Getting started

Next steps

After your first FormsReach submission - enable email, lock domains, add spam protection, WhatsApp, rules, and frameworks.

What you will achieve

A clear order of upgrades after your first successful test submission - without reading the entire docs site at once.

Prerequisites

Work top to bottom. Stop when the form meets your production needs.

1. Enable email notifications

Turn on the Email channel so you get a message for each enquiry. Verify recipient addresses in the dashboard when the product asks you to.

Email uses credits per notification. See pricing.

2. Lock production domains

Add every real host to the domain allowlist (apex and www if both are used). Re-test from the production URL.

3. Add spam protection

Add honeypot and time-trap fields from Spam and honeypot so bots are less likely to fill Submissions or burn credits.

4. Set a thank-you redirect

Send visitors to your own page after success with Redirect and thank-you.

5. Add WhatsApp (Pro / Agency)

If your plan includes WhatsApp, configure WhatsApp, verify destination numbers, and send one test. Visitors do not need WhatsApp to submit - only you receive the notification.

WhatsApp is not on Free or Starter. Plan details: pricing.

6. Route with workflow rules when needed

Use Workflow rules when different answers should hit different channels or destinations (for example city → different WhatsApp number).

7. Switch stack package or JSON if the UI needs it

Stay on HTML POST if full page reload is fine.

If you need in-page success states without reload:

8. Watch submissions and usage

  • Review history in Submissions
  • Watch credit usage in the app billing UI and pricing (unused plan credits do not roll over; delivery stops at 0 credits)

Verify you are production-ready

You should be able to say yes to:

  • Test submission appears for the production host
  • Domain allowlist includes production hosts
  • Spam fields are present and empty for real users
  • At least one notification channel is verified (email and/or WhatsApp)
  • Thank-you experience matches what you want visitors to see
  • You know where to open Submissions when something looks wrong

Common failures after go-live

Symptom Likely gap
Works on staging only Production host missing from allowlist
Sudden bot traffic Spam fields not added
No owner notification Channel off or unverified destination
Accept then silence on WhatsApp Plan gate or credits - see WhatsApp docs and pricing

Next

Previous
Next