# Quickstart

Create a FormsReach form, paste an HTML snippet, submit a test, and confirm the row in the dashboard in minutes.

## What you will achieve

A working contact form that stores submissions in FormsReach - and can email you once you enable the email channel - in under about ten minutes.

You only need to paste HTML. No backend, npm, or SDK for this path.

## Prerequisites

- A [FormsReach account](https://app.formsreach.com) (free plan is enough to start)
- Any page where you can paste HTML (static site, CMS block, CodePen, or a local `.html` file)

## Steps

### 1. Sign in and create a form

1. Open [app.formsreach.com](https://app.formsreach.com) and sign in (or create an account).
2. Create a new form from the dashboard.
3. Open that form so you can see its overview and integration snippets.

### 2. Copy your API key

1. On the form overview or integration panel, copy the form **API key**.
2. Keep it handy for the next step.

The key is a public form identifier. It will appear in your page HTML - that is expected. Protect production traffic with a [domain allowlist](/docs/submit-api/domains/) and [spam protection](/docs/submit-api/spam/) after your first test works.

More detail: [Create a form and API key](/docs/getting-started/create-form-api-key/).

### 3. Paste a plain HTML form

Add this form to your page. Replace `YOUR_ACCESS_KEY` with your real API key.

```html
<form action="https://api.formsreach.com/submit" method="POST">
 <input type="hidden" name="api_key" value="YOUR_ACCESS_KEY" />

 <input type="text" name="name" required />
 <input type="email" name="email" required />
 <textarea name="message" required></textarea>

 <button type="submit">Submit Form</button>
</form>
```

Requirements:

- `action` must be `https://api.formsreach.com/submit`
- `method` must be `POST`
- Hidden input `name="api_key"` must match this form's key
- Each field you care about needs a `name` attribute

### 4. Submit a test

1. Open the page in a browser.
2. Fill name, email, and message with obvious test values (for example `Test User`).
3. Click **Submit Form**.

You should land on the default thank-you experience, or your [custom redirect](/docs/submit-api/redirect/) if you already configured one.

### 5. Confirm in the dashboard

1. Return to [app.formsreach.com](https://app.formsreach.com).
2. Open the **same** form you used for the key.
3. Open **Submissions**.

## Verify

You should see:

- A new submission row with the test field values
- No need for email or WhatsApp yet - a stored row means the submit path works

If the row is missing, continue to [Your first submission](/docs/getting-started/first-submission/) and [Troubleshooting](/docs/help/troubleshooting/).

## Common failures

| Symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
| Nothing in Submissions | Wrong `api_key`, or you are viewing a different form |
| Error about missing API key | Hidden input `name="api_key"` missing or misspelled |
| Domain denied | Host not on the form [domain allowlist](/docs/submit-api/domains/) - add your site host (and `www` if used) |
| Credits / plan error | Monthly credits exhausted - see [pricing](https://formsreach.com/pricing) and billing in the app |
| Network error in the browser | Confirm the form `action` URL is exactly `https://api.formsreach.com/submit` |

## Next

- [Your first submission](/docs/getting-started/first-submission/) - how to read success and errors
- [Test your form](/docs/getting-started/test-your-form/) - local, staging, and production checks
- [Email channel](/docs/channels/email/) - get notified when someone submits
- Optional later: [programmatic submit](/docs/submit-api/json/) or the [JavaScript](/docs/frameworks/javascript/) guide if you need AJAX-style submit without a full page reload