How to Use the Project Intake Form

Build smart forms that collect Project details from Clients or Staff and automatically create fully configured Projects in ProWorkflow — no manual data entry required.

A Project Intake Form is a customisable web form you can share with clients, internal teams, or publicly with whomever you choose. When someone submits it, ProWorkflow automatically creates a Project pre-filled with all the right details — title, due date, team members, priority, files, and more, depending on how you set up the form.

💡 No login required for submitters: Public forms can be shared via a unique link. Clients don't need a ProWorkflow account.

Key benefits:

Every Intake Form follows this journey from build to Project creation:

Forms are organised in a four-level hierarchy. Understanding this makes building forms much easier.

💡 Think of it like a book: Pages are like chapters, Steps are individual pages within a chapter, and Fields are the questions on each page.

The Date field is one of the most powerful in the form builder. You can:

These special fields map directly onto the ProWorkflow project created on submission. They are the bridge between your form and ProWorkflow.

💡 Hide your project mapping fields: Set fields like Project Manager, Work Stage, and Priority to Hidden. Submitters never see them, but the automation still runs on submission.

Intake forms support conditional logic so you can build smart forms that adapt to each submitter's answers. This is done through Actions.

ℹ️ Show/Hide vs Skip-to-Step: Show/Hide actions update the form in real-time as the submitter makes selections. Skip-to-Step only evaluates when they click Next. Use show/hide for dynamic question revealing; use skip-to-step for routing between major sections.

You run a creative agency. Brand Identity, Website, and Video projects each need different information. You want only relevant questions to appear.

✅ Result: Each submitter sees only the steps relevant to their project type. The form feels short and focused even though it covers three distinct workflows.

You want high-budget projects created with High priority automatically, without exposing your internal priority system to clients.

✅ Result: Projects over $50k are created as High priority automatically. Your team always sees correctly-prioritised projects without the client needing to decide.

On a Print Production form, you only want a file upload and artwork notes to appear when the submitter says they have existing artwork.

✅ Result: The form adapts in real time. Submitters with artwork see upload options immediately. Those without see a clean, uncluttered form.

Your agency has dedicated teams for different services. You want the right project manager and team added to each project automatically.

✅ Result: Selecting a service type automatically assigns the right Project Manager and team to the Project. No manual assignment needed after the Project is created.

You want every submission to create a project in a "Pending Approval" stage. A manager reviews it before it moves into your team's active queue.

✅ Result: Every intake request goes through a consistent approval gate. Nothing enters your active queue until a manager has signed off.

Instead of asking submitters to manually calculate both a Start Date and a Due Date, you can make the Due Date calculate automatically from the Start Date.

In the date field configuration you can also:

Intake forms can be shared via a unique public URL — no ProWorkflow login required for submitters. Ideal for client-facing forms sent via email or embedded on your website.

When a submitter opens a public form, their progress is automatically saved as a draft. If they close the browser and return to the same link, their answers are restored and they can continue from where they left off.

Once a submission is processed:

Keep forms focused: Only ask for information you truly need to create and start the Project. Every extra question increases drop-off. Use show/hide logic to reveal follow-up questions only when relevant.

Use Helper Text to guide submitters: Add a Helper Text field at the top of each step with clear instructions. Well-labelled forms generate better quality submissions and fewer follow-up emails.

Hide your Project mapping fields: Fields like Project Title, Project Manager, Work Stage, and Priority are typically for internal use. Set them to Hidden — submitters see only the questions relevant to them, but the automation still fires on submission.

Test in Preview before going live: Use the Preview button to walk through the form as a submitter. Test every conditional branch — select each option and confirm the correct steps appear. Check that required fields block navigation correctly.

Start in Draft, promote to Published: Build and refine your form in Draft mode. Only set it to Published when you are confident in the design. Published forms are accessible via the public link immediately.

Q: Can a submitter save their progress and come back later?

A: Yes. Progress is automatically saved as a draft. If the submitter returns to the same public link, their answers are restored.

Q: Can I have multiple forms for different project types?

A: Yes. You can create as many forms as you need, each mapped to a different Project category, team, or workflow.

Q: What happens to uploaded files?

Uploaded files are automatically attached to the created Project in ProWorkflow. No manual downloading and re-uploading is required.

Q: Can I restrict who appears in a Staff picker?

A: Yes. In the picker field configuration you can limit selectable contacts to a specific approved list.