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Creating a new form

Last updated on November 22, 2024

Log in to CMS Forms to create a new one.

Accessing CMS Forms

Before you can create a new form, you'll need to be logged into CMS Forms.

To access CMS Forms:

  1. Log into CMS Lite
  2. Click the Form Builder link in the header nar

The Form Summary page will open in a new tab, listing the forms you have access to.

Creating a new form

Once in the Form Summary page, you can create your form.

To create a new form:

  1. Click the New button
  2. Complete the form's general settings
  3. Click Apply

The browser will display the Form Editor page, where you can begin building your form.

General form settings

When you create a new form, the Form Settings dialogue window is displayed showing the General Settings tab. There are other tabs normally appearing in the Form Settings dialogue, but they're hidden at this point. The requested information helps Orbeon and you distinguish one form from another and appears in the Form Summary.

Application Name (required)

The application name identifies which ministry owns the form. Names are currently set up as the prefix "gov-" followed by the ministry's short code.

  • If you have access to only one application (ministry), this field is pre-set and can't be edited
  • If you have access to two or more applications (ministries), this field offers a list to select from

Form Name (required)

The name of this field may be a little misleading. It is meant to be a unique identifier for the form within the chosen application. Since form numbers serve this purpose well, it's suggested that you use the form number in this field.

  • Form numbers can usually be found in the bottom left corner of paper or PDF forms
  • They consist of a few letters and a number, like "FIN 10" or "MV 2714"
  • They're media independent and last as long as the form does, which can be decades

Spaces are not allowed in this field, so consider using a dash instead to help with readability.

Choose a "permanent" name

Orbeon uses the combination of Application and Form Name to manage form definitions (and version numbers to manage data submissions). If you change either of these, Orbeon will treat your form as a new one.

If your form has been published or released:

  • You'll need to re-publish the form to QA
  • Re-link your form page to the new form
  • Re-release your form to PROD
  • Request retirement of the old form

Since form numbers are both unique and rarely change across the form's lifespan, using the form number is a good option. If you don't have a form number:

  • Request one from your ministry forms team, if you have one and are not part of it
  • Check other forms in the program area for existing numbers and assign one
  • Reach out to us for some additional guidance

Form Title (recommended)

The form title is what some people might call the "name" of the form. On paper and PDF forms, this usually appears in large text in the upper right of the form header, opposite the ministry wordmark.

  • It's just the main title itself
  • It doesn't include the text that may appear above it (surtitle)
  • It doesn't include the text that may appear below it (subtitle)

Revising or transitioning a form is a good time to review the title format. As a general rule, titles should:

  • Be clear and descriptive
  • Avoid passive language articles like "for"
  • Not include the word "form"

Instead of titles like:

  • Application for Employment
  • Request for Approval to Dispose of an Asset

Consider titles like:

  • Employment Application
  • Asset Disposal Approval

Form Description (optional)

As the label suggests, this field describes the form and its purpose to users. This descrciption is meant to be displayed before your form content, much like info text is on content topic pages.

You can see this description in:

  • The far right column of the Form Summary page
  • The top of the Form Preview window when build testing your form

It also appears in different parts of the application currently not available to you.

  • We currently hide this field on the government website
  • You can use it for another purpose if you like
  • We may make this visible in the future
  • It will likely be visible in other sites and applications that embed the form (when this is available)

Since it's not currently displayed to citizens, you can use it to capture or track information that may be useful to you or your team like:

  • The name of the program that owns the form
  • The name of the person who last edited or is currently working on the form
  • The ticket or project number that describes the current or latest work
  • The date it was or will be released to the public

If you want to use this field for its intended purpose, here are some guidelines:

  • Start your description with, "Use this form to ..."
  • Continue with describing the purpose in plain language, such as "... apply for a grant to help fund additional childcare spaces at your facility."
  • Try to focus more on the citizen perspective and intended outcome than the program name or legislation
  • Align the content of this Form Description with the Description field found in the form page metadata.

A good and clear description can help citizens quickly confirm if they are on the right form for their needs.