Creating a form¶
Two starting points: a template, or a blank form.
From a template¶
Templates are pre-built forms — a name, a description, and a set of questions ready to edit. Pick one from the dashboard and it's created immediately as a normal form you then adjust.
Volunteer Signup collects name, email and phone, which events someone can help with, a preferred role, availability, and a comments box.
Templates deliberately carry structure only. They don't assign groups and don't set response options, because those are decisions specific to your organization. After creating one, open it and set both.
The choice-based questions come with placeholder options like "Event 1, Event 2, Event 3" — replace them with your real events before sending anyone the form.
From scratch¶
Create a form with:
- Name — the title people see. It must be unique across your organization
- Description — optional, shown under the title. Use it for context and deadlines
Then set who it goes to and how it behaves.
Names must be unique
If you run the same form annually, include the year — "Trip Interest 2026". A duplicate name is rejected, and "Trip Interest" from three years running is impossible to tell apart in your form list anyway.
Response options¶
These control what respondents can do. All are off unless stated.
| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
| Editable | Respondents can change their answer after submitting |
| Deleteable | Respondents can delete their response |
| Multiple submissions | Respondents can submit more than once |
| Private responses | On by default. Only admins see responses |
| Make public | The form works without signing in |
| End form | Stops accepting new and edited submissions |
| Archive | Hides the form entirely |
There's also a Publish date & time, covered below.
Editable¶
Turn this on for anything where facts change — availability, contact details, t-shirt size. Without it, a respondent who made a mistake has to ask you to fix it.
Editing replaces their previous answers rather than adding a second response, so your results stay one row per person.
Multiple submissions¶
Off means one response per person, which is what you want for a permission slip. On means the same person can submit repeatedly — right for a form used as a recurring log, wrong for anything you'll count.
Private responses¶
Turning this off makes responses visible to everyone assigned
Private responses is on by default, and should usually stay on. Turn it off and everyone who can see the form can read everyone else's answers.
That's occasionally useful — a signup sheet where people should see which slots are taken. It is wrong for anything involving contact details, health information, or opinions.
Think about it before switching, not after responses arrive.
Publish date & time¶
Every form has a publish date. Left alone, it's now — the form goes out immediately.
Set it to a future date and time and the form is scheduled: it doesn't accept responses, and assigned users aren't given a task for it, until that moment arrives.
This is the setting to use when you're building a form a week ahead of a deadline. Build it, schedule it, and stop thinking about it.
A scheduled form is not a draft
A form with a future publish date is finished and waiting. If you want to keep working on one without it ever going out, leave its groups empty until you're ready, or archive it while you build.
Make public¶
Makes the form reachable without signing in — for reaching people who don't have myblueboard accounts at all. See Who receives a form.
End form vs Archive¶
End form closes it: no new responses, no edits, but it stays visible with its results. Use it at a deadline.
Archive hides it. Nothing is deleted and you can unarchive later. Use it for tidying up once a form has served its purpose.
Neither deletes responses. Deleting the form does.
Editing later¶
Open the form to change its settings, questions or groups at any time.
Adding a question after responses arrive leaves earlier submissions with nothing recorded for it — they aren't re-asked. If a question matters, add it before you share the form.