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Forms

Workspace Forms collect structured details from contacts—leads, support requests, or custom fields you define. Create and manage them under Workspaces → Forms, then trigger any form from Web Chat Appearance, an AI Action, a ChatMaven Flow, or Inbox. Starter rows may show a Seed badge (for example Lead, Mixed Form, Support); custom forms you add appear in the same table.

Live URL: live.chatmaven.ai/workspaces/forms

Forms video​

Watch the video below for a walkthrough of workspace Forms. You can also follow the written steps in this guide.

Open the Forms video on Google Drive in a new tab if the player above does not load.

Open Forms​

Top bar Workspaces → sidebar Forms.

The table lists Name, Title, Submit text, and Actions.

Forms page: description and table

Create a form​

  1. Click Add form.

Forms table with Seed rows and Actions

  1. In Add form, set:
    • Form name (internal, e.g. Lead)
    • Title (shown on form) (visitor-facing)
    • Message before form opens (chat) — shown as a chat line before the form in flows and embed. Clear this field to open the form with no message.
  2. Under Fields, add + Text, + Paragraph, + Email, + Phone, + Number, + Single choice, + Multi choice, or + File upload. For each field, set the label, type, Required, Placeholder (optional), and Map to contact (optional) (default — Don't map —). Reorder or remove fields as needed.
  3. Optionally set Submit button text, Submit button color (hex), Thank-you header, and Thank-you body.
  4. Click Create; Cancel closes without saving.

Add form modal

Edit a form​

  1. In the table Actions, click Edit form (pencil) for the form.

Edit icon on a form row

  1. In Edit form, change names, title, chat message, fields, submit button, and thank-you copy the same way as creation.
  2. Click Update to save or Cancel to discard.

Edit form modal

Duplicate a form​

In Actions, click Duplicate form to copy an existing form (including seed rows). The new form appears in the table so you can edit it independently.

Delete a form​

Seed forms show Edit form and Duplicate form only. Custom forms also show Delete form (trash).

  1. In Actions, click Delete form.

Delete icon on a form row

  1. In Delete form?, the dialog states: This form will be deactivated. Agents using it will no longer show this form until you assign another. Confirm Delete or Cancel.

Delete form confirmation

Use Cases: Where You Can Trigger a CM Form​

After you create a form, you can show it to contacts in four places. The images below walk through each setup.

Where you trigger the formChannels
Appearance → Agent Settings → FormsWeb Chat only
AI ActionWeb Chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, and other channels you select on the action
ChatMaven FlowWeb Chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, and other channels selected on the flow
InboxWeb Chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, and other channels for the open conversation
Create the form first

Build or edit the form under Workspaces → Forms, then attach it in the settings below.

1. Enable a form on Web Chat​

Show a form on the website widget when a visitor opens chat or after they send a set number of messages. This Appearance setting applies to Web Chat only. To send the same form on WhatsApp, Instagram, or other channels, use an AI Action, a ChatMaven Flow, or Inbox.

Channels: Web Chat only.

  1. Open Agents, pick the agent, then SPOTLIGHT → Web Chat → Appearance.
  2. In the right panel, click Agent Settings (not Home Page), then the Forms tab.
  3. The info box states: Configure forms in Workspaces → Forms. Create and edit forms there, then choose which one to show when chat opens (below).
  4. Turn on Lead Collection (Collect leads before or during the conversation by showing a form).
  5. Under Which form to show first (when chat opens), pick a workspace form.
  6. Choose when it appears: set Show form after X messages, or check Require details before starting chat.
  7. Optionally check Create contact only when flow collects required fields.
  8. Click Save.

Web Chat Appearance, Agent Settings, Forms — Lead Collection

2. Trigger a form with an AI Action​

Let the AI send a form when the contact’s intent matches, on the channels you select—Web Chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, and other channels shown on the action.

Channels: Web Chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, and other channels you enable for the action.

  1. Open Agents, pick the agent, then AI Settings → AI Actions.
  2. Click Add action. The Add AI Action dialog opens.
  3. Set Display name and Action key.
  4. Set Action type to ChatMaven Form (other types include WhatsApp Template, WhatsApp Flow, ChatMaven Template, and ChatMaven Flow).
  5. Under ChatMaven Form, choose Select form and pick a workspace form.
  6. Enter an Open message.
  7. Under Channels, select Web Chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, and any other listed channels where the form should run.
  8. Fill in Intent description. Optionally add a Companion message (optional) (Leave empty for a silent direct trigger (flow/form/template only). If set, only this text is shown—not the AI reply.).
  9. Leave Active on (Runs automatically when triggered on selected channels.). Click Save in the dialog, then Save on the AI Settings page.

Add AI Action dialog with Action type ChatMaven Form

3. Trigger a form in a ChatMaven Flow​

Send a form as a step in a visual flow. The form is delivered on Web Chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, and any other channels selected for that flow.

Channels: Web Chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, and other channels you check on the flow. No selection = all channels. Check one or more to restrict this flow.

  1. Open Workspaces → Flows. Click Add flow, or open an existing flow to edit.
  2. In the flow header, open the channels control and select Web Chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, and any other channels that should receive the form.
  3. From STEPS under Conversation, add ChatMaven Form (the palette may show an IG badge).
  4. Click the canvas node. In the ChatMaven Form panel:
    • Form to show — pick a workspace form (Choose a workspace form. At runtime the flow will display this form in the chat.)
    • Answers are saved as flow variables using each field’s key. Downstream steps such as Update Contact can reference the same keys.
    • Map to contact (optional) — map each field to a contact attribute when the form is submitted. Common keys (for example email, phone, first/last name) are prefilled; change them to match your field keys. You can skip a separate Update Contact step if you map everything here.
    • Step gap — delay before the next step.
  5. Click Save in the panel, then Save the flow. Turn the flow Active.

ChatMaven Form step on the flow canvas

4. Send a form from Inbox​

When a human agent is handling the conversation (instead of the AI), send a form from the composer. This works on Web Chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, and other channels for the open conversation.

Channels: Web Chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, and other channels available on that conversation. The picker title includes the current channel (for example Templates, Flows & Forms – Web Chat).

  1. Open Inbox and select a conversation on the channel you want to send on (Web Chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, or another connected channel).
  2. Confirm the composer channel selector at the top of the reply box.
  3. Click Templates. You can also type / in the box (placeholder: use / for templates, $ or {{ for variables, : for emoji).
  4. The panel Templates, Flows & Forms – followed by the channel name opens. Search with Search name, language, or type (e.g. ChatMaven Flow, ChatMaven Form)…
  5. Select a row whose type is ChatMaven Form, then send it.

Inbox Templates, Flows and Forms picker with a ChatMaven Form