> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.helpyousponsor.com/guides/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.helpyousponsor.com/guides/core-features/program-management/program-forms.md). # Program Forms Use Program Forms when you need to decide what information HelpYouSponsor should collect for donors, recipients, or households. A form is the structure behind the fields people fill out in admin workflows, public signup and checkout pages, recipient profiles, donor profiles, reports, imports, and merge tags.

Program Settings > Forms groups recipient, donor, and household profile forms by type.

Animated walkthrough of program forms

Walkthrough: adding a field to a form and creating a new form from the Forms tab.

## Choose the Right Form Choose the form based on the record you want to collect information for: * **Recipient Profile**: use this for the person, project, campaign designation, or other recipient that donors can sponsor or support. * **Donor Profile**: use this for donor information collected in admin, signup, checkout, imports, and donor-facing workflows. * **Household Profile**: use this for additional household information connected to household records. Progress reports are managed separately. Use progress report forms when you need to archive repeatable updates, contact records, or survey-style records for donors or recipients. See [Progress Reports](https://github.com/rg-repos/hys/tree/hys_docs/docs/guides/progress-report/README.md). ## Create a Form Create a form before you attach it to a program or use it for collecting records. 1. Open **Program Settings**. 2. Select the **Forms** tab. 3. Select **Create Form**. 4. Enter a form name. The name must be at least five characters. 5. Choose the form type. 6. Select **Save**.

The Create Form drawer asks for the form name and profile type.

Keep these rules in mind: * An account can create one donor profile form and one household profile form. Older accounts may still show legacy donor forms that were created before this limit. * A form type cannot be changed after the form is created. * New donor forms should use standardized donor fields unless your team has a specific reason to keep a legacy custom-field setup. If you choose the wrong type, create a new form with the correct type and move your setup to that form. ## Manage Form Fields Use fields to decide what information the form collects and how that information appears across HelpYouSponsor. 1. Open **Program Settings**. 2. Select the **Forms** tab. 3. Find the form you want to update. 4. Select **Manage Form**. The drawer opens with **Manage Form Fields** and **Add New Field**. Donor forms may also show **Standard Fields**, **Custom Fields**, and **Program Overrides** inside the field-management area.

Manage Form Fields shows field labels, shortcodes, field settings, drag handles, edit actions, and delete actions.

The field list shows: * the field label * the shortcode, such as `[en_first_name]` or `[dn_phone]` * field type and visibility tags * required, title, sortable, filterable, unique, bio, conditional, or featured-card indicators when enabled * drag handles for changing field order * edit and delete actions Shortcodes are used in places such as [Auto Emails](/guides/core-features/communication-tools/auto-emails.md) and message templates. Reordering fields changes the order users see when they fill out or edit that form. ## Add a Field Use **Add New Field** when you need to collect a new piece of information.

The Add New Field drawer controls the label, field type, visibility, validation, and display behavior for a form field.

Choose the field settings based on what you want the user to do: * **Enter Label**: the field name users see, such as `Preferred Name`, `Birthday`, or `School Grade`. * **Field Type**: the input style. Available types include Text, Textarea, Static Text, Age, Date, Link, Select List, Radio, Checkbox, Table, and Auto Increment ID. * **Enter data for field**: used by Select List, Radio, Checkbox, Static Text, and Table fields. For list-style fields, enter options separated by commas. * **Permissions**: choose who can see the field. **Everyone** is public, **Donor and Admins** is visible to logged-in donors and admins, and **Admins Only** is only visible in admin areas. * **Used by Donor Type**: on donor forms, choose whether the field applies to Individual donors, Organization donors, or All donors. * **Title**: use the field as part of the display name for the donor or recipient. * **Required**: require the field before the profile can be saved. * **Conditional display**: on donor forms, show a field only when an earlier Select List or Radio answer matches. * **Sortable**: on recipient fields, allow the field to be used for sorting recipient records. * **Filter**: on recipient Select List fields, allow the field to be used for filtering. * **Unique**: on recipient Text or Auto Increment ID fields, require the value to be unique within the form. * **Use as Bio**: on recipient Text or Textarea fields, use the field as the recipient bio on sponsorship pages. * **Feature on Sponsorship Card**: on public, non-table recipient fields, show the value as a tag on recipient cards. * **Editable by Recipient**: on recipient fields, allow recipients to edit the field from the recipient portal profile editor. ## Manage Donor Standard Fields Donor forms can include standard fields for common donor information such as name, email, phone, and address. Use **Standard Fields** to control which standard fields are required, which ones build the donor display name, and who can see each field.

Standard Fields lets you configure donor title, permission, and required settings for donor profile fields.

Use **Custom Fields** for donor information that is specific to your organization, such as congregation, region, sponsor notes, or communication preferences that are not already covered by a standard field. The donor email field is always included in Standard Fields. Its required setting follows the donor form's **Don't Require Donor Email** option. ## Adjust Donor Fields by Program Use **Program Overrides** when the same donor form is used by more than one program, but a field should have different visibility for one program. 1. Open the donor form. 2. Select **Manage Form**. 3. Open **Program Overrides**. 4. Choose a program that uses this donor form. 5. Change the program permission for the needed field.

Program Overrides changes donor-field visibility for one program while keeping the form default intact.

Fields without an override use the default permission from the form. If you change a program permission back to the default, HelpYouSponsor removes the override. ## Attach Forms to a Program Creating a form does not automatically make a program use it. Attach the donor and recipient forms to the program that should collect those fields.

The program setup forms step attaches the donor and recipient forms that power program records and public workflows.

Attached forms control: * recipient fields shown when admins add or edit recipients * recipient fields shown on public sponsorship pages * donor fields collected during signup or checkout * donor and recipient fields available in imports, reports, saved views, and merge tags * donor and recipient fields available in email and SMS shortcodes You can attach forms during program setup or from a program's manage/setup area. If you create a form from inside the program setup flow, the new form becomes available to attach after it is saved. ## Use the Bulk Editor The three-dot menu on a form card includes **Bulk Editor**. This opens a JSON editor for changing several fields at once. Use the Bulk Editor only when you are comfortable editing structured field data. Removing an object can remove a field, adding an object can create a field, and changing field values can update existing fields. Invalid JSON or invalid field settings can prevent the update from saving. ## Delete Forms or Fields Delete fields only when you are sure the field is no longer needed. Deleting a field removes it from the form and can affect records, views, reports, imports, public pages, and merge tags that depend on it. Delete a form only when the form is not needed anywhere. HelpYouSponsor may block deletion when records depend on that form, such as donors on a donor form or recipients connected to a recipient form. ## Related Guides * [Manage Programs](/guides/core-features/program-management/manage-programs-and-campaigns.md) * [Program Settings](/guides/core-features/program-management/program-settings.md) * [Add Recipient](/guides/core-features/recipient-management/add-recipient.md) * [Donors Table](/guides/core-features/donor-management/donors-table.md) * [Auto Emails](/guides/core-features/communication-tools/auto-emails.md)