Custom Forms Management: Organize, Edit, and Control Your Church’s Forms

When One Form Becomes Many

Churches that embrace custom forms quickly discover how versatile they are. A connection card here, a baptism sign-up there, a mission trip registration, a volunteer application, a small group interest form—before long, you have dozens of forms serving different ministries and events. Managing them one at a time can eat up hours. Opening each form to change a title, toggle guest access, or update an email notification becomes tedious when you’re responsible for twenty or thirty forms.

Built for Churches With Many Forms

The OnlineGiving.org Custom Forms Management page is designed for churches that run multiple forms. It’s your central hub for viewing, filtering, sorting, and editing every custom form in one place. Whether you’re organizing forms for different ministries, bulk-updating settings across multiple forms, or quickly finding the right form to edit, the management page gives you the tools to work efficiently.

Powerful Time-Saving Features

Two features stand out for churches with many forms: inline editing and bulk operations. Inline editing lets you change a form’s title, label, status, visibility, or guest access directly in the table—no need to open the Form Builder. Click the pencil icon, edit in place, and save. Bulk operations take that further: select multiple forms with checkboxes, then edit all of them at once. You can bulk edit basic settings (title, label, status, visibility, guest access), overwrite email notifications across all selected forms, or overwrite confirmation messages. For seasonal cleanup, you can bulk delete forms that are no longer needed, with a typed confirmation phrase to prevent accidents.

Beyond the List: Quick Access to Everything

The management page also gives you fast access to form-related actions. From the gear menu on each row, you can view the form on your giving website, see page sessions (who visited the form and when), view transactions, generate a QR code, customize the payment link, or jump to submissions. The Reports button opens the Custom Form Reports hub for analytics. The Create Custom Form button launches the Form Builder for a new form. And when you need to reorder how forms appear in your navigation, you can drag and drop rows to change the sort order.

In this article, we’ll overview the OnlineGiving.org Custom Forms Management page.

Custom Forms Management User Guide:

The Custom Forms Management page at /admin/customforms is the main form list and control center for all custom forms in your domain. It displays every form in a table with inline editing, drag-and-drop sorting, filtering, bulk operations, and a per-form action menu. Use it to organize forms for different ministries, update settings efficiently, and access form-related reports and tools.

Key Takeaways

• Form Table: All forms in one table with sortable columns, inline editing, and bulk selection.
• Inline Editing: Edit title, label, status, visibility, and guest access in place with the pencil icon—no need to open the Form Builder.
• Bulk Operations: Select multiple forms with checkboxes, then bulk edit settings, overwrite email notifications, overwrite confirmation messages, or bulk delete.
• Drag-and-Drop Sorting: Reorder forms by dragging rows; the new order is saved automatically.
• Per-Form Actions: View form, page sessions, transactions, QR code, customize link, submissions, edit, copy, or delete from the gear menu.

Table of Contents

1. Accessing the Page
2. The Forms Table
   • Table Columns
   • Submissions Column
3. Filtering & Searching
4. Sorting
5. Inline Editing
6. Drag-and-Drop Reordering
7. Bulk Edit Selected
8. Bulk Edit Email Notifications
9. Bulk Edit Confirmation Messages
10. Bulk Delete
11. Per-Form Actions
12. Creating a New Form
13. Copying a Form
14. Deleting a Form
15. QR Codes & Custom Links
16. Multi-Campus Tips
17. Frequently Asked Questions

Accessing the Page

To open the Custom Forms Management page:

1. Log in to the control panel.
2. In the left navigation, expand “Custom Forms”.
3. Click “Manage Custom Forms” or “View & Manage” from the Custom Forms submenu.
4. The page loads at /admin/customforms with all forms in a table.

The page header includes four key actions:

• Reports — Links to the Custom Form Reports hub where you can view analytics, submissions, engagement, and form detail reports.
• Create Custom Form — Opens the Form Builder to create a new form from scratch.
• Help — Links to this Knowledge Base article for guidance.
• Take a Tour — Launches an interactive Intercom product tour that walks you through the management page.

The Forms Table

Table Columns

The form table shows one row per form with the following columns:

• Drag Handle — A vertical arrows icon on the left. Click and drag to reorder forms. The new order is saved automatically via AJAX.
• Checkbox — Select one or more forms for bulk operations. When at least one form is selected, the bulk action buttons appear above the table.
• Title — The public-facing form title. Click the pencil icon to edit inline. The title links to the form on your giving website.
• Label — The internal admin label. Click the pencil icon to edit inline. Use labels to organize forms by ministry, campus, or purpose.
• Status — Enabled or Disabled. Click the pencil icon to change via dropdown. Disabled forms cannot be submitted.
• Visible in Nav. — Visible or Hidden. Controls whether the form appears in the donation site navigation. Click the pencil icon to change via dropdown.
• Allow Guest — Yes or No. When Yes, users can submit without signing in. Click the pencil icon to change via dropdown.
• Submissions — The count of submissions for that form. Click the number to open the Form Submissions page filtered to that form.
• Actions — A gear icon opens a dropdown menu with nine per-form actions.

Submissions Column

The Submissions column shows the total number of submissions for each form. If the count is greater than zero, it appears as a clickable link that opens the Form Submissions page filtered to that form. If there are no submissions, the column shows “None”

Filtering & Searching

The second row of the table contains filter inputs. You can filter by:

• Title — Type part of the form title to narrow results.
• Label — Type part of the form label.
• Status — Type “Enabled” or “Disabled” to filter by status.
• Navigation — Type “Visible” or “Hidden” to filter by visibility in navigation.
• Allow Guest — Type “Yes” or “No” to filter by guest access.

When filters are active, filter chips appear above the table with the current filter values. Each chip has a remove button (X). Click it to clear that filter and refresh the list.

Sorting

Click any column header link (Title, Label, Status, Visible in Nav., Allow Guest, Submissions) to sort by that column. Click again to toggle between ascending and descending order. The default sort is by sort order (ascending), which reflects the drag-and-drop order.

Inline Editing

Inline editing lets you change a form’s title, label, status, visibility, or guest access without opening the Form Builder. This is one of the most time-saving features for churches with many forms.

How to Edit Inline

1. Hover over the cell you want to edit (Title, Label, Status, Visible in Nav., or Allow Guest).
2. Click the pencil icon that appears.
3. The cell switches to edit mode: a text input for Title and Label, or a dropdown for Status, Visible in Nav., and Allow Guest.
4. Make your change.
5. Click the checkmark to save, or the X to cancel.
6. Changes are saved via AJAX. A success notification confirms the save.

For Title and Label, the field is required—you cannot save an empty title. For dropdowns (Status, Visible in Nav., Allow Guest), select the new value and click the checkmark. The display updates immediately after a successful save.

Drag-and-Drop Reordering

The order of forms in the table determines how they appear in your giving website navigation and in other lists. To reorder:

1. Locate the drag handle (vertical arrows icon) on the left of each row.
2. Click and hold the handle, then drag the row up or down.
3. Release to drop the row in its new position.
4. The new order is saved automatically. A loading spinner briefly replaces the arrows icon while saving.

Use drag-and-drop when you want to prioritize certain forms (e.g., putting seasonal event registrations at the top) or group related forms together.

Bulk Edit Selected

Bulk Edit Selected lets you change Title, Label, Status, Visible in Nav., and Allow Guest for multiple forms at once. This is ideal when you need to disable several seasonal forms, update labels across a set of forms, or change guest access for multiple event registrations.

Bulk Edit Workflow

1. Select the forms you want to edit by checking their checkboxes.
2. Click “Edit Selected”. The other bulk buttons (Edit Email Notifications, Edit Confirmation Messages, Delete Selected) are hidden while in bulk edit mode.
3. Each selected row enters inline edit mode. You can now edit Title, Label, Status, Visible in Nav., and Allow Guest for each form.
4. Make your changes. Each form can have different values—you are editing them individually, but all at once.
5. Click “Save Selected” to commit all changes. A confirmation dialog asks you to confirm.
6. Each form is saved via AJAX. Success notifications appear as each save completes.
7. Click “Cancel Edit” at any time to exit bulk edit mode without saving. A confirmation dialog asks you to confirm.

Tip: If you select additional checkboxes while in bulk edit mode, the new rows automatically enter edit mode. When you click Save Selected, all visible edit forms are saved.

Bulk Edit Email Notifications

Use Bulk Edit Email Notifications to set the same email notification addresses across multiple forms. This overwrites each selected form’s existing email notification setting with the text you enter.

1. Select the forms you want to update.
2. Click “Edit Email Notifications”.
3. A modal opens with a textarea. Enter one email address per line. These addresses will receive a notification when any of the selected forms is submitted.
4. Click “Overwrite Email Notifications”.
5. You must type a confirmation phrase exactly as shown. For one form: “Update Email Notification for 1 Form”. For multiple forms: “Update Email Notification for X Forms”, where X is the number of selected forms. The phrase must match exactly, including capitalization and punctuation.
6. If the phrase matches, the update proceeds. Each form is updated via AJAX. Success notifications appear as each completes.

Why typed confirmation? Bulk Email Notification Override is irreversible—it overwrites existing email settings for every selected form. The typed confirmation ensures you intentionally triggered the action and reduces the risk of accidentally changing notification recipients across many forms.

Use this when you want all selected forms to notify the same staff email (e.g., a ministry coordinator) or when you’re standardizing notification addresses across many forms.

Bulk Edit Confirmation Messages

Use Bulk Edit Confirmation Messages to set the same confirmation message across multiple forms. The confirmation message is shown to the user after they successfully submit the form.

1. Select the forms you want to update.
2. Click “Edit Confirmation Messages”.
3. A modal opens with a textarea. Enter the confirmation message you want to use. You can include plain text or HTML.
4. Click “Overwrite Confirmation Messages”.
5. You must type a confirmation phrase exactly as shown. For one form: “Update Confirmation Message for 1 Form”. For multiple forms: “Update Confirmation Message for X Forms”, where X is the number of selected forms. The phrase must match exactly.
6. If the phrase matches, the update proceeds. Each form is updated via AJAX.

Why typed confirmation? Bulk Confirmation Message Override overwrites the post-submission message for every selected form. The typed confirmation prevents accidental overwrites when you meant to update only one form.

Use this when you want a consistent “Thank you for your submission” message across multiple forms, or when you’re rolling out a new branded confirmation message.

Bulk Delete

Bulk Delete lets you remove multiple forms at once. This is useful for cleaning up old or unused forms. A typed confirmation phrase is required to prevent accidental deletion.

1. Select the forms you want to delete.
2. Click “Delete Selected”.
3. A prompt asks you to type a confirmation phrase: “Delete X Boxes”, where X is the number of selected forms. You must type it exactly, including the number and the word “Boxes.”
4. If the phrase matches, each form is deleted via the API. Rows are removed from the table as deletions complete.
5. If a form cannot be deleted (e.g., it has active recurring gifts or transactions), an error message appears for that form and it remains in the list.

Why typed confirmation? Bulk Delete is irreversible. Once a form is deleted, its structure, settings, and submission data cannot be recovered. The phrase “Delete X Boxes” ensures you intentionally triggered the deletion of multiple forms.

Important: Forms with active recurring gifts or transactions cannot be deleted. Resolve those first (e.g., cancel recurring gifts or contact support) before attempting to delete.

Per-Form Actions

Each form row has a gear icon that opens a dropdown menu with nine actions:

• View Form — Opens the form on your giving website in a new tab. Use this to preview how the form looks to donors.
• View Page Sessions — Opens the Page Sessions report filtered to this form’s URL and the last 30 days. See who visited the form and when, even if they did not submit.
• View Transactions — Opens the Transactions page filtered to this form. See all payments or donations collected through the form.
• Customize Website Link — Opens the Payment Links customizer with this form’s URL pre-filled. Customize the link appearance and options for sharing.
• Generate QR Code — Opens the Payment Links customizer in QR code mode for this form. Generate a QR code that links directly to the form for use on flyers, bulletins, or signage.
• View Submissions — Opens the Form Submissions page filtered to this form. See all submitted responses.
• Edit Form — Opens the Form Builder to edit the form structure, fields, actions, and settings.
• Copy Form — Creates a duplicate of the form. The copy has “COPY” appended to the title. Submissions, webhook URL, and email notifications are reset. You are redirected to edit the new copy.
• Delete — Deletes the form. A browser confirmation dialog appears. Forms with active recurring gifts or transactions cannot be deleted.

Creating a New Form

To create a new custom form:

1. From the Custom Forms Management page, click “Create Custom Form” in the header.
2. You are taken to the Form Builder. Add sections, fields, content blocks, and payment elements as needed.
3. Configure the Actions tab for email notifications, webhooks, or ChMS integrations.
4. Open the settings modal to set status, visibility, guest access, and other options.
5. Click Save. The new form appears in the management list.

For detailed instructions on building forms, see the Custom Form Builder User Guide.

Copying a Form

Copying a form creates a duplicate that you can modify for a new event or campaign. From the gear menu, click “Copy Form”. The system:

• Creates a new form with the same structure, fields, and actions.
• Appends “COPY” to the title.
• Resets the webhook URL, email notifications, and submission count to empty/zero.

You are redirected to the Form Builder to edit the new copy. Update the title, adjust any fields or actions, and save. The copy is a great starting point when you need a similar form (e.g., last year’s mission trip registration for this year).

Deleting a Form

To delete a single form, click “Delete” from the gear menu. Confirm in the browser dialog. The form is removed from the list.

Delete Safeguards

The system prevents deletion in two cases:

• Active recurring gifts — If one or more recurring gifts are scheduled under the form, deletion is blocked. You must cancel or reassign those recurring gifts first.
• Linked transactions — If one or more transactions are linked to the form, deletion is blocked. These transactions must remain associated with a form for reporting and audit purposes.

If you attempt to delete (either from the gear menu or via bulk delete), you will see an error message explaining why the form cannot be deleted. Contact support at support@onlinegiving.org or (615) 206-4000 if you need help resolving these cases.

QR Codes & Custom Links

Two per-form actions help you share your forms beyond the standard website link:

Customize Website Link

Click “Customize Website Link” from the gear menu to open the Payment Links customizer with your form’s URL pre-filled. From there you can adjust link options, shorten the URL, or customize how the link appears when shared. This is useful when you want a branded or shortened link for email, social media, or printed materials.

Generate QR Code

Click “Generate QR Code” from the gear menu to open the Payment Links customizer in QR code mode. The system generates a scannable QR code that links directly to your form. You can download the QR code image to print on flyers, bulletins, signage, or event materials. Church attendees can scan the code with their phone camera to open the form instantly.

QR codes are ideal for connection cards in pews, event registration tables, mission trip sign-ups, or any scenario where you want quick, contactless access to a form.

Multi-Campus Tips

For multi-campus churches, the Custom Forms Management page shows all forms across campuses in one list. Use the filter bar to narrow by form attributes. When creating or editing forms, you can assign a specific campus or use auto-match based on a user’s form response. The Form Builder and form settings control campus assignment; the management page is a central view of all forms regardless of campus.

Tip: Use the Label column to include campus abbreviations (e.g., “North Campus - Baptism Sign-up”) so you can quickly identify and filter forms by campus.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I quickly update the title of several forms without opening each one?

Use inline editing. Click the pencil icon next to each form’s title, type the new title, and click the checkmark. Or use Bulk Edit: select the forms, click Edit Selected, change each title in place, then click Save Selected.

Can I bulk disable all my seasonal forms at once?

Yes. Select the forms you want to disable, click Edit Selected, change the Status dropdown to “Disabled” for each row, and click Save Selected. You can also use the filter bar to find forms by title or label before selecting them.

What happens if I bulk delete a form that has transactions?

The system will not delete it. You will receive an error message for that form, and it will remain in the list. Only forms with no recurring gifts and no linked transactions can be deleted.

Why do I have to type a confirmation phrase for bulk operations?

Bulk Email Notification Override, Bulk Confirmation Message Override, and Bulk Delete are irreversible actions that affect multiple forms. The typed confirmation phrase ensures you intentionally triggered the action and reduces the risk of accidental overwrites or deletions. Each action has a specific phrase (e.g., “Delete X Boxes” for bulk delete) that you must type exactly.

How do I change the order of forms in my giving website navigation?

Use drag-and-drop on the Custom Forms Management page. Grab the drag handle (vertical arrows) on the left of a row, drag it up or down, and release. The new order is saved automatically and is reflected in your giving website navigation for forms marked as Visible in Nav.

What is the difference between Title and Label?

Title is the public-facing name shown to users on the giving website. Label is an internal-only identifier for admin reference. Use the label to organize forms (e.g., by ministry or campus) without changing what donors see.

Can I generate a QR code for a form?

Yes. From the gear menu, click “Generate QR Code”. This opens the Payment Links customizer in QR code mode with your form’s URL. You can download the QR code image to print on flyers, bulletins, or signage.

Where do I see who visited a form without submitting?

Click “View Page Sessions” from the gear menu. This opens the Page Sessions report filtered to your form’s URL. You can see session activity for the last 30 days (or adjust the date range) to understand who viewed the form.

What if I type the wrong confirmation phrase for a bulk operation?

If the phrase does not match exactly, the operation is cancelled. A notification will tell you that the confirmation text did not match and nothing was changed. You can try again by re-entering the correct phrase.

Need help setting up or managing your custom forms? Contact OnlineGiving.org support at support@onlinegiving.org or call (615) 206-4000. We offer courtesy setup assistance to help you get the most out of your forms.