Core Concepts

Form Basics

HTML form fundamentals for Static Forms integration

This guide covers the essential HTML form concepts you need to know when using Static Forms. Understanding these basics will help you create effective forms that work seamlessly with our service.

Required Form Attributes

Every form that uses Static Forms must include these attributes:

action

The action attribute specifies where the form data is sent. For Static Forms, this must always be:

HTML

method

The method attribute specifies the HTTP method. Static Forms requires:

HTML

Important

Only POST requests are supported. GET requests will not work.

Complete Form Structure

Here's a minimal working example of a Static Forms form:

HTML

Form Fields and Naming

All form fields with a name attribute will be included in the email notification you receive. Field names are case-sensitive and should be descriptive.

Standard Field Types

Static Forms supports all standard HTML input types:

Input Type	Example	Use Case
text	<input type="text" name="name" />	Names, titles, general text
email	<input type="email" name="email" />	Email addresses
tel	<input type="tel" name="phone" />	Phone numbers
url	<input type="url" name="website" />	Website URLs
number	<input type="number" name="age" />	Numeric values
date	<input type="date" name="birthday" />	Dates
textarea	<textarea name="message"></textarea>	Multi-line text
select	<select name="country">...</select>	Dropdown selections
checkbox	<input type="checkbox" name="newsletter" />	Boolean options
radio	<input type="radio" name="plan" />	Single choice options
file	<input type="file" name="document" />	File uploads (Pro tier)

Field Naming Best Practices

Use clear, descriptive names for your form fields. Good field names make it easier to understand submissions:

Good Examples:

name - Contact's name
email - Email address
message - Message content
company_name - Company name
phone_number - Phone number

Avoid:

field1, field2 - Too generic
data - Not descriptive
Spaces in names - Use underscores or hyphens
Special characters - Stick to alphanumeric and underscores

Special Field Names

Some field names have special meaning in Static Forms:

Field Name	Purpose	Required
apiKey	Your Static Forms API key	Yes
redirectTo	URL to redirect after successful submission	No
replyTo	Custom reply-to email address	No
email	Used as reply-to if replyTo not provided	No
honeypot	Any field containing "honeypot" in name for spam protection	No
g-recaptcha-response	reCAPTCHA token (v2 widget field name)	No
recaptchaToken	reCAPTCHA token (v2 or v3)	No
altchaToken	ALTCHA challenge response (if using ALTCHA)	No

Field Name Matching

Field names are matched case-insensitively for special fields like honeypot. Any field containing "honeypot" in its name (e.g., honeypot, _honeypot, honeypot-field) will be treated as a honeypot field.

Form Validation

Static Forms accepts any form data you send, but you can add client-side validation using HTML5 attributes:

HTML

Common Validation Attributes

Attribute	Description	Example
required	Field must be filled	<input required />
minlength	Minimum character count	<input minlength="3" />
maxlength	Maximum character count	<input maxlength="100" />
pattern	Regex pattern to match	<input pattern="[A-Za-z]+" />
min	Minimum value (numbers)	<input type="number" min="0" />
max	Maximum value (numbers)	<input type="number" max="100" />

File Uploads

To enable file uploads, you must add the enctype attribute to your form:

HTML

Pro Feature

File uploads require a Pro tier account. Free tier accounts cannot upload files. See File Uploads documentation for details.

Form Styling

Static Forms doesn't impose any styling requirements. You can style your forms however you like using CSS. Here's a basic example:

CSS

Best Practices

Use Semantic HTML

Use appropriate input types (email, tel, etc.) for better mobile experience and validation.

Add Labels

Always include <label> elements for accessibility and better user experience.

Validate on Client Side

Use HTML5 validation attributes to catch errors before submission, improving user experience.

Keep Field Names Consistent

Use consistent naming conventions across your forms to make it easier to process submissions.

How It Works

API Key

Core Concepts

Form Basics

HTML form fundamentals for Static Forms integration

This guide covers the essential HTML form concepts you need to know when using Static Forms. Understanding these basics will help you create effective forms that work seamlessly with our service.

Required Form Attributes

Every form that uses Static Forms must include these attributes:

action

The action attribute specifies where the form data is sent. For Static Forms, this must always be:

HTML

method

The method attribute specifies the HTTP method. Static Forms requires:

HTML

Important

Only POST requests are supported. GET requests will not work.

Complete Form Structure

Here's a minimal working example of a Static Forms form:

HTML

Form Fields and Naming

All form fields with a name attribute will be included in the email notification you receive. Field names are case-sensitive and should be descriptive.

Standard Field Types

Static Forms supports all standard HTML input types:

Input Type	Example	Use Case
text	<input type="text" name="name" />	Names, titles, general text
email	<input type="email" name="email" />	Email addresses
tel	<input type="tel" name="phone" />	Phone numbers
url	<input type="url" name="website" />	Website URLs
number	<input type="number" name="age" />	Numeric values
date	<input type="date" name="birthday" />	Dates
textarea	<textarea name="message"></textarea>	Multi-line text
select	<select name="country">...</select>	Dropdown selections
checkbox	<input type="checkbox" name="newsletter" />	Boolean options
radio	<input type="radio" name="plan" />	Single choice options
file	<input type="file" name="document" />	File uploads (Pro tier)

Field Naming Best Practices

Use clear, descriptive names for your form fields. Good field names make it easier to understand submissions:

Good Examples:

name - Contact's name
email - Email address
message - Message content
company_name - Company name
phone_number - Phone number

Avoid:

field1, field2 - Too generic
data - Not descriptive
Spaces in names - Use underscores or hyphens
Special characters - Stick to alphanumeric and underscores

Special Field Names

Some field names have special meaning in Static Forms:

Field Name	Purpose	Required
apiKey	Your Static Forms API key	Yes
redirectTo	URL to redirect after successful submission	No
replyTo	Custom reply-to email address	No
email	Used as reply-to if replyTo not provided	No
honeypot	Any field containing "honeypot" in name for spam protection	No
g-recaptcha-response	reCAPTCHA token (v2 widget field name)	No
recaptchaToken	reCAPTCHA token (v2 or v3)	No
altchaToken	ALTCHA challenge response (if using ALTCHA)	No

Field Name Matching

Form Validation

Static Forms accepts any form data you send, but you can add client-side validation using HTML5 attributes:

HTML

Common Validation Attributes

Attribute	Description	Example
required	Field must be filled	<input required />
minlength	Minimum character count	<input minlength="3" />
maxlength	Maximum character count	<input maxlength="100" />
pattern	Regex pattern to match	<input pattern="[A-Za-z]+" />
min	Minimum value (numbers)	<input type="number" min="0" />
max	Maximum value (numbers)	<input type="number" max="100" />

File Uploads

To enable file uploads, you must add the enctype attribute to your form:

HTML

Pro Feature

File uploads require a Pro tier account. Free tier accounts cannot upload files. See File Uploads documentation for details.

Form Styling

Static Forms doesn't impose any styling requirements. You can style your forms however you like using CSS. Here's a basic example:

CSS

Best Practices

Use Semantic HTML

Use appropriate input types (email, tel, etc.) for better mobile experience and validation.

Add Labels

Always include <label> elements for accessibility and better user experience.

Validate on Client Side

Use HTML5 validation attributes to catch errors before submission, improving user experience.

Keep Field Names Consistent

Use consistent naming conventions across your forms to make it easier to process submissions.

How It Works

API Key

Form Basics

Required Form Attributes

action

method

Important

Complete Form Structure

Form Fields and Naming

Standard Field Types

Field Naming Best Practices

Special Field Names

Field Name Matching

Form Validation

Common Validation Attributes

File Uploads

Pro Feature

Form Styling

Best Practices

Use Semantic HTML

Add Labels

Validate on Client Side

Keep Field Names Consistent

Documentation

Form Basics

Required Form Attributes

action

method

Important

Complete Form Structure

Form Fields and Naming

Standard Field Types

Field Naming Best Practices

Special Field Names

Field Name Matching

Form Validation

Common Validation Attributes

File Uploads

Pro Feature

Form Styling

Best Practices

Use Semantic HTML

Add Labels

Validate on Client Side

Keep Field Names Consistent

Documentation