Form Field Types
All 21 types, what they capture, and when to reach for each
The form builder offers 21 field types, grouped in the left panel. Most ask a question. A few display content or work behind the scenes.
Picking the right type matters for two reasons. It decides how easy the question is to answer — a choice from five options beats a blank text box. And it decides how usable the answer is afterwards, because a structured answer can be filtered, compared and reasoned over, while free text mostly cannot.
Tip: Prefer a structured field over a text box wherever you reasonably can. What is your budget? as a range or a set of bands gives you something you can segment on. The same question as free text gives you sentences to read.
Contact detail fields
| Field | What it captures | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name | A person's name, as first, last or full name. | Maps to the contact's name by default. Include one on any form meant to create a contact. |
| An email address, with format validation. | Maps to the contact's primary email. This is the main way Zyntro recognises a returning person, so include it wherever you can. | |
| Phone | A telephone number. | Maps to the contact's primary phone. Required if you want SMS or calls to reach them. |
| Address | A postal address across its component parts. | Maps to the contact's address fields. |
| Anniversary | A recurring date such as a birthday or a renewal date. | Useful for date-driven follow-up. |
Question fields
| Field | What it captures | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Simple text field | A single line of text. | Set minimum and maximum lengths, and a custom validation pattern if you need one. |
| Textarea | Several lines of text. | Good for one open question. Two or three long-answer questions on a form will cost you completions. |
| Number | A numeric answer. | Can feed a calculated field. Note that zero is a valid answer and is stored as one. |
| Link | A URL. | Useful for asking about a website or a profile. |
| Checkbox | A single yes or no. | Built for consent and agreement. Only a ticked box is recorded. |
| Radio | One choice from a list. | Use when the options are few and should all be visible. |
| Badge | One or several choices, shown as selectable badges. | Set whether multiple selections are allowed. Easier to complete on a phone than a dropdown. |
| Linear scale | A rating on a numeric scale. | For satisfaction and likelihood questions. Comparable across contacts, unlike free text. |
| Matrix | Several related questions sharing one set of answers, as a grid. | Compact for a set of similar ratings. Awkward on narrow screens — preview at phone width. |
| Range | A value or a span chosen with a slider. | Good for budgets and timeframes where an approximate answer is fine. |
| Date and time | A date, a time, or both. | For asking about a date. To let someone book a slot on your calendar, attach a schedule instead. |
| Signature | A drawn signature. | For acknowledgement on a form. For countersigned agreements, use Docli instead. |
| File upload | One or more uploaded files. | Uploads are attached to the contact record rather than mapped to a field. |
Content and behind-the-scenes fields
| Field | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Heading | Displays a heading. Asks nothing. | Use to break a long form into readable sections. |
| Content | Displays a block of text or rich content. Asks nothing. | For explanation, context or reassurance partway through a form. |
| Image | Displays an image. Asks nothing. | Useful for showing what you are asking about. |
| Hidden | Carries a value the person filling in the form never sees. | Takes its value from a fixed setting, a URL parameter or a calculated field. The usual use is campaign tracking. |
| Calculated | Works out a value from other fields. | Combines two sources with an operator, and can be formatted as a number, currency or percentage. |
Info: Heading, Content, Image and File upload have no Map Data To setting. The first three ask nothing, so there is nothing to map. File uploads are attached to the contact instead. Every other field type can be mapped.
Tip: Hidden and calculated fields are worth understanding properly — they are how you capture context nobody has to type. They are covered with worked examples in the Forms and the CRM section.
