Forms & Checklists Setup

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Forms & Checklists Options (Visibility & Display Rules)

Forms & Checklists help you collect consistent, structured information at the right stage of a booking/job—so your team follows the same process every time. Use them to capture site details, compliance steps, before/after photos, signatures, progress updates, decline/withdrawal reasons, and customer feedback.

In OctopusPro, every form/checklist is controlled by three core settings:

  • Visibility (Display to): who can view and complete the form (office/admin users, fieldworkers/sub-fieldworkers, customers in the Customer Portal).
  • Display rules (Display at / When to display): when the form appears in the workflow (Always Displayed, Check-In, In Progress, Change Status, Check-Out, Customer Satisfaction, Gift Card).
  • Assignments: which services and/or booking statuses the form applies to (so the right form appears for the right work).

On this page

What this is for

Use Forms & Checklists to standardize what information gets captured, when it gets captured, and who captures it—across office staff, field teams, and customers.

  • Improve job quality: enforce checklists and mandatory steps so jobs are completed consistently.
  • Capture photos and evidence: collect before/after images, site conditions, damage reports, and compliance proof.
  • Reduce admin back-and-forth: ensure fieldworkers capture required details on-site (notes, measurements, approvals, signatures).
  • Trigger quality control at the right moment: show forms at check-in, during progress, at check-out, or on a status change.
  • Collect customer satisfaction: request a rating and feedback after completion (CSAT).
  • Customer Portal data capture: collect contact/access details and gift card details during portal flows.

How Forms & Checklists work (overview)

Think of Forms & Checklists as a flexible data collection engine that can appear at different workflow events (status changes, check-in/out, customer feedback, gift card purchase) and collect the exact information you need—using field types like photos, signatures, toggles, dropdowns, and more.

Forms, Checklists & Custom Fields engine overview (visibility and assignment, workflow triggers, and field types)

You can combine Visibility, Display rules, and Assignments to ensure each form shows up only where it’s relevant—without cluttering the booking or confusing users.

Forms and Checklists Configuration

Key concepts

  • Form / Checklist: a reusable template containing a group of fields (elements) users complete.
  • Form elements (fields): the individual questions/inputs (text, dropdown, button group, checkbox list, date/time, photo upload, signature, etc.).
  • Visibility (Display to): which roles can view and complete the form (office/admin, fieldworkers/sub-fieldworkers, customers via Customer Portal).
  • Display rules (Display at / When to display): when the form appears (Always Displayed, Check-In, In Progress, Change Status, Check-Out, Customer Satisfaction, Gift Card).
  • Assign to services: show the form only for specific service types (recommended when different services require different data).
  • Assign to booking status: show the form only when the booking is moved into selected statuses (e.g., In Progress, Completed, Failed).

Create a new form or checklist

Go to Settings > General Settings > Forms & Checklists, then click Create new.

Forms & Checklists Settings page with Create new button

If you’re using a legacy layout, you may see a “Create new” button similar to this:

Legacy create new form and checklist button

Enter a clear name so it’s obvious when and why the form is used (e.g., “Check-In – Arrival Photos”, “Change Status – Start Job Evidence”, “Check-Out – Completion QA”, “Customer Satisfaction”).

Create a new form: set name, visibility, and display rule

Recommended naming convention: Trigger + Purpose (e.g., “Check-In – Arrival Photos”, “Check-Out – Completion QA”).

Add fields (form elements)

After creating the form, add the fields you want users to complete. For quality control and compliance, mark critical fields as mandatory so users can’t skip them.

Create new field in a form/checklist (legacy view)

OctopusPro supports a variety of element types. Choose the field type that matches what you need to capture (text input, dropdown, button group for Yes/No, checkboxes, date/time, photo upload, signature, etc.).

Form elements list (example)

Proof-of-work tip: Add a photo upload element and make it mandatory when you need evidence (before/after photos, damage reporting, compliance proof, completion confirmation).

Configure field settings (mandatory, photos, options)

Many field types include additional settings—such as Mandatory, photo upload toggles, or selectable options (for dropdowns, button groups, radio lists, and checkboxes). Use these settings to control what users must submit before they can proceed.

Edit field settings (mandatory, photo upload options) and save

For choice-based fields (like button groups), define clear options (e.g., Yes/No) and keep them short for mobile completion.

Button group field settings with options and edit/delete controls

Set who can see the form (visibility)

Use Visibility (sometimes labelled “Display to”) to control who can view and complete the form. This reduces confusion, protects sensitive information, and ensures each role sees only what they need.

  • Office/Admin users: capture or review data while creating or managing bookings, and from booking/job details.
  • Fieldworkers/Sub-fieldworkers (mobile app): complete forms on-site at the right step (check-in, change status, check-out, etc.).
  • Customers (Customer Portal): complete forms during portal flows (contact/access details, gift cards, feedback, etc.).

Visibility options explained

  • All: office + fieldworkers + customers can view/complete (best for shared job details everyone needs).
  • Only Office: office/admin users only (best for internal QA, sensitive notes, internal-only operational fields).
  • Only Customer and Office: customers + office (best for Customer Portal data capture that fieldworkers don’t need).
  • Fieldworker/Sub-fieldworker and Office: fieldworkers + office (best for on-site operational/compliance data customers shouldn’t access).

Set when the form appears (display rules)

The Display at (or When to display) setting controls exactly when the form appears in the workflow. Choose the option that matches the moment you want the form to be completed.

Always Displayed

Use Always Displayed when the form should be available for the booking whenever it’s relevant (based on your visibility and assignments). This is ideal for always-needed information such as property/site details, access instructions, job notes, or intake questions.

Always displayed form setup (name, visibility, always displayed)

Always displayed form: create new field

Check-In

Use Check-In when you want the form to appear at the moment the fieldworker checks in / starts the job workflow. This is best for enforcing “start job” requirements such as:

  • Arrival confirmation steps
  • Safety checks
  • Start-job photos (required)
  • Site condition evidence (before photos)

Best practice: keep check-in forms short and mobile-friendly (fast completion on-site).

In Progress

Use In Progress forms to capture information while the job is underway (progress notes, interim photos, materials used, approvals, or checkpoints during longer jobs).

Important: If you edit a form while jobs are already in progress, in-progress bookings may retain the earlier version to keep records consistent. Updated versions typically apply to future jobs.

View in-progress forms from the booking/job view

In-progress forms behavior when edited (versioning)

Change Status

Use Change Status forms when you want a form to appear at the moment a booking/job status changes. This is ideal for enforcing steps like “Arrived On Site”, “Start Job Photos”, “On Hold Reason”, “Withdrawn Reason”, “Declined Before Assignment”, or “Completion QA”.

Typical setup steps:

  1. Configure the relevant job/booking status and ensure it’s available to the right users.
  2. Assign the correct services to that status (so the status triggers the right forms).
  3. Create the form, set Display at = Change Status, then add your fields and save.

Change status form setup (name, visibility and display settings)

Assign to service button (status-triggered form)

Create new field for change status form

Reorder fields using drag and drop

Forms list showing status-based form

Fieldworker app:

Change status form shown in the fieldworker app

Assign to status in fieldworker app (GIF)

Check-Out

Use Check-Out forms when you want a checklist completed right before finishing the job (after photos, completion notes, parts used, customer sign-off, final QA).

When building a Check-Out form:

  • Add the required fields (elements).
  • Order fields in a logical completion sequence (drag & drop).
  • Save the form, then assign it to the relevant services/statuses as needed.

Check-out form: element field list

Check-out form: drag and drop ordering

Save the form and checklist

Forms list in Forms & Checklists Settings (check-out form visible)

Fieldworker flow (mobile app):

Update job status from the fieldworker app Complete a check-out form from the fieldworker app

Finish job / done with check-out form

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

Use Customer Satisfaction forms to collect feedback after the job is completed—such as a rating, comments, or NPS-style questions. Depending on your setup, customers may access the feedback form via your Customer Portal, branded customer app, or customer communications.

Customer satisfaction display option (CSAT)

Gift Card

Use Gift Card forms when you need to capture extra details during a gift card / voucher purchase flow—such as recipient name, sender name, delivery details, or custom notes. These forms are typically shown to customers through your Customer Portal or website gift flow (based on your configuration).

Example (customer website flow):

Example gift voucher purchase entry point (Zenin)

Example (collect contact details):

Example contact details form in gift flow (Zenin)

Example (collect recipient details):

Example recipient details for gift card (Zenin)

Assign a form to a booking status

Assign a form to one or more booking statuses so it only appears when a booking is moved into those statuses (e.g., In Progress, Completed, Failed, On Hold).

  • Use this when: you want the form to be triggered at a specific stage of the booking lifecycle.
  • If not assigned: the form may show across statuses (depending on your other rules and assignments).

Assign form to a status modal (select statuses and save)

Assign forms to services

Assign the form to one or more services to ensure the right form appears for the right type of job. This is especially important when different services require different checklists or evidence.

Assign form to service (select services and save)

Assign to service button on create form screen

Assign services to a job status (for status-triggered forms)

If you’re using status-based display rules (especially Change Status), make sure the correct services are assigned to the relevant job/booking status. This ensures that when the status is selected, the correct forms appear for that service.

Assign service to status from create form view (status assignment button highlighted)

Multiple forms per job & multiple fieldworkers

You can attach multiple forms/checklists to the same booking/job (e.g., separate check-in, progress, and check-out forms), and you can have multiple fieldworkers complete different forms or different parts of the workflow—depending on how you assign and trigger them.

Multiple forms/checklists for a single job (GIF) Multiple fieldworkers completing forms in the fieldworker app (GIF)

Why “Assign to service” may be unavailable for some forms

Depending on the form type and workflow (including some default forms), assignment options may be limited. If you don’t see “Assign to service” for a particular form, it usually means the form is designed to be global (not tied to a service) or controlled by a different workflow (e.g., certain default portal forms).

Default forms (Next Service Date Reminder & Your Contact Details)

OctopusPro includes some default forms (for example, “Next Service Date Reminder” and “Your Contact Details”). You can edit default forms, but they are commonly designed to work across the platform and may not support assignment to specific services or statuses.

Contact Details forms (Customer Portal use cases)

Portal-visible forms are commonly used to collect customer information at the right moment (booking details, access instructions, gift card flows). A common example is a Contact Details form that customers fill out during a portal flow.

Contact details form listed in Forms & Checklists settings

Contact details form configuration (visibility and display rule) with fields list

View completed forms (admin & office)

Admin/office users can review submitted forms from the booking/job details screen. This helps with quality control, proof-of-work, compliance, and resolving disputes (photos, signatures, timestamps, and notes are captured consistently).

View completed forms from booking/job details

Portal/contact forms can also be reviewed from within the booking details page:

View contact details form from booking details page

Edit, delete, activate/deactivate

Edit forms and checklists

Edit a form when you need to adjust wording, add/remove fields, change options, or improve completion flow. Consider how edits affect in-progress jobs (in-progress bookings may retain earlier versions).

Editing forms and checklists from the list view

Delete forms and checklists

Delete forms only when you’re sure they’re no longer needed. If a form is used in active workflows, deleting it removes it from future jobs and may reduce consistency of records.

Deleting a form or checklist

Activate / deactivate

Deactivate forms you don’t want used right now without permanently deleting them.

Activate/deactivate forms and checklists toggle

Best practices

  • Keep mobile completion fast: aim for under 60–90 seconds for check-in/status/check-out forms.
  • Use mandatory fields strategically: enforce compliance/quality steps, but avoid overloading users.
  • Use photo uploads where proof matters: before/after photos, damage evidence, completion confirmation.
  • Use Check-In or Change Status for enforcement: when a step must happen at a specific moment (arrival/start/reason capture).
  • Use Check-Out for completion evidence: final checklist + deliverables + customer sign-off.
  • Name forms by trigger + purpose: e.g., “Check-In – Arrival Photos”, “Check-Out – Completion QA”.
  • Split long processes into stages: separate check-in, in-progress, and check-out forms instead of one long form.

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