We're excited to announce **Hosted Forms** — a brand-new feature that lets you build fully customizable contact forms and embed them directly on your website. This powerful addition to Bugalou makes it easier than ever to interact with your visitors, streamline communication, and enhance your customer service experience.
Every submission your visitors make is automatically converted into a conversation in your Bugalou inbox, complete with a ticket number and all the submitted data neatly formatted. No more manual copy-pasting from form tools into your helpdesk. With Hosted Forms, you can focus on what matters most: providing excellent service.
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Hosted Forms are embeddable web forms that you create inside Bugalou. They offer numerous advantages over traditional forms, including seamless integration with your existing systems and a user-friendly interface that allows for extensive customization. Once your form is ready, you receive a small JavaScript snippet. Simply paste it into any page of your website and you're done.
When a visitor fills out and submits the form, Bugalou automatically:
1. **Creates or updates a contact** in your contact database
2. **Opens a new conversation** in your team inbox with a unique ticket number
3. **Formats all form data** into a clean HTML table inside the message
4. **Triggers any automations** you've linked to the `form_submitted` event (e.g., send a confirmation email)
### Benefits of Using Hosted Forms
- **Increased Efficiency**: Automating the submission process directly into your inbox saves time and reduces the risk of human error.
- **Enhanced User Experience**: Customized forms ensure that you gather the most relevant information from users, making it easier to address their needs.
- **Real-Time Data**: Immediate notifications of submissions mean you can respond to inquiries faster, improving customer satisfaction.
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Building a form in Bugalou is straightforward and intuitive. Follow these simple steps to get started:
1. **Go to Dashboard → Forms** and click **New Form**.
2. From here, you can:
- **Add any combination of field types**: text, email, phone, textarea, dropdown, checkbox. This flexibility allows you to create forms suitable for various purposes, from simple contact requests to more complex inquiries.
- **Mark fields as required** to ensure you collect all necessary information from your visitors.
- **Set a custom success message** for after submission, reinforcing your brand voice and providing a positive user experience.
- **Choose a primary color** to match your brand, ensuring that the form is visually appealing and consistent with your overall design.
- **Set an auto-assigned team** for incoming submissions, streamlining the process of routing inquiries to the right individuals.
Once saved, click the **Embed** button next to your form to copy the snippet. This snippet can be added to any part of your website, ensuring that your forms are easily accessible to visitors.
### Practical Tips for Building Effective Forms
- **Keep it Short**: A shorter form often leads to higher completion rates. Try to limit the number of fields to only those that are essential.
- **Use Clear Labels**: Make sure each form field is clearly labeled to avoid confusion, which can lead to abandonment.
- **Consider User Flow**: Think about the order of your fields and how they relate to each other. A logical flow can improve the user experience significantly.
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Triggering Automations on Submission
Hosted Forms work natively with Bugalou's [Automation Engine](/en/automations). Use the **Form Submitted** trigger to create efficient workflows that save time and enhance customer engagement. Here are a few examples of what you can automate:
- **Send an automatic confirmation email** to the visitor, acknowledging their submission and setting expectations for follow-up.
- **Notify your team via WhatsApp or email**, ensuring that team members are immediately aware of new inquiries.
- **Add a label to the conversation** for better organization and easier tracking.
- **Route the conversation to a specific team**, ensuring that the right person handles the incoming request.
### Actionable Automation Examples
| Automation Type | Description |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Confirmation Email | Automatically send a thank-you email with estimated response time. |
| Team Notification | Alert the sales team of new leads submitted via the form. |
| Labeling Conversations | Tag conversations based on inquiry type (e.g., "Support," "Sales"). |
| Routing Conversations | Direct technical questions to the technical support team. |
Read more about trigger types in our [help center](/en/help/automations/all-trigger-types-explained).
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Plan Availability
Hosted Forms are available on all **paid plans** — Starter, Pro, and Enterprise. Free plan users will be prompted to upgrade to access this feature.
| Plan | Hosted Forms |
|------------|--------------|
| Free | ❌ Not available |
| Starter | ✅ Included |
| Pro | ✅ Included |
| Enterprise | ✅ Included |
[Compare plans →](/en/pricing)
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Getting Started
Ready to get started with Hosted Forms? Follow these simple steps:
1. **Go to Dashboard → Forms**: Familiarize yourself with the interface and explore existing forms for inspiration.
2. **Create your first form**: This process takes less than 2 minutes if you have your questions and structure in mind.
3. **Copy the embed snippet**: Once your form is ready, easily copy the snippet and paste it into your website.
4. **Watch submissions arrive**: Enjoy real-time updates as submissions come directly to your inbox, ready for your team's response.
For more comprehensive guidance, check out the [Hosted Forms documentation](/en/help/channels/hosted-forms-embed-contact-form) for step-by-step instructions, including how to style the form and set up automation triggers.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Hosted Forms are customizable web forms that you can embed on your website, allowing for seamless visitor interactions and automatic ticket generation in your Bugalou inbox.
Once you've created your form in Bugalou, you can copy the provided JavaScript snippet and paste it into the desired location on your website.
Yes, you can add various field types, mark fields as required, and customize success messages to match your brand voice.
You can set up automations to send confirmation emails, notify team members, label conversations, and route inquiries based on specific criteria.
No, Hosted Forms are only available on paid plans: Starter, Pro, and Enterprise.
To improve completion rates, keep forms short, use clear labels, optimize for mobile, and regularly analyze and adjust based on user feedback.
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*The Bugalou Team*
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