Custom Form Reports: Turn Form Data Into Ministry Insights
Connection cards, baptism sign-ups, mission trip registrations, volunteer applications—your church uses custom forms for so much more than collecting names. Every submission represents a person taking a step: someone who wants to serve, someone exploring faith, someone ready to commit. But without the right tools, that data can sit in a spreadsheet, disconnected from the bigger picture of who’s engaging and how your ministry is growing.
Why Form Analytics Matter for Church Leadership
Church leaders need to see beyond raw submission counts. Which forms are driving the most engagement? Who submitted for the first time this month and might need a welcome follow-up? Which people are connecting across multiple forms—volunteer sign-up, small group interest, and event registration? And when someone who used to submit regularly goes quiet, that might signal a life change worth a pastoral check-in.
OnlineGiving.org’s Custom Form Reports feature brings together six dedicated reports in one central hub. From the Forms Overview with its activity dashboard and AI-powered ministry pulse, to People & Connections for engagement heatmaps and pastoral follow-up insights, to Submissions by Form, Single Form Detail, Who Submitted, and Form Transactions—each report offers independent date ranges, campus filtering, and export options. Every report includes an AI summary panel that distills key wins, trends, and actionable insights into plain language.
From Data to Action
The best reports don’t just show numbers—they highlight what matters. The Forms Overview identifies first-time submitters, multi-form connections, and returning members. People & Connections surfaces a pastoral care spotlight for high-priority follow-up. Who Submitted ranks submitters by outreach priority so you know who to reach out to first. And every report can be exported to CSV for follow-up lists, shared with staff, or scheduled by email for regular delivery.
For multi-campus churches, the reports respect your campus structure. You can view a campus-specific report or aggregate across all campuses. The same flexibility applies to date ranges: use quick links like Last Week, Last Month, Last 90 Days, or Year to Date, or pick a custom range with the date picker.
In this article, we’ll overview the OnlineGiving.org Custom Form Reports feature.
Custom Form Reports User Guide
The Custom Form Reports hub at /admin/formreports is your central access point for all form-related analytics. It organizes six reports into a responsive card grid with search, independent date pickers, campus selectors, and quick date links. Each report offers AI-powered insights, CSV exports, and optional email scheduling.
Key Takeaways
- Reports Hub: One landing page at Custom Forms → Reports with six report cards, search filter, and per-report date/campus controls.
- Forms Overview: Activity dashboard with submission trends, top forms, revenue totals, first-time submitters, geo summary, and AI ministry pulse.
- People & Connections: Engagement-focused report with heatmap, first-timers, multi-form connections, returning members, care spotlight, and AI connection advisor.
- Submissions by Form: All forms ranked by volume with drill-down, search, and per-form CSV export with field values as columns.
- Single Form Detail: Deep dive into one form with parsed responses, choice distributions, period comparison, payment summary, and AI analysis.
- Who Submitted: People-first list with form filters, search, sort, multi-form activity, and CSV export. AI ranks submitters by outreach priority.
- Form Transactions: Revenue totals, per-form breakdown, payment method analysis, revenue trend chart, and full transaction list with CSV export.
- Campus Filtering: Multi-campus churches can filter any report by campus. Quick date links preserve the campus selection.
- AI Panel & Exports: Every report includes an AI summary panel. CSV exports available for summary, per-form, submitters, and transactions.
Table of Contents
- The Reports Hub
- Forms Overview Report
- Submissions by Form Report
- People & Connections Report
- Single Form Detail Report
- Who Submitted Report
- Form Transactions Report
- Campus Filtering
- AI Summary Panel
- Email Scheduling
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Reports Hub
Accessing the Reports Hub
To open the Custom Form Reports hub:
- Log in to the control panel.
- In the left navigation, expand “Custom Forms”.
- Click “Reports” (or “Custom Form Reports” from other entry points).
- The hub displays at /admin/formreports with six report cards in a responsive grid.
Each card shows an icon, title, short description, campus selector (for multi-campus churches), date range picker, a primary “View” button, and quick date links (Last Week, Last Month, Last 90 Days, Last Year, Year to Date). The Single Form Detail card also includes a form picker dropdown—you must select a form before viewing that report.
Search and Report Cards
Use the search box at the top of the hub to filter report cards by keyword. As you type, cards that don’t match are hidden. This helps when you want to quickly find a specific report (e.g., typing “people” narrows to People & Connections). A “No reports match your search” message appears when no cards match.
Forms Overview Report
The Forms Overview report (/admin/formreports/overview) is a comprehensive activity dashboard. It shows submission trends, top forms by volume, revenue totals, first-time submitters, multi-form connections, returning members, day-of-week engagement, recent submissions, stale forms (no activity in 30+ days), geo summary, and an AI-powered ministry pulse that summarizes key wins and watch items.
Report Sections
The overview is organized into several sections:
- Summary Stats: Total submissions, unique people, active forms, first-time submitters. Each card may show a percent change vs. the prior period.
- Top Forms: Forms ranked by submission count with links to drill into the Single Form Detail report.
- Submission Trend Chart: Daily or weekly submission volume over the selected period.
- Anonymous vs Identified Ratio: How many submissions are from identified people vs. anonymous.
- First-Time Submitters: People who submitted a form for the first time in the period.
- Multi-Form Connections: People who submitted more than one form in the period.
- Returning After Absence: People who submitted again after a gap of 90+ days.
- Day of Week: Engagement pattern by day of the week.
- Recent Submissions: Latest submissions across forms.
- Stale Forms: Forms with no submissions in the last 30 days.
- Geo Summary: Geographic distribution of submissions when address data is available.
- AI Ministry Pulse: AI-generated summary of key wins, trends, and actionable insights.
Period and Date Options
Use the period switcher or quick links: Current (this week to date), Last Week, Last Month, Last Year (prior calendar year), or a custom date range via the date picker. The report compares the current period to the prior period of equal length for percent-change calculations.
Submissions by Form Report
The Submissions by Form report (/admin/formreports/submissions) lists all forms ranked by submission volume. You can sort by submission count, unique people, or last submission date. Each row shows form name, submission count, unique people, anonymous count, and last submission date. Click a form name to drill into its submissions or use the per-form CSV export to download that form’s submissions with field values as columns.
Forms Table and Drill-Down
The main table displays every form in your domain. Use the sort dropdown to reorder by submissions (default), unique people, or last submission. Forms with zero submissions in the period still appear. Click a form title to open the Single Form Detail report for that form in a new tab, with the same date range and campus applied.
Summary and Per-Form CSV Export
Use “Export CSV” (or “Summary CSV”) in the header to download a summary of all forms: form name, submission count, unique people, anonymous count, and last submission. Each form row also has a per-form CSV button that exports that form’s submissions with each form field as a column. The export respects the current date range and campus filter.
People & Connections Report
The People & Connections report (/admin/formreports/engagement) focuses on engagement and pastoral follow-up. It surfaces first-time submitters, people who submitted multiple forms, returning members (back after 90+ days), a care spotlight (high-priority people for outreach), silent supporters (first-timers with prior giving history), forms-only people (no giving/payment history), engagement funnel stats, and an AI connection advisor with pastoral insights.
Engagement Sections
Key sections include:
- Summary Stats: Submissions, unique people, first-timers, multi-form, returning. Each links to the Who Submitted report with filters applied.
- Care Spotlight: People ranked by care priority (critical, high) for pastoral follow-up.
- First-Time Submitters: People who submitted a form for the first time ever in the period.
- Multi-Form Engaged: People who submitted 2+ forms in the period.
- Returning After Absence: People who submitted again after 90+ days without activity.
- Engagement Funnel: Funnel-style breakdown of submission stages.
- Top Forms: Forms with the most submissions, with links to Form Detail.
- Day of Week: When people submit most often.
- AI Connection Advisor: AI-generated insights on connection opportunities and follow-up priorities.
Submission Activity Heatmap
The engagement report includes a submission activity heatmap showing submission volume by day of week and hour. Use it to spot patterns (e.g., Sunday morning spikes, weekday evening activity) and plan follow-up timing.
Single Form Detail Report
The Single Form Detail report (/admin/formreports/form_detail) provides a deep dive into one form. You must select a form from the dropdown in the hub or on the report page. The report shows parsed submission rows (field values as columns), choice field distributions, text spotlight (common free-text responses), field completion rates, geo distribution, period comparison vs. prior period, payment summary (if the form collects payments), capacity status (if the form has capacity limits), repeat submitters, first-timers for this form, pipeline health, and an AI response analysis.
Report Sections
Key sections include:
- Period Comparison: Submissions, unique people, anonymous % vs. prior period.
- Submission Trend & Day of Week: Charts for this form only.
- Choice Distributions: For dropdown, radio, or checkbox fields, shows how many chose each option.
- Field Completion: Completion rate per field.
- Text Spotlight: Common themes in free-text responses (when available).
- Geo Distribution: Where submitters are located.
- Submissions Table: Paginated table with each form field as a column. 50 rows per page.
- Payment Summary: Total revenue, transaction count (for forms with payments).
- Capacity Status: If the form has capacity limits, shows fill level and deadline.
- AI Analysis: AI-generated insights specific to this form’s responses.
Form CSV Export
Use “Export CSV” to download all submissions for the selected form with field values as columns. The export respects the date range and campus filter. Use this for mail merges, follow-up lists, or external analysis.
Who Submitted Report
The Who Submitted report (/admin/formreports/submitters) is a people-first list of everyone who submitted a form in the period. You can filter by form(s), search by name or email, sort by date or other fields, and see each person’s form activity (which forms, how many submissions). The AI panel ranks submitters by outreach priority. Use the export to build follow-up lists for welcome calls, small group invites, or pastoral check-ins.
Filters and Search
Use the filter bar to:
- Form Filter: Multi-select one or more forms. Only people who submitted at least one of those forms appear.
- Search: Type a name or email to find specific people.
- Date Range: Quick links (Last Week, Last Month, etc.) or custom range.
- Campus: Filter by campus (multi-campus churches).
The table shows person name, forms submitted, submission count, last submission date, engagement score, at-risk tier (when applicable), and links to drill into their activity. Pagination supports 10–100 rows per page.
Submitters CSV Export
Use “Export CSV” to download the submitter list. The export includes name, email, phone, forms, submission count, total paid, first/last submission dates, engagement score, at-risk tier, and account created date. Respects current filters (form, date range, campus).
Form Transactions Report
The Form Transactions report (/admin/formreports/transactions) focuses on revenue from form submissions. It shows total revenue, per-form revenue breakdown, payment method analysis (card, bank, etc.), revenue trend chart, and a full transaction list with search and pagination.
Revenue and Transaction List
Key sections include:
- Summary Stats: Total revenue, transaction count, submission stats.
- Revenue by Form: Each form that collected payments, with total amount.
- Revenue Trend Chart: Daily or weekly revenue over the period.
- Payment Methods: Breakdown by payment type.
- Transaction List: Paginated table with date, name, email, form, amount, type (donation vs. payment), status, payment type, gateway transaction ID. Use search to find specific transactions.
Transactions CSV Export
Use “Export CSV” to download the transaction list. The export includes date, name, email, form, amount, type, status, payment type, and gateway transaction ID. Respects date range, form filter, and campus filter.
Campus Filtering
For churches with multiple campuses, each report card on the hub and each report page includes a campus dropdown. Select “All Campuses” to see aggregated data, or choose a specific campus to scope the report. When you use quick date links (Last Week, Last Month, etc.), the campus selection is preserved in the URL. CSV exports and email schedules also respect the campus filter.
If your church does not have campuses configured, the campus selector will not appear.
AI Summary Panel
Every Custom Form Report includes an AI summary panel. The AI analyzes the report data and generates plain-language insights: key wins, trends, watch items, and suggested follow-up actions. The summary is tailored to the report type (e.g., Forms Overview gets a ministry pulse; Who Submitted gets outreach priority insights). The panel may take a few seconds to load. If the AI service is temporarily unavailable, the panel will show a message; you can refresh the page to retry.
Email Scheduling
Each report supports optional email scheduling. Click the “Email” button (when available) to open the email settings modal. Configure recipients (admin users or form admins), frequency (e.g., weekly, monthly), and period/date focus. Save your settings and the report will be sent automatically on the schedule you choose. This is useful for staff who want regular form activity digests without logging in each time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can access Custom Form Reports?
Users with Donor Admin or Custom Form Admin role can access the Custom Form Reports hub and all six reports. Other roles do not see the Reports link under Custom Forms.
What is the difference between Submissions by Form and Single Form Detail?
Submissions by Form shows all forms in one table, ranked by submission volume. Use it to compare forms and see which are most active. Single Form Detail drills into one form with parsed field values, choice distributions, and response-level analysis. Use Submissions by Form for an overview; use Single Form Detail when you need to analyze responses for a specific form.
What is the difference between People & Connections and Who Submitted?
People & Connections is engagement-focused: first-timers, multi-form connections, returning members, care spotlight, heatmap, and funnel stats. It highlights ministry opportunities and pastoral follow-up priorities. Who Submitted is a straightforward list of everyone who submitted, with filters and search. Use People & Connections for strategic engagement insights; use Who Submitted for building follow-up lists or finding specific people.
Why does the AI panel show “Loading” or timeout?
The AI summary is generated on demand. In high-traffic or slow network conditions, it may take several seconds or occasionally timeout. Refresh the page to retry. The rest of the report data loads independently and is always available.
Can I export form submissions with custom field values?
Yes. From Submissions by Form, use the per-form CSV button on any form row to export that form’s submissions with each form field as a column. From Single Form Detail, use the Export CSV button to get the same structure. Both respect the date range and campus filter.
How do I schedule a report to be emailed automatically?
Open the report you want to schedule, then click the “Email” button in the header. In the modal, select recipients, choose a frequency (e.g., weekly on Monday, monthly on the 1st), and set the period/date focus. Save your settings. The report will be sent automatically on the schedule you choose.
Does the Form Transactions report include donations from giving forms?
The Form Transactions report shows revenue from custom form submissions that include payment fields. It does not include standalone donation transactions from your main giving pages. For donation revenue, use the Giving Reports (Generosity Snapshot, Donation Report) instead.
Need help setting up Custom Form Reports or interpreting the data? Contact us at support@onlinegiving.org or (615) 206-4000. OnlineGiving.org provides courtesy setup assistance to help you get the most from your form analytics.