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Using Web Forms Update

NOTE: This feature is available in the Professional and Enterprise versions of Stratus Desktop. Spectra does not include this feature.

Before you can start using Web Forms to gather information for your clients and sessions, you need to design those forms. If you haven’t designed your forms yet, refer to Designing Web Forms.

Step 1 – Create Web Forms #

To allow a web form to be directly linked to a client or session record, you’ll need to generate (create) individual forms for specific client(s) or session(s). Once a web form is created, it is immediately viewable on the Web Forms tab of the client or session record and available for internal use. If the web form is also designed for the client to see and fill out, it will be made available during the time period specified in the web form template. There are three ways to create web forms — manually, automatically, and with triggers. Decide how you want to create web forms and perform any necessary setup.

MANUALLY

You can manually create forms from a session or client record. Here’s how:

  1. Open the client or session record.

  2. Click the Communication tab of the ribbon at the top of the record.

  3. Click the arrow under Web Form and choose which web form you want to create.

  4. The web form will be created and immediately available for in-house use on the Web Forms tab of the client or session record. Double-click to open a form.

  5. The form will also be made available to the client according to the visibility rules you set up for the web form (Always or Limited). Here’s an example: You open a session that is scheduled for next month and create a “Session Feedback” web form. The visibility rules for that form are set up to start 1 day after the session date and end 7 days after the session date. In this case, the feedback form for this session would exist as soon as you create it, but it would only be visible to the client during the week following their session. Note: This works the same way when forms are automatically created.

  6. After the client submits the form, any linked fields will be updated in your database. The web form status will be updated, along with the client/session status updates specified in the template.

Note: If this is the method you choose, make sure you set up a system to make sure this is done regularly!

AUTOMATICALLY

Stratus can automatically create individual web forms whenever a new client or session is created. Here’s how to enable auto-creation:

  1. Go to Maintenance > Web Forms > Web Forms to open your list of forms.

  2. Highlight the web form you want to modify and click Edit on the ribbon. (Or, just double-click the name of the web form.)

  3. Check the Auto-Create option. 

  4. Click OK to save your changes.

  5. Stratus will now automatically create the web form whenever a new client (or session) is created.

  6. Once Stratus creates a web form, it is immediately available for in-house use on the Web Forms tab of the client (or session) record. Double-click to open a form.

  7. The form will also be made available to the client according to the visibility rules you’ve chosen for the web form (Always or Limited). 

WITH TRIGGERS

Stratus can automatically create web forms through Triggers with specific criteria. Here’s how you would set up a Client Status Trigger with the trigger type, Web Form:

  1. See What Are Triggers? for more information on creating Triggers.
  2. Under the Maintenance menu, select which type of trigger you would like to make.
  3. Go to Maintenance > Client > Client Status Trigger.
  4. Select New In the ribbon to create a new trigger.
  5. Fill in the details for how you want the trigger to operate, and make sure the Trigger Type is set to Web Form:

Step 2 – Notify Clients #

You’ll first need to notify clients that a form is available and provide them with the information they need to view it. The easiest way to do this is with triggers. Here’s how you would set up a trigger to email the client when a session feedback form is ready for them to view:

  1. Go to Maintenance > Session > Session Status Triggers.

    2. Choose the session status. For this example, we chose the “Import Images Pending” status. This is the status we use after a session has been held.

    Select New to create a new trigger.

    Fill in the Description field, and then choose what options you want to use.

    Click OK to save the trigger.

    Close the window when finished.

    Make sure to regularly process your triggers, either manually or with the Control Center. See also: What are Triggers?

Step 3 – Process and Follow Up on Submitted Forms #

Watch your client and session statuses and/or your task list and follow up when a new submission is received. You may want to email a PDF to the photographer or print a copy of the form.

  1. Open the client or session.

  2. Click on the Web Forms tab. You’ll see a list of all the forms for this client or session.

  3. Double-click to open a submitted form. Note: The Status column will indicate when a form has been submitted.

  4. Click Preview to see a web form before you print it. 

  5. Click Export to PDF to create a PDF version to save.

  6. Click Email to create a new email with a PDF of the form attached. Note: If you have any Print Only or Internal Use fields in the form, these WILL be displayed in the PDF. 

  7. Close the web form when finished.

  8. Save and close the session (or client).

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