How to build forms, surveys and quizzes inside Finance OS

What should the person see? Where should their answers land? Who should act? What must stop if they opt out or ask for a person?

Once those answers are clear, the builder becomes the easy part.

These tools look similar but perform different jobs.

Write a one-page build brief.

Purpose

Complete this sentence: when someone submits this, Finance OS should do a named thing, and the owner should take a named action. If the second half has no person or queue in it, the workflow is incomplete.

Audience and entry point

• who the respondent is;
• what they clicked or requested;
• whether the link is public, partner-specific or client-only;
• what permission exists for follow-up; and
• what the person reasonably expects next.

Data destination

For every answer, define:

• standard or custom field;
• contact or opportunity object;
• field type;
• allowed values;
• whether it can be overwritten;
• whether it is sensitive;
• source and form version; and
• workflow use.

Do not create a new custom field simply because the builder offers an Add button. Search the existing field catalogue first.

Use a form for compact, structured collection.

1. Open the builder

Navigate to the Forms builder, then start from scratch or select an approved template. Name it for staff, not for marketing.

2. Add the elements

Drag standard fields such as first name, last name, email and phone into the canvas. Add headings, explanatory text, checkboxes, dropdowns or approved file-upload elements only where required.

Create custom fields from the data model, not while improvising the wording.

3. Edit each field

• the visible label;
• placeholder or help text;
• required status;
• field width;
• options and option order; and
• hidden status, only for trusted system values.

A hidden browser field is not a security boundary. Validate partner IDs, source values and workflow permissions after submission.

4. Add logic

Published platform controls support show or hide, redirect, display message and disqualification actions. Use disqualification only for clear service-scope rules, not to make an unexplained credit judgement.

5. Configure notifications

Set the internal notification recipient and the client autoresponder. Keep sensitive answers out of ordinary notification emails unless the approved security process permits them.

6. Style and publish

Use the Finance OS light editorial design: clear labels, high contrast, square controls, restrained colour and visible focus states. Publish with a direct link, website embed, funnel element or supported popup, then test the exact final placement.

Use a survey when sequence and progress matter.

1. Break the task into slides

• What are you trying to do?
• Who is involved?
• What is the broad financial position?
• What complexity should the broker know about?
• What should happen next?

Avoid pages that ask unrelated questions merely to reduce the visible slide count.

2. Put low-friction questions first

Start with purpose and timing. Put detailed financial or sensitive questions later, after the person understands why they are being asked.

3. Add jump logic

Survey branching can send a respondent to another slide based on an answer. Document every jump so that:

• no answer produces a loop;
• every path reaches a confirmation;
• required disclosures cannot be skipped; and
• a sensitive answer reaches private human review.

4. Design the completion screen

Explain what was received, who will review it and the expected next action. Do not reveal a sensitive internal tag or an automatic decision.

5. Connect the workflow

Use the survey-submitted trigger, the source, and relevant field values to create the correct opportunity, task or follow-up.

Use a quiz for education, segmentation or internal knowledge, not for unsupervised credit conclusions.

A suitable Finance OS example

Build a broker follow-up readiness scorecard with four categories: response ownership, pipeline clarity, data quality and human handover.

Each answer can add points to a category. The result page can show an overall score, the strongest category, the weakest category and one practical next action.

1. Open the quiz builder

Navigate to the Quizzes area and add a quiz, choosing a template or starting from scratch.

2. Create questions and answer options

Write observable questions. “Does every new lead have a named owner?” is stronger than “Is your follow-up good?”

3. Define scoring and categories

Assign points and categories deliberately. Keep a scoring sheet outside the builder so another person can audit the result.

The platform can total points, calculate category outcomes and map results into CRM custom fields. That capability does not make the score independently validated.

4. Build the results page

• what the result means;
• what it does not mean;
• the first practical action;
• a link to a relevant guide; and
• an optional human next step.

Avoid false precision. A “73% ready” label implies more validation than a simple educational quiz may possess.

5. Connect result-based workflows

A quiz-submitted workflow can branch by score or category. Use that to send the promised result or relevant education, not to move every respondent into a sales sequence.

Every completion screen should carry four elements: a receipt, an owner, a next action, and the boundary of what has and has not happened.

Use the submission type and version as data. A field value without its source can be misread months later.

For client and referral forms, consider recording the form or survey name, the version, the submitted date and time, the source page or partner ID, the consent or acknowledgement state, the contact ID, the opportunity ID, and the workflow run or task created.

Preview is only the first test.

Test the interface

• desktop and mobile;
• keyboard-only completion;
• visible labels and errors;
• required and optional fields;
• long names and long answers;
• every conditional branch;
• back and next behaviour; and
• reduced-motion behaviour where animation exists.

Test the records

• new contact;
• existing contact;
• two opportunities for one contact;
• two applicants;
• blank optional values;
• field mapping and data types;
• source and version; and
• no unintended overwrite.

Test the workflow

• correct trigger;
• correct owner;
• one internal notification;
• one client acknowledgement;
• reply-to address;
• opt-out and consent filters;
• failure or invalid route; and
• duplicate submission.

Test the result

For quizzes, manually calculate several answer combinations and compare them with the displayed tier, category and mapped CRM values.

Use synthetic records. The OAIC recommends considering how test data is handled and whether real personal information is necessary during system testing.

Keep a person responsible when the submission:

• asks for credit guidance;
• contains financial complexity;
• includes hardship, vulnerability or a complaint;
• conflicts with existing CRM information;
• contains uploaded identity or financial documents;
• produces an uncertain quiz result; or
• requests a person.

Automation can make the submission visible and organised. It should not conceal where judgement begins.

One tool. One purpose. One owner.

Use forms to collect, surveys to guide, and quizzes to educate or segment. Build the data model first, and test the complete event path before asking a real person to submit anything.