, or visa notes.
Combined Form	The form should collect student profile information and application information in one workflow.

For Edmissa, a practical first version usually includes one complete student profile form and one application form for the main application pipeline. Combined forms are useful when users create or update the student and the application together, but they can become long if every field is included.

Create a form template

Use this procedure when you need a new form variation.

Open Settings.
Go to Form Templates.
Select Create Template.
Enter a clear Template Name.
Add a Description that explains when the form should be used.
Choose the Form Type.
If the form includes application fields, select the Pipeline.
If the form should be limited to one stage, select the Pipeline Stage when that option appears.
Choose the Display Location.
Configure the Submission Settings.
Select Create Template.

After the template is created, open it again to refine the visual layout.

Configure display location

Display Location controls where users can open the form.

Location	What it does
Pipeline Stage Only	Makes the form available through student and application workflows. Use Pipeline Form Management when a stage or role should see this form.
Sidebar Only	Adds quick access from the main navigation. Use this for common intake or quick-update forms.
Both Locations	Makes the form available from workflows and sidebar navigation.

Sidebar forms require role visibility settings. Choose the roles that should see the form, then set the sidebar icon and display order if those options are available.

Use sidebar access carefully. A sidebar form is prominent, so reserve it for forms users open often, such as quick student intake or a daily follow-up form.

Configure submission settings

Submission Settings control what happens when a user completes the form.

Setting	Use it for
Show Section Headers	Shows section names on the form so users understand how fields are grouped.
Redirect after submission	Sends the user to another page after saving.
Show success page	Shows a confirmation message after submission.
Redirect Destination	Chooses where the user lands after saving, such as staying on the form, opening the created student, or opening the created application.
Custom URL	Sends the user to a specific URL after submission. Use this only when the destination is stable and safe for users.

Application and combined forms can also include submission options for assigning the application to a user or selecting an existing student during submission. Use these options when the form is part of an intake or application creation workflow.

Design the visual layout

After a template exists, open its menu and select Edit Template or Customize Template. The editor includes these tabs:

Tab	Use it for
Settings	Update template details, form type, display location, submission behavior, and system information.
Visual Layout	Arrange fields into sections and decide how the form reads to users.
Layout Settings	Configure columns, spacing, label position, and responsive breakpoints.
Public Access	Configure public form access when the feature is enabled for the workspace.

If the Visual Layout tab says no layout exists, select Generate Default Layout. Then review the generated sections before users rely on the form.

The Visual Layout tab has two main areas:

Area	What it does
Available Fields	Shows fields that are not currently in the layout. Drag a field to the form canvas or use the add button.
Form Layout	Shows the fields that users will see, grouped into sections.

Use the layout editor this way:

Add sections for groups that make sense to users.
Drag fields into the right section.
Reorder fields so the most familiar questions appear first.
Remove fields that do not belong on this form.
Mark fields required only when the user truly must complete them in this context.
Use the desktop, tablet, and mobile preview controls to confirm the layout works on different screen sizes.
Save changes.

Good student sections are usually based on agency work, not internal data structure. For example, Identity Information, Contact Information, Study Preferences, Academic Background, and Financial Information are easier for users to scan than one long form.

Configure layout settings

Use Layout Settings when the form needs a different visual structure.

Setting	What it controls
Desktop Columns	Number of columns on large screens.
Tablet Columns	Number of columns on medium screens.
Mobile Columns	Number of columns on small screens.
Grid Gap	Space between grid columns and rows.
Field Spacing	Space within field groups.
Group Spacing	Space between sections.
Label Position	Where field labels appear, such as top, left, inside the field, or hidden.
Responsive Breakpoints	Screen widths where the form changes layout.

For most Edmissa forms, start with two desktop columns and one mobile column. Use a wider field only when the field needs room, such as address, notes, or a long multi-select.

Configure form defaults

Admins can use Form Defaults on the Form Templates page to choose which template appears for common actions.

Default	What it controls
Add Student Form	The form users see when creating a student.
Edit Student Form	The form users see when editing an existing student.
Add Application Form	The form users see when creating an application.
Edit Application Form	The form users see when editing an application.

An admin can also disable a default action. When a default action is disabled, the related button is hidden from users.

Use templates with pipeline stages

Form templates define the form. Pipeline Form Management decides when the form appears inside an application pipeline.

Use this sequence:

Create the student or application fields.
Build the form template.
Open Pipeline Form Management for the pipeline.
Add stage form rules only where a stage or role needs a different form.
Test the result on a sample application.

For example, a Visa Application stage may need fields for visa form status, financial evidence notes, biometrics appointment, and submission date. Create those application fields, add them to a visa application form template, then assign that template to the Visa Application stage.

Recommended first version

For a first Edmissa setup, keep the form set small.

Template	Useful purpose
Quick Add Student	Create a student with the minimum information needed to start follow-up.
Complete Student Registration	Collect the full student profile once the student is qualified.
Student Visa Processing Application Form	Collect application information for the main Student Visa Processing pipeline.
Document Review Form	Optional form for document collection or document review stages.
Visa Outcome Form	Optional short form for final visa result, approval date, and next steps.

Add more templates after real users can explain what is missing from the first set. Too many templates make it harder for admins to maintain defaults, stage rules, and required fields.

Student Visa Processing example

A practical setup for Student Visa Processing may look like this:

Workflow moment	Form setup
New Lead	Use Quick Add Student with name, phone, email, source, preferred destination, and counselor notes.
Qualification	Use Complete Student Registration with study level, field of study, academic score, English test details, intake, budget, and destination preferences.
Application creation	Use a combined form only if users create the student and application together. Otherwise, keep student and application forms separate.
University application	Use an application form with institution, program, intake, application deadline, submission date, and application notes.
Offer received	Use a focused form for offer status, offer conditions, deposit deadline, and next action notes.
Visa application	Use a visa preparation form with visa status, financial evidence notes, biometrics details, submission date, and payment notes.
Visa approved	Use a short outcome form with approval date, visa document, final notes, and pre-departure next steps.

This is a starting point, not a requirement. Your agency may need fewer forms if users prefer one application form with well-organized sections.

Maintain templates safely

Use these rules when changing templates:

Clone an existing template when you need a variation but want to preserve the original.
Disable a template when users should stop using it but you are not ready to delete it.
Do not delete a template until you know it is not used by defaults, sidebar access, public access, or stage form rules.
Keep required fields limited to information the user can reasonably provide at that point in the workflow.
Review form defaults after creating, disabling, cloning, or deleting a template.
Review Pipeline Form Management after changing an application template used in stage rules.

System templates can be customized by admins, but they cannot be deleted. Default templates also have additional protection because users depend on them for common create and edit actions.

Test before users rely on it

Before publishing a new or changed form template:

Open a sample student.
Open the form as a user who should use it.
Confirm the right fields appear.
Confirm required fields are reasonable.
Confirm sections and field order match the task.
Test the form on a narrow screen if users work from tablets or phones.
Submit the form and confirm the redirect or success page behaves correctly.
If the form is used in a pipeline stage, test it from a sample application in that stage.
If the form appears in the sidebar, confirm only the intended roles can see it.

If a field does not appear where expected, check the field configuration first, then check whether the field is included in the form template, and finally check any pipeline stage rule that chooses the form.

Guide	Use it for
Fields	Create the student and application fields that form templates depend on.
Pipeline form management	Choose which form template users see at each application stage and for each role.
Pipeline stages	Configure stage order, requirements, approvals, access, notifications, and checklists.
Applications	Understand how users work with application forms during daily processing.

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