š Overview
Information collection in construction is often messy. A project request comes in through a text message. A new employee's onboarding details are scattered across an email thread. A site inspection gets summarized in a voice memo no one can find later. None of it is structured, searchable, or consistent.
Structur's form builder, built into Company Operations, lets you create custom forms for collecting any kind of structured information -- from employee onboarding and project requests to safety inspections, client feedback, and internal data collection. Once a form is set up, your team submits entries directly inside Structur and every submission is saved in a table you can review and export.
Forms replace the informal, fragmented ways information gets collected with a single structured process that works the same way every time. The result is data you can actually use, stored in a place you can actually find it.
š Understanding Forms
ā” What It Does
The Form element in Company Operations allows you to:
Create named forms -- give each form a title and optional description so your team knows exactly what it's for before they open it
Build forms with 11 field types -- Short Text, Long Text, Email, Phone, Number, Currency, Date, Dropdown, Single Option, Multiple Options, and Yes/No
Configure each field -- set a field name, optional placeholder text, optional subtext for help instructions, and mark fields as required
Enable privacy -- restrict member users to seeing only their own submitted entries while admins retain full visibility
Collect entries via a New Entry modal -- team members submit the form through a clean modal that shows all fields with a Submit Entry button
Review submissions in a table -- all entries display with the field values, who submitted them, and when
Edit fields at any time -- update field names, types, placeholders, or required settings even after entries have already been submitted
Export form data -- download submissions for reporting, record-keeping, or use in other tools
š When to Use It
Forms deliver the most value when you need structured, consistent information collected from multiple people or on a recurring basis: employee onboarding (collect essential information from new hires in one structured form), project requests (let team members submit requests with all necessary details already included), safety inspections (capture consistent site data from every inspection in the same format), client feedback, or any recurring situation where you're asking the same questions through informal channels.
š Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Open Company Operations and Navigate to the Right Page
Click Company Operations in the left sidebar
Select the department where this form belongs -- for example, Human Resources for an onboarding form, or Project Management for a project request form
Open an existing page or click + New Page at the bottom of the left panel to create one
Note: Placing the form in the relevant department means your team finds it alongside the SOPs and procedures it relates to. A safety inspection form belongs in the same department as your safety procedures, not buried in a general operations folder.
2. Add a Form Element to the Page
In page editing mode, click New Element in the content area
The New Element modal opens with nine element types. Select New Form
A quick-create modal appears with: Form Title, Form Description (optional), and an Enable privacy? checkbox
If you check Enable privacy?, member users will only see their own submitted entries. Admin users always see all entries regardless of this setting
Enter the title and optional description, then click Create
The Form element now appears on your page with an empty state showing "Click here to add a field."
3. Add Fields to Your Form
Click Manage Form in the top right of the Form element
The Manage Form modal opens. Click + Add Field to add your first field
A field card appears. Set the Type using the dropdown
The 11 available field types are: Short Text (single-line, for names or brief responses), Long Text (multi-line, for descriptions or notes), Email (validates email format automatically), Phone (formatted for phone numbers), Number (for quantities or counts), Currency (formatted as currency, for cost estimates), Date (date picker, for start dates or deadlines), Dropdown (single selection from predefined list), Single Option (visible list, pick one), Multiple Options (visible list, select more than one), and Yes/No (simple binary choice).
After selecting the type, fill in: Name (required -- the label displayed above the field), Placeholder (optional -- example text shown inside the field), Subtext (optional -- help text below the field), and This is a required field checkbox (check if the form cannot be usefully submitted without this information)
Click Add in the field card header to save the field
Repeat to add all the fields your form needs
Click Save Changes when all fields are configured
Note: Only mark fields as required if the form genuinely cannot be acted on without that information. Making every field required creates friction and reduces completion rates.
4. Save and Review the Form
Click Save in the top right of the page editor
The form element now shows in view mode with your field names as column headers in the entries table
5. Submit an Entry
Click + New Entry in the top right of the Form element
The New Entry modal opens showing all your form fields with their labels, placeholders, and any subtext
Fill in the fields and click Submit Entry
The entry appears immediately in the form table with the submitter's name and timestamp
6. Edit Form Fields
Click Manage Form in the top right of the Form element at any time to update the form
Edit any field's name, type, placeholder, subtext, or required setting
Click Save Changes when done
You can edit fields even after entries have already been submitted. Changes apply to new entries going forward.
7. Export Form Data
Click Export in the top right of the Form element to download all submission data
Note: The Export button is greyed out when no entries exist. It becomes active once at least one entry has been submitted.
ā Best Practices
Only include fields you will actually use -- every field is a field someone has to fill out. A focused form with 6 essential fields gets completed more reliably than a 20-field form padded with questions you rarely need.
Choose the right field type for each piece of information -- use Email for email addresses so format is validated automatically, use Currency for cost figures so the data is clean, use Dropdown or Single Option when you need to constrain responses to a specific set of choices.
Use placeholder text to show the expected format -- if a field expects a specific format, put an example in the placeholder. It reduces errors and back-and-forth after submission.
Use subtext for fields that need more context -- if a label alone doesn't fully explain what to enter, the subtext field gives you space to add instructions without cluttering the label itself.
Enable privacy for sensitive data -- if the form collects performance information, personal details, or anything team members shouldn't see from each other, turn on Enable privacy when creating the form.
Place the form in the department where your team will naturally look -- a project request form stored in HR won't get used by project managers. Put each form where the relevant team naturally navigates.
Use specific form titles -- "Form" is not useful. "New Subcontractor Onboarding Form" tells someone exactly what they're submitting before they open it.
ā Common Questions
Q: Where do Form elements live in Structur?
A: Form elements are created and stored inside Company Operations, on pages within the department structure you've set up. They live alongside other elements on the same page -- Rich Text, Checklists, Quizzes, and Documents can all appear on the same page as a Form element.
Q: What field types are available?
A: There are 11 field types: Short Text, Long Text, Email, Phone, Number, Currency, Date, Dropdown, Single Option, Multiple Options, and Yes/No.
Q: Can I make certain fields required?
A: Yes. Each field has a This is a required field checkbox in the field configuration. Check it for any field where a submission without that information would not be actionable.
Q: Can I edit a form after entries have already been submitted?
A: Yes. Click Manage Form at any time to update field names, types, placeholders, subtext, or required settings. Changes apply to new entries going forward.
Q: What does the Enable Privacy option do?
A: When enabled, member users can only see their own submitted entries. Admin users always see all submissions regardless of this setting. Enable privacy for forms that collect sensitive or personal information.
Q: Can I export the form submissions?
A: Yes. Click Export in the top right of the Form element to download the submission data. The button activates once at least one entry has been submitted.
Q: Can I see who submitted each entry and when?
A: Yes. Every entry in the form table shows the submitter's name in the Created By column and the submission timestamp in the Created At column.
ā ļø Common Mistakes to Avoid
ā Don't | ā Do |
Include every field you might ever need | Only include fields for information you will actually use -- focused forms get completed, bloated ones get abandoned |
Make every field required | Mark only the fields that are genuinely necessary to act on the submission as required |
Use Short Text for email addresses or phone numbers | Use the dedicated Email and Phone field types so format is validated automatically |
Use Short Text for cost or quantity data | Use Currency or Number field types so the data is clean and consistent |
Leave placeholder and subtext fields blank | Use placeholder text to show format examples and subtext to add instructions for any field that needs more context |
Store forms in the wrong department | Place each form in the department where the team who uses it will naturally navigate |
Give forms vague titles like "Request Form" | Use specific titles: "New Project Request Form," "Job Site Safety Inspection Form," "New Hire Onboarding Form" |