Creating a Form
Creating a new form in Form Studio takes about 60 seconds. You provide the metadata — name, title, category, type, and form number — and the system creates the schema scaffold. From there you drag controls onto the canvas.
The New Form Dialog
Click New Form on the dashboard to open the creation dialog. The dialog has two steps: metadata and starting point.
Step 1: Form Metadata
| Field | Required | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form Name | Yes | Code-friendly identifier, no spaces (use hyphens) | vendor-onboarding |
| Form Title | Yes | Human-readable title shown in UI | Vendor Onboarding |
| Form Number | Yes | Unique numeric ID within the group's range | 13005 |
| Category | Yes | Product area (Form Group) | GuardRails |
| Type | Yes | List Form or Property Form | Property Form |
| Description | No | Internal notes for form authors | Captures vendor details for approval |
| Tags | No | Free-form search tags | vendor, onboarding, finance |
Step 2: Starting Point
Choose how to start:
- Blank Form — Empty canvas with a default section. Fastest path when you know exactly what fields you need.
- Template — Pre-built form templates for common patterns (contact form, approval form, data entry grid). Templates create the full schema which you then customise.
- Duplicate Existing — Copy an existing form and modify it. The fastest approach when creating a form similar to one that already exists.
- AI Generate — Describe your form in natural language and the AI generates the schema. See Guide 14: AI Form Generation.
Form ID Numbering Convention
Form numbers are significant — they determine which Form Group owns the form and must be unique across the entire system. Each group owns a 100-ID range:
| Group | Range | Example |
|---|---|---|
| GuardRails | 13000–13099 | 13001 = Security Policy List |
| NodePolicies | 13100–13199 | 13101 = Capability Policy List |
| HIL Forms | 13200–13299 | 13201 = Approval Request Form |
| Tenant 9 GuardRails | 913000–913099 | Tenant override range |
What Gets Created
When you click Create, the system:
Creates the Schema
A minimal FormSchema JSON object is built with your metadata, a default section, and no controls.
Saves to API
FormDefinitionApiClient.createForm(definition) is called, storing the record in Atlas_Forms with status Draft.
Opens the Designer
The app navigates to the form designer for the new form. Draft auto-save activates immediately.
Ready to Design
The canvas is blank (or pre-populated from template). Start dragging controls from the palette.
Created Schema Example
Here is what the minimal schema looks like immediately after creation from a blank form:
{
"version": "1.0.0",
"metadata": {
"id": 13005,
"name": "vendor-onboarding",
"title": "Vendor Onboarding",
"description": "Captures vendor details for approval",
"formId": "vendor-onboarding",
"resId": "form-13005"
},
"controls": [],
"sections": [
{
"id": "section-default",
"label": "Main",
"order": 0,
"collapsible": false
}
]
}