Consider this page a one-stop shop for the best practices and guides on managing your Gecko forms.
Initial setup
Here are some helpful things to know if you're new to Gecko or want to get to grips with some core functionality like making new users, managing integrations, or sending messages from Gecko.
🔎 Topic | 🔗 Link |
Forms training (Admin) | |
Adding users | |
Contact fields | |
Integrations | |
Texting | |
Emailing | |
Consents |
Day-to-day management
Once your account is set up, the below topics will help you get the absolute most out of your Gecko forms experience!
🔎 Topic | 🔗 Link |
Speedy Capture training (Users) | |
Form fields | |
Sharing your forms | |
Analytics and tracking | |
Pre-filling form | |
Capture app | |
Parent and child fields | |
Importing into Gecko | |
Exporting from Gecko | |
Workflows | |
Reporting |
FAQs
Some common issues people run into when using forms. Need help finding the answer to your question? Reach out to us for support. Have a question in mind that isn't listed? Drop us a line here!
🔎 Q: How do I restore an archived form?
Archived forms can be restored by any user with permission to view the form. Go to Forms and, using the Form Status filter, select the Archived Forms option and click Apply.
Find the form you'd like to restore, click the actions (cog) icon to the right of the form name, and click Restore form.
🔎 Q: Why can't I find a form?
Need help seeing a form? It could be that the form has been archived, or you do not have permission to view it.
There are two ways of resolving this, depending on your user type:
If you're an administrator - Click your name in the top-right corner and select User Settings > Forms. Click the checkbox next to the name of the form you'd like to be able to view and click Save Changes. The form will now be visible on the Forms page for you!
If you're not an administrator - Contact one of your system administrators and ask them to let you view the form. Sadly, the Gecko team cannot grant permission on your behalf for data security reasons!
🔎 Q: What is the "Unable to verify CAPTCHA, please try again" error?
By default, all Gecko forms use Google's invisible reCAPTCHA system to help keep you protected from DDoS/spam attacks. This setting is managed form-by-form in the form Settings > Basic Settings tab. Look for the Protect From Spam option!
If you come across a form submission error that reads "Unable to verify CAPTCHA, please try again", it means that your submission has been marked as suspicious by the CAPTCHA check.
Other than disabling this option for your form, potential workarounds include using a different browser, incognito/private browsing, and opting not to use auto-fill browser shortcuts.
🔎 Q: Can I change how my form looks?
Gecko gives you granular control over how your form looks to end-users. The changes you're able to make depend on how you're sharing your form:
Webform - You can adjust the colors and images displayed at the top of your form by clicking on your form and going to Settings > Design. Whilst these images and colors can be changed form-by-form, account defaults can be set in Settings > Account Settings.
There is no way to edit the fonts or styling of the form itself using a webform link. For this level of customization, you'd need to embed your form!
Logo image: Recommended 670px x 180px in PNG or JPG format. The account default can be set in the Settings > Account Settings > Header Logo (mobile) field.
Header image: Recommended 1536px x 500px in PNG or JPG format. The account default can be set in the Settings > Account Settings > Header Background (mobile) field.
Background colour: This hex color will overlay the Header image. The account default can be set in the Settings > Account Settings > Account colour field.
Embedded - Custom CSS can be applied to your embedded Gecko forms. This can either be applied to all of your forms (head to Settings > Account Settings > Custom CSS) or can be applied on a form-by-form basis. Note: Custom CSS applied on the form-level will overwrite the account-level CSS.
To apply CSS on the form-level, go to Settings > Design, look for the Custom CSS field, and add the CSS you'd like your form to use when embedded.
Gecko also allows you to import a pre-made CSS stylesheet dynamically:
@import url("YOUR-STYLESHEET-URL-GOES-HERE");Using an external style sheet has distinct advantages over simply inserting your CSS into the Custom CSS field; any future changes made to the dedicated CSS style sheet will instantly reflect in your embedded form - without having to log in to Gecko to update anything!
🔎 Q: How do I send uploaded files as an email attachment?
🚨 Warning: Gecko does NOT recommend using this method! Emails are inherently unsafe. Be sure to check with your IT security team before proceeding.
If a student uploads files to your Gecko form via a file field, you can include a direct link to the uploaded file in any emails you send.
As this is not out-of-the-box functionality, there are several workarounds you'd need to employ to get this up and running:
On your connector app, generate a webhook endpoint
On Gecko, create a workflow on your form to send your submitted form JSON data to this endpoint
On Gecko, submit a test response
On your connector app, using your test response JSON form data, create an action to send an email on your email platform of choice (Outlook, Gmail, etc.) using this data
Any questions? Start a live chat with a support team member, or feel free to explore the rest of our academy. Spotted an error or want to suggest a future article for the academy? Let us know here.