Multi-step forms
Multi-step forms that save every step
Long forms, split into one easy step at a time. Every answer is saved as it's given, so nobody loses their progress, and you see exactly where people stop.
Free forever, with unlimited responses. No credit card.
A long application or intake form doesn't have to feel long. Split into steps, it becomes a series of small questions, each easy to answer. hootform goes one further than most multi-step builders: every step is a single question, and every answer is saved the moment it's given.
How it works in hootform
- Build the form. Add your questions in the builder. Each one becomes a step, with a progress bar and a "02 / 10" counter so respondents know where they are.
- Let people stop and come back. Answers are stored as they're given. A respondent who closes the tab can come back to the same link in the same browser within 30 days and carry on where they stopped. See what respondents see.
- See where they stopped. Every plan counts how many people started and how many finished. On Premium, Insights shows which question people stopped at, and you can read the unfinished responses too.
Better than a paginated form
In a paginated form, a respondent who gives up on page three loses everything they typed, and so do you. In hootform nothing is lost: an application abandoned at the last question still leaves you the contact details from the first.
Steps respond to answers too. Logic skips the steps that don't apply, and the progress bar follows each person's own path, so it never jumps backwards.
What's free, and what's Premium
| Free | Premium, $19/month | |
|---|---|---|
| One step per question, with a progress bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Every answer saved as it's given, and resuming later | ✓ | ✓ |
| Where people stopped, per question | — | ✓ |
| Reading unfinished responses | — | ✓ |
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.
- HR & recruiting Job application form template Collect applications for an open role: contact details, experience, and links to work.
- 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.
- Sales & marketing Lead qualification form template Sort serious buyers from browsers: size, need and timing, with browsers sent straight to the newsletter.
- Education & nonprofit Volunteer sign-up form template Match volunteers to shifts: where they can help, when they're free and how to reach them.
- HR & recruiting Time-off request form template Request holiday, sick days or other leave: the type, the dates, half days and who's covering.
- Sales & marketing Client intake form template Everything you need before a first call with a new client: services, goals, budget, deadline and their brief.
In the docs
Questions people ask
What's the difference between a multi-step form and a conversational form?
In hootform they're the same thing: every question has its own step. "Multi-step" usually means a long form split into pages, and hootform takes that as far as it goes.
Can respondents go back to an earlier step?
Yes. The up arrow returns to the previous question on their path, with their answer still there.
Can I embed a multi-step form on my site?
Yes. Embed it inline, and the steps change inside the frame without reloading your page.
Does saving progress need an account?
No. Progress is kept in the browser the respondent used, for 30 days, with no sign-in.
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.
- 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.
- Encrypted forms hootform encrypts identifying answers and files at rest with a key per form, on by default and free. Delete a form and its responses can never be read again.