Getting started

Test your form

Test a FormsReach form before go-live - local HTML, staging hosts, domain allowlist, and dashboard verification.

What you will achieve

A short checklist to prove submit works before you put the form on a production page - and again after every domain or key change.

Prerequisites

Why test

  • Catch wrong keys and missing name attributes before real visitors submit
  • Confirm domain allowlist includes every host you actually use
  • Avoid noisy WhatsApp traffic while you are still wiring the form

Steps

1. Start with dashboard-only success

  1. Disable or skip WhatsApp until the HTML path works (WhatsApp is available on Pro/Agency and costs credits per send).
  2. Email is optional for the first tests - a Submissions row is the source of truth.
  3. Submit once with unique text in message (for example test-2026-07-28-a).

2. Use a simple host you control

Good early hosts:

  • A static HTML file on a staging URL
  • Your site’s preview deploy
  • A CMS draft page that still posts from a real browser origin

Open the page over the same kind of URL you will use later (prefer HTTPS for staging and production).

3. Watch the network request

  1. Open browser DevTools → Network.
  2. Submit the form.
  3. Select the request to https://api.formsreach.com/submit.
  4. Confirm method POST and a non-network-error response.

If the request never leaves the browser, fix the form action or page JavaScript before debugging FormsReach.

4. Confirm the Submissions row

  1. Open the form in app.formsreach.com.
  2. Open Submissions.
  3. Find the unique test message.

No row means the submit was not accepted (or you are on the wrong form). Use Your first submission.

5. Align domain allowlist with real hosts

Your api_key is public. When the allowlist is enabled, FormsReach checks the request Origin/Referer host against hosts you configured for that form.

Before go-live:

  1. List every production host (include both apex and www if both serve the form).
  2. List every preview or staging host you intentionally test from.
  3. Submit again from each host you listed.
  4. Prefer HTTPS sites.

If a host is missing, you get a domain denied style error. Details: Domain allowlist.

6. Keep spam fields empty for humans

If you added honeypot / time trap fields:

  • Leave the honeypot empty (real users never see it)
  • Do not bot-fill spam fields in automated tests unless you intend to create a spam classification

7. Add channels only after store works

  1. Enable Email and send a test submission.
  2. On Pro/Agency, add WhatsApp and verify destination numbers before relying on it.
  3. Treat channel delivery as a second checklist after the Submissions row exists.

Verify matrix

Result Meaning What to do
Row in Submissions Submit path accepted Safe to harden domains/spam and enable channels
HTTP error, no row Rejected or failed request Read error body; check key, domain, credits
Row exists, no email/WhatsApp Channel not delivering Fix channel config and credits - form HTML may be fine
Works on staging, fails on production Host allowlist gap Add production host (and www if needed)

Common failures

Symptom What to check
Works in dashboard preview but not on site Different host - add site host to allowlist
Intermittent domain errors Some pages on www, some on apex - allow both
Duplicate test noise on WhatsApp Test with dashboard + email first
Spam-looking rows Honeypot filled or automated fill too fast - see Spam

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