> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://divyang-chhantbar-fastforms-2.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Sharing Forms

> Learn how to publish forms and share them with respondents using FastForms' slug-based URL system

FastForms makes it easy to share your forms through unique, clean URLs. This guide covers everything about publishing, sharing, and managing public access to your forms.

## Understanding Form URLs

Every form in FastForms gets a unique identifier called a **slug** when created. This slug enables public access through a clean, shareable URL.

### URL Structure

```text theme={null}
https://yourdomain.com/f/[slug]
```

For example:

```text theme={null}
https://yourdomain.com/f/a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890
```

<Note>
  The slug is automatically generated as a UUID when you create a form. It's unique, unpredictable, and permanent for the lifetime of the form.
</Note>

### Public vs Private Forms

Forms have two states:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Unpublished (Private)" icon="lock">
    * Default state for new forms
    * Not accessible via public URL
    * Only you can view in preview mode
    * Safe for drafts and testing
  </Card>

  <Card title="Published (Public)" icon="globe">
    * Accessible via `/f/[slug]` URL
    * Anyone with the link can submit
    * Starts collecting responses
    * Can be unpublished anytime
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Publishing Your Form

Publishing makes your form available to respondents through its public URL.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Your Form">
    Go to your form's detail page at `/forms/[formId]`. You'll see a preview of your form with all fields disabled.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Publish Form">
    At the bottom of the preview, you'll see a publish section. Click the green **"Publish Form"** button.

    <Note>
      The button will show "Publishing..." briefly while the status updates.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy Your Shareable Link">
    Once published, the interface changes to show:

    * Your public form URL
    * A **"Copy Link"** button for easy sharing
    * An **"Unpublish Form"** button (red) to revoke access
  </Step>

  <Step title="Share the Link">
    Copy the URL and share it via:

    * Email
    * Social media
    * QR codes
    * Embedded in websites
    * Text messages
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  The **"Copy Link"** button copies the full URL to your clipboard. After clicking, it changes to "Copied!" for 2 seconds to confirm.
</Tip>

## The Publishing Interface

### Before Publishing

When your form is unpublished, you'll see:

```text theme={null}
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ This form is not published yet.         │
│ Publish it to get a shareable link.     │
│                                         │
│  [Publish Form]                         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

### After Publishing

Once published, the interface shows:

```text theme={null}
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Share this form:                        │
│                                         │
│ https://...com/f/abc123  [Copy Link]   │
│                                         │
│  [Unpublish Form]                       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

## Unpublishing Forms

You can revoke public access at any time by unpublishing your form.

<Warning>
  **Important**: Unpublishing immediately makes the public URL inaccessible. Anyone who tries to access it will see an error.
</Warning>

### How to Unpublish

1. Navigate to your form's detail page
2. Scroll to the sharing section (visible when published)
3. Click the red **"Unpublish Form"** button
4. The form instantly becomes private

<Accordion title="What happens when you unpublish?">
  * Public URL (`/f/[slug]`) becomes inaccessible
  * Existing responses remain intact
  * You can still view and export responses
  * Form returns to preview-only mode
  * You can republish anytime to restore access
</Accordion>

### When to Unpublish

Consider unpublishing when:

* ✅ You've collected enough responses
* ✅ The form deadline has passed
* ✅ You need to make changes to the form
* ✅ The event or campaign has ended
* ✅ You want to temporarily pause submissions

<Note>
  Unpublishing does NOT delete responses. All existing submissions remain in your database and can be viewed and exported.
</Note>

## Best Practices for Sharing

### When to Keep Forms Private

Keep forms unpublished while:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Testing" icon="flask">
    Test your form thoroughly before sharing. Check all field types, validation, and required fields in preview mode.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Drafting" icon="pencil">
    While you're still refining questions, field order, or validation rules.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Preparing" icon="clock">
    Before your campaign launch date or event registration opens.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reviewing" icon="eye">
    When stakeholders need to approve the form before it goes live.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### When to Publish

Publish your form when:

* ✅ All fields are finalized and tested
* ✅ Validation rules are working correctly
* ✅ You're ready to start collecting responses
* ✅ Your audience is ready to respond
* ✅ Associated campaigns or events are active

<Tip>
  **Pro tip**: Create your form a few days before you need it, test thoroughly while unpublished, then publish exactly when you're ready to collect responses.
</Tip>

### Sharing Strategies

<Accordion title="Email Campaigns">
  Include the form link in email newsletters or invitations:

  ```html theme={null}
  <a href="https://yourdomain.com/f/abc123">Complete the Survey</a>
  ```

  Or provide the full URL for plain text emails.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Social Media">
  Share the link on platforms like:

  * Twitter/X (use link shorteners if needed)
  * LinkedIn posts or messages
  * Facebook groups or pages
  * Instagram bio or stories (link stickers)
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="QR Codes">
  Generate a QR code from your form URL for:

  * Printed materials (flyers, posters)
  * Event signage
  * Business cards
  * Conference presentations
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Website Embedding">
  Link to your form from your website:

  ```html theme={null}
  <a href="https://yourdomain.com/f/abc123" target="_blank">
    Fill out our contact form
  </a>
  ```

  Or embed in an iframe (advanced users).
</Accordion>

## URL Security Considerations

### Slug Privacy

While your form URL is "public" when published, the UUID-based slug provides security through obscurity:

* **Not guessable**: UUIDs are essentially impossible to guess
* **Not indexed**: Search engines won't discover unpublished forms
* **Not enumerable**: Attackers can't iterate through form IDs

<Warning>
  Anyone with the URL can access your published form. Don't publish forms containing sensitive logic or information you want restricted.
</Warning>

### Access Control

FastForms uses a simple binary access model:

| State           | Public URL Access | Preview Access | Who Can Submit   |
| --------------- | ----------------- | -------------- | ---------------- |
| **Unpublished** | ❌ Denied          | ✅ Owner only   | Nobody           |
| **Published**   | ✅ Allowed         | ✅ Owner only   | Anyone with link |

<Note>
  There's no built-in password protection or authentication for public forms. If you need restricted access, keep forms unpublished and share them individually, or build custom authentication.
</Note>

## Tracking Form Status

You can identify whether a form is published from several places:

### In the Form Detail Page

The publish/unpublish section clearly shows current status:

* Green "Publish Form" button = Currently unpublished
* Red "Unpublish Form" button + shareable URL = Currently published

### Via the API

The form object includes an `isPublished` boolean:

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": "cm123456789",
  "title": "Contact Form",
  "slug": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890",
  "isPublished": true,
  "createdAt": "2026-03-03T10:30:00Z"
}
```

## Common Workflows

### Pre-Launch Testing

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create and preview">
    Generate form with AI, review in preview mode
  </Step>

  <Step title="Keep private">
    Leave unpublished while refining
  </Step>

  <Step title="Internal testing">
    Share the form ID with team members for preview
  </Step>

  <Step title="Publish on launch day">
    Click publish when ready to collect responses
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Limited-Time Campaigns

<Steps>
  <Step title="Publish at start">
    Publish form when campaign begins
  </Step>

  <Step title="Share widely">
    Distribute link via all channels
  </Step>

  <Step title="Monitor responses">
    Check response count regularly
  </Step>

  <Step title="Unpublish at deadline">
    Unpublish when campaign ends
  </Step>

  <Step title="Export data">
    Download CSV of all responses
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Evergreen Forms

<Steps>
  <Step title="Publish once">
    Publish for ongoing use
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set and forget">
    Leave published indefinitely
  </Step>

  <Step title="Regular exports">
    Download responses weekly/monthly
  </Step>

  <Step title="Monitor activity">
    Check for spam or issues periodically
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Form link shows 'Form not found'">
    **Possible causes:**

    * Form is unpublished (check status in dashboard)
    * Wrong slug in URL (verify the exact URL from the copy button)
    * Form was deleted

    **Solution**: Ensure form is published and URL is correct.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Copy Link button doesn't work">
    **Possible causes:**

    * Browser doesn't support clipboard API
    * HTTPS not enabled (clipboard requires secure context)

    **Solution**: Manually copy the URL from the input field, or use a modern browser with HTTPS.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Want to change form URL">
    **Current limitation**: Slugs are permanent and cannot be changed.

    **Workaround**: Create a new form with AI (you can describe it the same way) to get a new slug.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Need password-protected forms">
    **Current limitation**: FastForms doesn't support password protection.

    **Workaround**: Keep forms unpublished and only share the preview with authorized users, or implement custom authentication in your deployment.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Tip>
  **Quick Reference**: To share a form, navigate to `/forms/[formId]`, click "Publish Form", then click "Copy Link" and share via your preferred channel.
</Tip>