Create a New Form

A registration form is an online form that enables attendees to register for an event. The form submits attendees’ information into the registration and profile database tables.

Each form must belong to one event. Each event can have any number of forms.

> Note: By default, all Certain forms and websites are “private” (invisible to engines). For information about changing this for all or some events, see the pdf guide, Web Crawlability in Certain Events.

> Security Note: If the event has an Access Token (generated on Event Details), then anyone going to any forms or websites in the event must enter the token before proceeding.

The Sections of a Registration Form

A form consists of one or more sections. The form groups sections into one or more pages.

The planner selects the sections. The planner selects the order of the sections. The planner selects the number of sections per page.

Sections available

These links open the detailed topics for those pages.

• Entry
• Registrant Details
• Attendee Type
• Forms Questions (up to 10 sections*)
• Accommodation Entry
• Accommodation
• Event Waitlist
• Forms Agenda (Up to 40 sections*)
• Forms Agenda Agenda Display Options 'Personal Agenda'
• Forms Agenda Agenda Display Options 'Agenda '
• Sessions. (Requires Speaker and Session management.) (up to 30 sections*)
• Additional Registration Add
• Travel
• Travel Entry
• Travel
• Group
• Promo Codes
• Verify / Edit
• Payment
• Confirmation
• Logic (Up to 20 sections*)
• Custom HTML (Up to 20 sections*)

• You can have multiple Questions, Agenda, Sessions, Logic, and Custom HTML sections. Each section name appears on this Form Setup page when you add and name that section on its configuration page.

> Note: Every form must include a Registrant Details section. > Recommended: The Accommodation and Travel sections should be on separate form pages. > Suggested order: Accommodation Entry > Accommodation > Travel Entry > Travel, across four consecutive form pages. > Last page: The last section should be the Confirmation section. Confirmation supports sending a confirmation email.

Setup Information

• Name – (Required) Descriptive name for this form.
• Subtitle – (Optional) HTML or text to display online below the event’s title.
• Open – (Required) Date and time (PT) when the registration form opens. Prior to this time, attendees see the “Not open” message provided in the Advanced section of the Form > Setup page.
• Set form dates relative to event dates – If selected, the configuration sets the Form Open Date and Form Close Date as relative to the Event Start and/or End Dates instead of specifying fixed dates.

> Note: If this option is selected, and Event Start or End Dates change later, the relevant form dates change accordingly.

• Form Open Date – (Required) Date and time when the registration form opens.

> Note: If the event has a status of “Cancelled”, then the form is not available to attendees.

• Unless Set form dates relative to event dates is selected, enter the date and time (PT).

• If Set form dates relative to event dates is selected, select one option. Then apply the number of months/days/hours:
• Before Event Start Date
• After Event Start Date
• Before Event End Date
• After Event Start Date
• At a specified time and date (PT) (Enter the date and time. This option sets only the Form Close Date relative to the event start or end date.)

• Form Close Date – (Required) Date and time when the registration form closes. After this time, attendees see the “Closed” message you can configure in the Advanced section of the Form > Setup page.

• Unless Set form dates relative to event dates is selected, enter the date and time (PT).

• If Set form dates relative to event dates is selected, select one option. Then apply the number of months/days/hours:
• Before Event Start Date
• After Event Start Date
• Before Event End Date
• After Event End Date
• At a specified time and date (PT) (Enter the date and time. This option sets only the Form Start Date relative to the event start or end date.)

> Note: If the form close date is set after the event close date, then the event close date overrides the form close date. The form is not available once the event end date has passed. This avoids the risk of registrations being entered after the event has ended. For example, a post-event survey form can override availability by using the Allow form open beyond event end date setting described below.

• URL – (Optional) Website address of this registration form. If you do not specify a URL for the form, the system creates one automatically.
• Hyperlink Label – Text shown for the link when a form link data-driven field (e.g., <Hyperlink to Form: Attendee Registration Form>) is added to a Confirmation page, or to another object that accepts data-driven field links.
• Example: “Click here to register as a speaker”.
• This supports creating multiple events using an event template. Data-driven hyperlinks reduce the need for updating hard-coded registration form links in new events.
• Google Analytics Tracking ID – Each form automatically inherits the Google Analytics Tracking ID entered at the event level (Plan > Configure > Options) if one was set up.
• Optionally enter a separate Tracking ID specifically for this form.
• This option is generally used for a “series” event. Each registration form acts as a separate event.
• A Google Analytics Tracking ID should look like: UA-12345678-1.
• For information about obtaining a Google Analytics Tracking ID, click here.
• For details about cookies generated by a Certain form, including cookies generated for Google Analytics, see the Certain Cookies PDF guide.
• > Note: By default, form pages are not tracked at the individual level. After a registrant proceeds beyond the entry page, the form URL stays the same for all pages. You can change this by selecting Enable page-specific, page-level URL (below).

• Settings: Optional check boxes to enable selected features.

• Do not allow edits to existing registrations – If selected, registrants cannot edit their information after completing registration.

• This is the primary form for the event – One form per event must be designated as the primary form.
• This designation supports viewing the primary form from an external website, such as an online calendar.
• A report shows the Primary Form Name and Primary Form URL values when those report columns are included.

> Note: To change which form is the primary, select this check box for the new form. The selection automatically clears this check box for the original form.

> Caution: Deleting or inactivating a form does not remove the Primary Form designation. If you are not viewing inactive forms on the Forms List, you may not realize that a primary form still exists for an event.

• Make this form available on the Admin side – If selected, the form is available on Manage > Registrations > Add Registration and Registration > Reg Form pages.

• Test mode – Select this check box to place the form in test mode.
• Registrations processed in test mode are marked as “tests”.
• Test registrations are stored separately from live registrations.
• As a best practice, enable this only if the event Status on Plan > Event Setup > Details is “Testing”.

> Note: If the check box is cleared, the form inherits the Event’s current mode (Plan > Event Setup > Details > Status).

> Warning: If credit card payments are processed on the form, and this check box is selected, payments are sent to the online processor in Test mode instead of Live mode. > Note: This check box does not affect the status of Registrations. Registrations are added only as “Test” registrations when the status of the event is “Testing”.

• Allow access via web service – Select this check box to make the form accessible via the Certain API.

(The getEventForms method in API 1 can provide the form’s URL.)

• Allow form open beyond event end date – If selected, and the form’s Close is set to after the event close, the form is still available after the event end date passes. This setting makes a post-event survey form possible, for example.
• Normally, as described under the form’s Close date setting, the form is no longer available after the event end date.

> Note: If the event has a status of “Cancelled”, then the form is not available to attendees at all. This applies regardless of this setting.

> Note: This option remains relevant if you selected Set form dates relative to event dates above. If you set the Form Close Date to any point after the Event End Date, you must also select this option.

• Allow form to remain open when event Registration Capacity is reached – If selected, and Registration Capacity is set for the event on Plan > Event Setup > Details, then the form remains open after registrations reach the capacity limit.
• Ordinarily, all forms in the event close at that point.
• For example, you can close the main form(s) but leave one open that allows for waitlisting.

> Note: You must select this if you are enabling Automatic Event Waitlisting for the event.

• Enable split screen edit mode – If selected, you can edit the form while seeing both views at the same time.
• When you are logged into the Certain admin interface and viewing the attendee registration form, you see a “gear” icon on the left of each form section header.
• Click that icon to show a split screen view.
• The split screen view shows one frame with the attendee view of the form. The split screen view also shows one frame with the admin-side configuration screen for that form section.

• Reg status – The form can automatically change the registration status of the registrant.

• Upon entry into this form, set status to – The entry status is assigned to all registrations on the order (including both Primary and Additional registrations) as the attendee enters the form to register.
• Select (Do not change) to leave the registration status unaffected by entry into the form.

• Upon completion of this form, set status to – The completion status is assigned to all registrations on the order (including both Primary and Additional registrations) when the registrant reaches the form’s confirmation page.
• Select (Do not change) to leave the registration status unaffected by exit from the form.

> Note: The registration status selected here overrides the default status of the registration’s attendee type.

> Note: Available statuses include:

• Custom statuses added on Plan > Configure > Custom Statuses.
• The 11 default registration statuses: New, Requested Invitation, Waitlist Hold, Invited, Request Denied, Invitation Sent, Pre-Registered, Declined Invitation, Cancelled, No-show, Attended.
• These default statuses appear unless the account has the Show Default Statuses option cleared on Account Settings > Implementation > Security.
• If Show Default Statuses is cleared, none of those default statuses are available.
• It is rare for an account administrator to clear this setting.

• User Notes – A text entry field for miscellaneous information.

Page Layout

Select the sections that you want to include in the form from the Available Sections list on the left. Then move the selected sections to the Online Form Sequence list on the right.

> Video: Page Layout (2 min.)

To filter the Available Sections list, type any part of a section name into the Filter text box. The filter limits the list to matching sections.

To remove sections from the Online Form Sequence list, move those sections back to the Available Sections list.

• Click → or «- to move selected sections to the right or left.
• Click →» or ««- to move all sections right or left.
• Click Top, Bottom, Up, or Down to change the display order of the sections listed in the Online Form Sequence box.

Insert a {New Page} break before a section to build a multi-page form. Insert a {Secure Page} break before any section that collects credit card information (such as the Payment or Accommodation sections).

Either break causes the page before it to end with a Continue button.

Three Rules for Building a Registration Form

1. Every form must include the Registrant Details section.

2. The Accommodation Entry section is optional.

• If Accommodation Entry is not used, attendees can request only one room.
• If Accommodation Entry is used, Accommodation Entry must be on the page immediately before the Accommodation section.
• Accommodation Entry serves no purpose other than as an introduction to the Accommodation section.

3. The last section of the form must be a Confirm section.

• You do not need to add a {New Page} at the end.

Page Titles

You can choose to display a step-by-step navigation bar in this section. The navigation bar helps attendees see where they are in the registration process as they proceed through the forms.

• Display step-by-step navigation bar? – Select this check box to turn on the navigation bar. Select this check box to set the following display options for the bar.

• Page Title – Enter the text for each step to be displayed in the bar.
• Each number corresponds directly to a section in the Page Layout section (above).
• Boxes left blank do not display on the final navigation bar.
• The registrant’s browser includes this label after the registration site name. This confirms the current step.
• This enables screen readers to identify the page a registrant is currently on.

• Orientation – Set the bar display as either:
• Vertical Column on left, or
• Horizontal Row across top

• Horizontal Separator – (Available only if Horizontal Row across top has been selected.) Enter the character used to separate the titles.

Default = » (HTML code for the double right-angle quote character)

• Background Color – Set the color of the bar.
• Use the color picker to select a color, or
• Enter a hex-code directly (for example, #003385).

• Font for Page Titles – Set the font style applied to the page titles in the navigation bar.
• The Plan > Configure > Display page configures font styles.

• Font for Current Page – Differentiate a registrant’s current page by selecting a different font for its title.

• Display Image/Text _______ to _______ of the current page – Display an image or characters to the right or left of the name of the page in the navigation bar is currently displayed.
• This display can be plain text or HTML.

• Show Step Navigation on Page 1? – Indicate whether the page titles show on the initial page of the navigation system.
• Many planners do not show registration form navigation on the entry page if one is used.
• This is especially true where attendees may be forced to authenticate with a username or password.

• Enable page-specific, page-level URL?
• If selected, two columns display: Page URL # and Page Title.

• Page URL # – A list of text fields numbered from 1 to n. The value n equals the number of pages included in the Online Form Sequence (above).
• Each field is preceded by #.
• Each field optionally supports a text label to be added (preceded by #) to the URL for that page.
• Caution: The examples shown are placeholders. You must enter your own text.

This setting enables each page of the form to have a unique URL. Form progress can then be tracked via embedded web tracking codes.

• 1) #_______ – Label added to the URL of the first page of the form.
• Example: If the first page label is “ENTRY”, then the URL for the first page is similar to:
• example.com/profile/form/index.cfm#PKformID=0x12345678a
• //##ENTRY
• You can then use the page-unique URL in web analytics.

• 2) #_______ – Label added to the URL of the second page of the form
• 3) #_______ – Label added to the URL of the third page of the form
• and so on.

• Page Title – Configure a unique Page Title for each row for Page URL#.
• That title is available as a Dynamic Data Field (DDF) in the Advanced Display.
• That title can be included in your display shell.
• Registrants see the title as the name in their browser tab.
• Web analytics programs can pick up the title for reporting.

Global Display Settings

Global Display Settings determine the default display behavior for the entire form.

• Label Font, Label Alignment, and Label Vertical – Sets font and positioning for text labels.
• Form Layout – Sets the default relationship of text labels to form input fields on the form.
• Labels may appear to the left of the input fields.
• Labels may also appear above the input fields.
• The default is Left / Right.
• You can change this to Top / Bottom if you use the Insert Row button on Forms > Registrant Details to create a multi-column profile section layout.
• This makes the online form look more like a paper registration form.
• > Note: Form Layout does not apply to all sections at the moment.
• Form Layout applies to Registration Details.
• Form Layout applies to Verify and Confirm pages.
• Form Layout applies to Accommodation, Appointment, Attendee Type, Questions, Registration Details, and Travel (V.1).

• Input Alignment and Input Vertical – Positions text when it is entered into text fields.
• Instructions Font – Sets the default font for instructions text on the form.

Default = Text

• Page Font – Sets the default font for all other text.

Default = Text

• Required Font – Sets the style for messages that instruct users that certain questions or entry fields are required.

Default = Subheader

• Start a new table with each section? – If selected, each form section displayed on the same page as other sections is displayed in its own HTML table.
• This is a subtle layout tool that inserts slightly more space around form sections.

• Show navigation on Registration Forms? – If selected, the form includes navigation links to each page.
• Navigation links are configured on Plan > Configure > Display > Navigation Bar.

Required Fields Settings

Certain optionally displays an image next to each field on a form page which is required.

• Req. image – Sets the image file displayed. If this field is blank, no image displays.
• Default is an asterisk: <span class="error"> * </span>
• Attributes – Determines the extra information included in the HTML tag that places the Req. image on the page.
• Req. message _____ – Sets the text message displayed next to the Req. image at the top.
• place _____ header bar – Whether it appears above or below the header bar of any page in the Registration form.
• in font – The font style used to display the message (one of the styles set on the Plan > Configure > Display page, for example “Error”).

• Error message – The text displayed when an attendee does not fill out a required field and tries to continue to the next page in the registration form.

Default = “Please correct the following errors:”

• Enable error message links – If selected, error messages for required fields include links to those fields.
• This behavior supports screen-reader users by allowing activation of the hyperlinked error message to focus the cursor on the associated field.

Required Fields Messages

You can customize the text of error messages displayed to the attendee when entered values fail validation.

The message labels and default values below explain each error message.

| Message Label | Default Value | | --- | --- | | Field error message | is a required field. | | Invalid message | is not valid. | | Not valid message | is not a valid option. | | Not available message | is not available. | | Out of range | The answer must be between | | Bad size | The number of characters in the answer must be between | | Number answers | The number of answers must be between | | Range separator | and | | Not integer | an integer without decimal places or a thousands separator. | | Not numeric | a number without a thousands separator. | | Not positive | a positive number without a thousands separator. | | Not email | a valid email address in the format 'user@domain.com'. | | Emails do not match | The two values that you entered do not match. Please review your email address and re-enter it. | | Not date | a valid date in the format mm/dd/yy. | | Not time | a valid time in the format 1:45 PM. | | Not date time | a valid date time in the format mm/dd/yy 1:45 PM. | | Not US phone | your 10-digit phone number, including area code. | | Not US Zip | your 5 digit or 5+4 digit zip code. | | PIN Taken | The username that you have selected is not available. another one (such as your email address). | | Password Mismatch | The 2 passwords that you have entered do not match. Please re-enter them. | | Payment Too Big | Payments processed online cannot be made for amounts greater than the total balance due, nor can refunds be processed online for more than the total of all payments. Please check the payment amount, or adjust the charges before applying a new payment or refund. | | Other fields no Match | You have entered data into the "Other" field, but did not select that option. that option, or remove the text data. | | Other field required | You have selected an option that requires additional information. Please provide that information, or select another option. | | Invalid CC Number | The credit card number you have entered is invalid. | | Invalid CC ExpDate | The credit card expiration date you have entered is invalid. | | Invalid CC Format | The credit card number you have entered can contain only numbers, spaces, or dashes. | | No Error | Please verify that you are not a robot. | | Profile Picture | The dimensions of the uploaded picture are not valid; please upload a different image smaller than 600px x 600px. |

Agenda Item Error Messages

You can customize error messages related to agenda items. The default values explain their use.

| Message Label | Default Value | | --- | --- | | No Inventory | You have selected an item without available inventory. Please update your selection. | | Session Timeout | Your session has exceeded the timeout limit and some of your selections may no longer be available. Please make new selections. | | Question about Registration | We have a question about your registration. Please phone or email the registration contact for this event | | Min Capacity Error | > Note: The actual minimum capacity cannot be included in a custom message. If you leave this field empty, the attendee sees the following message: at least <Min> from %groupOne. | | Max Capacity Error | > Note: The actual maximum capacity cannot be included in a custom message. But if you leave this field empty, the attendee sees the following message: no more than <Max> from %groupOne. | | Date Conflict Error | You have selected agenda items that occur at the same time. Please review your selections below. |

Labels for Registration Assistance Link

You can customize the message shown to an attendee when the attendee clicks the registration assistance link. You can include HTML tags in the text.

The message labels and default values below explain each message.

| Message Label | Default Value | | --- | --- | | Instructions | <CENTER>If you would like a response, please let us know the best way to contact you.</CENTER> | | Header | Submit your question below | | Page | | | Name | Your Name: | | Email | Your Email: | | Subject | Subject: | | Message | Message: | | Contact | For additional help, please contact: |

Labels for buttons and links

You set the messages that appear on standard links and buttons that can be automatically displayed on the form.

If no text is entered in a field, the button does not display. An exception exists for the Continue button, which is required.

• Continue Button – (Required) Label for the button used to advance the registration form to the next section.

Default = “Continue”

• Reset Button – Label for a reset button that clears the values from the form on any section of the registration form.
• Additional Registrants – If the event is configured to accept multiple registrants, this button enables an attendee to register other attendees.

Default = “Add Another Registrant”

• New Reg Link – This link enables the registrant to return to the beginning and create an entirely new registration after completing the current one.

Default = “New Registration”

• Last Page URL Link – Sets the text of a link on the confirmation page. The link lets attendees return to your main website for more information.
• Last Page Url – The website URL to which the attendee is taken if the attendee clicks the Last Page URL Link.
• Reg Assistance Link – Configures a text link displayed at the bottom of each page of the form. The link enables attendees to email the registration contact.

Default: <br /><br />Email Registration Assistance

• Enable CAPTCHA – Selected by default. This option places a CAPTCHA check box on the form so the registrant must prove the registrant is human.
• This setting avoids fake form submissions and subsequent spam emails generated by web “bots”.

> Caution: If CAPTCHA is cleared, the form does not include the CAPTCHA check box.

Creating and Editing Registration Forms (ADVANCED SETTINGS)

Click the Advanced button on this Form > Setup page to edit messages displayed automatically.

Each message contains default text that you can change or delete.

> Note: The Advanced button is not displayed on a new form until you save the form.

Customize Entry Page Message (Before Form Open Date)

• Header Text – Enter text to change the text in the header bar.

Example: “Important Notice”

• Message HTML – This message displays when anyone tries to access the form via the form’s URL before the form’s open date.
• Enable Editor? – If selected, edit the Message HTML in a WYSIWYG editor with the usual formatting controls.
• Show the Registration Assistance Link – If selected, show a link that opens a pop-up window. The pop-up window enables potential attendees to contact the primary Registration Contact for the event.

Customize Entry Page Message (After Form Close Date)

• Header Text – Enter text to change the text in the header bar.
• Page HTML – This message displays when anyone tries to access the form via the form’s URL after the form’s close date.
• Enable Editor? – If selected, edit the Message HTML in a WYSIWYG editor with the usual formatting controls.
• Show the Registration Assistance Link – If selected, show a link that opens a pop-up window. The pop-up window enables potential attendees to contact the primary Registration Contact for the event.

Customize Entry Page Message (After Event End Date)

• Header Text – Enter text to change the text in the header bar.
• Page HTML – This message displays when anyone tries to access the form via the form’s URL after the event’s end date, or if the event’s Status is set to ‘Cancelled’.
• Enable Editor? – If selected, edit the Message HTML in a WYSIWYG editor with the usual formatting controls.
• Show the Registration Assistance Link – If selected, show a link that opens a pop-up window. The pop-up window enables potential attendees to contact the primary Registration Contact for the event.

Customize “Event Registration Capacity” Message

• Header Text – Enter text to change the text in the header bar.
• Page HTML – An attendee sees this message when the attendee tries to register after the number of active, complete registrations equals the Registration Capacity level set for the event on Event Setup > Details.
• If the level is reached and the attendee has a “Cancelled” status, the attendee sees this message when the attendee tries to log back in.
• The log-in uses Username & Password, Passcode, or Single Sign-On.

> Note: This message is not displayed in either of these situations:

• If Registration Capacity is zero or blank, meaning there is no limit.
• If the option is selected to Allow form to remain open when event capacity is reached. (See under Setup Information – Settings, above.)

This includes when Automatic Event Waitlisting is enabled, since enabling Automatic Event Waitlisting requires that this option be selected.

• Enable Editor? – If selected, edit the Message HTML in a WYSIWYG editor with the usual formatting controls.
• Show the Registration Assistance Link – If selected, show a link that opens a pop-up window. The pop-up window enables potential attendees to contact the primary Registration Contact for the event.

Customize “Maximum Concurrent Registrations” Message (Based on active sessions)

If an event is expected to have high demand and a spike of registrations when the event goes live, contact Certain Product Support with:

• the name of the event,
• the go-live date and time, and
• the anticipated number of registrations within the first hour.

Certain Product Support then recommends a maximum number of concurrent sessions (registrations) that can be reached before a custom message appears.

This feature works in conjunction with the ‘Incomplete registrations count against capacity/inventory for ‘X’ minutes after their last modification ’ value defined under Plan > Configure > Options > Global Settings.

This value defines the number of minutes a registrant has to complete registration before their session times out.

When the maximum number of registrants is reached, a custom error message appears. The page refreshes every 15 seconds. The refresh allows additional registrants as other registrants complete the form.

An image appears below the custom message. The image indicates that the page refreshes automatically in ‘X’ seconds.

If extending the refresh interval length is required, Certain Product Support can modify the refresh interval value.

• Allowed – Enter the maximum number of active registrations allowed to enter the form before the message displays.
• Header Text – Enter text to change the header bar text. This header displays once the maximum concurrent registrations number is reached.
• Page HTML – This message displays once the maximum concurrent registrations number is reached.
• Enable Editor? – If selected, edit the Message HTML in a WYSIWYG editor with the usual formatting controls.

[Sample header and message]