Forms Guide
Forms let you create reusable templates and collect structured data.
Concepts
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Template | The master form design with fields |
| Instance | A filled copy of the template |
| Block | A section/group of fields |
| Field | Individual data input (text, date, checkbox, etc.) |
Creating a Template
From a Document (Recommended)
- Navigate to
/form_templates/new - Upload a PDF or photo of your form
- Fields are detected automatically from the document
- Review and adjust fields as needed
- Publish the template
Quick Document Capture
- Open Templates and click New Template
- Take a photo or select from gallery
- Optionally edit the image (rotate, crop, adjust brightness)
- Click Next — text recognition and template creation happen automatically
From Scratch
- Navigate to
/form_templates/new - Skip the upload step
- Add blocks and fields manually
- Configure field types and validation
Field Types
| Type | Use For |
|---|---|
| Text | Names, addresses, short answers |
| Number | Quantities, amounts |
| Date | Dates, deadlines |
| Checkbox | Yes/No options |
| Select | Dropdown choices |
| Long text | Long text responses |
Fields can be connected to Value Sets for autocomplete suggestions from shared reference lists.
Sharing Templates
Get a Share Link
- Open your template
- Click Share
- Copy the link
- Send to collaborators
Permissions
- Auditor: Can see the template
- Editor: Can see the template, rerun text extraction and configure the partner integration
Sharing a template grants no access to the instances other people filled. Only the person who published the template sees them.
Instances of My Template
Open the template under Templates and tap Instances. The list holds every instance of that template, by anyone and in any state, under the tabs All, In Progress and Closed. You can read each instance; only the person who filled it can edit or reopen it. Select rows to export them as CSV or run an automation over them.
The Received tab under Instances shows only what is in progress on your templates. Closed ones live on each template.
Filling Forms
Nocarta offers three ways to fill a form instance. All three modes share the same data — you can switch freely between them without losing any entered values.
Visual mode
- Click on any field
- Type your value
- Move to the next field
- Click Save when done
Chat mode (Guided)
- Click Chat mode toggle
- Answer questions one by one
- Review all answers at the end
- Submit the form
Digital Form
- Click Fill with Digital Form
- Fill fields using smart controls (date pickers, dropdowns, checkboxes)
- Changes are auto-saved as you type
- Submit when all required fields are filled
The Digital Form mode offers validation, conditional fields, automatic calculations, AI-powered fill, and more. See the Digital Twin guide for full details.
Fill with Image
- Open an instance's Fill Instance card
- Click Fill with Image
- Upload a photo of a filled form
- Optionally enable alignment to correct rotation and tilt
- Nocarta reads the image and fills matching fields automatically
Collecting Responses
View all instances:
- Open your template
- Click Instances tab
- See all submitted responses
- Export to CSV if needed
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