Encrypted forms
Forms that encrypt what people tell you
Email addresses, phone numbers, dates, files and signatures are encrypted at rest with a key for each form. It's on by default, and it's free.
Free forever, with unlimited responses. No credit card.
Most form builders encrypt the disk your data sits on. hootform encrypts the identifying answers themselves, one form at a time. Someone who gets hold of the stored data, such as a copy of a backup, finds those answers unreadable without that form's key.
How it works in hootform
- It's on for every new form. Identifying answers are encrypted before they're stored, with AES-256-GCM and a key that belongs to that form alone. The form's key is itself encrypted with a master key kept outside the database. See encryption.
- See what's covered. In the builder, a lock marks every question whose answers are encrypted, and a form's Privacy settings list them all.
- Decide how long to keep it. Delete single responses at any time. On Premium, delete responses automatically after a set number of days with retention, and require encryption on every form in your organization.
What's encrypted
Email addresses, phone numbers, contact details, postal addresses, links, dates and times, uploaded files and their names, signatures, numbers you mark as personal, text typed beside "Other", hidden fields, follow-up questions and replies, and the respondent's browser and referring page.
Choices, ratings and scales stay readable, so Insights can count them. Short and long text also stay readable, because that's what you search and read most. The Privacy settings show exactly which is which, so nothing is a surprise.
Deleting means deleted
Deleting a form deletes its key. Any copy of its responses that survives anywhere, such as in an old backup, can never be read again.
What's free, and what's Premium
| Free | Premium, $19/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption at rest with a key per form, on by default | ✓ | ✓ |
| Encrypted files, signatures and hidden fields | ✓ | ✓ |
| Requiring encryption on every form in the organization | — | ✓ |
| Deleting responses automatically after a set time | — | ✓ |
Premium is one price for the whole organization. See plans.
Templates that use it
- Sales & marketing Product recommendation quiz template A few questions that end on a product to buy, under one wordmark and one full-screen picture.
- Feedback & research NPS survey template The one-number loyalty survey, with a follow-up that changes depending on the score.
- HR & recruiting Job application form template Collect applications for an open role: contact details, experience, and links to work.
- Events Event registration form template Sign people up for an event, with seats, sessions and dietary needs. Pair it with a response limit to cap attendance.
- Sales & marketing Contact form template A simple way to be reached, routed by topic, with the campaign that sent them recorded.
- Feedback & research CSAT survey template Rate the experience, then say why — unhappy answers get a follow-up before the form moves on.
- HR & recruiting Employee onboarding form template Everything you need before someone's first day, opening with a welcome video from the team.
- Events Webinar registration form template Sign people up for a session, with a trailer up front and the campaign that sent them recorded.
- Events Restaurant reservation form template Take bookings with the table, the occasion and the kitchen's notes in one pass.
In the docs
Questions people ask
Does encryption stop my team reading responses?
No. People with access to the form read every answer as usual, in the dashboard, exports, notifications and webhooks. Encryption protects what's stored, not what your team is allowed to see.
Does encryption cost extra?
No. Encryption is on by default and free on every plan. Requiring it for a whole organization is part of Premium.
Is this end-to-end encryption?
No. hootform can decrypt answers so it can show them to your team, send notifications and build exports. It protects the stored data against anyone who doesn't have the keys.
Can I turn encryption off?
Yes, per form, unless your organization requires it. Existing responses are re-written to match straight away.
More features
- Conversational forms Build conversational forms that ask one question at a time, with keyboard shortcuts, logic and answer recall. Free, with unlimited forms and responses.
- Conditional logic Add conditional logic to any form: skip questions, branch on any answer or hidden field, recall answers, and finish on different endings. Free.
- Quiz maker Make a scored quiz online: points per answer, a result screen that shows the score, and a different ending for each score band. Free, with unlimited responses.
- Multi-step forms Build multi-step forms that save every answer as it's given, so people can stop and resume, and you can see exactly where they stopped. Free.
- File upload forms Let people attach CVs, photos, screenshots and documents to any form. Files are stored with each response and encrypted at rest. Free up to 10 MB a file.
- E-signature forms Collect signatures on any form, drawn with a finger or a mouse, with consent checkboxes that record the exact wording agreed to. Free, and encrypted at rest.