Create forms and contact forms with Kopage

With a form, visitors can get in touch directly via your Kopage website, send an inquiry, or submit other information.

The classic Kopage Website Builder offers a form function for this, which allows you to create simple contact forms as well as forms with individually required fields.

In this guide, we will show you how to effectively plan a form, embed it on your website, determine the required fields, and then check whether inquiries are being transmitted correctly.

Briefly explained: A good contact form only asks for the information you actually need to process an inquiry. The simpler and clearer the form is, the easier it is for visitors to fill it out.

What can I use forms for in Kopage? #

A classic contact form is just one possible application.

Depending on the website, forms can be used for purposes such as:

• general contact inquiries,
• Requests for quotes,
• Reservation or appointment requests,
• Registrations,
• Callback requests,
• Feedback.,
• or other structured queries.

Which fields you need therefore always depends on the specific purpose of the form.

Plan form before creation #

Before adding as many form fields as possible in the Kopage editor, you should consider which information you actually need.

For a simple contact form, a few details are often already sufficient:

Name
Email Address
Message

Depending on the use case, additional information may be useful, such as a telephone number, company, or the selection of a specific service.

Avoid fields that you do not need at all to process the request.

Practical Tip: The longer a form is, the more effort it takes for the visitor. Therefore, do not ask for everything just in case it might be of interest at some point.

Add form to a CoPage page #

First, open the page in the Kopage editor where you want the form to appear.

Then select the form or form builder using the designated function and insert it at the desired location on your page.

Depending on the structure of your website, the form can be used, for example, on a dedicated contact page or within a suitable content area.

If you are not yet familiar with the basic structure of pages and content blocks, you can find further information at Create content with Kopage: editing content blocks, texts, and images.

Which form fields do I need? #

Form fields determine what information visitors can enter.

For a contact form, for example, an email address is important if you want to reply to the inquiry by email.

In contrast, a message field allows the entry of longer free text.

Which field types are available to you in the form builder depends on the corresponding functions of the builder. Choose a field type in each case that matches the expected input.

Label fields clearly #

Every field should be labeled so that visitors immediately understand what information is expected.

Clear designations are, for example:

First name and last name
Email address
Phone number
Company
Your message

Avoid internal abbreviations or technical terms that your visitors might not know.

If additional explanations are necessary for a field, they should be formulated as concisely and understandably as possible.

Use mandatory fields sensibly #

Not every form field has to be filled out.

As a mandatory field, you should specifically define information without which you cannot meaningfully process the request.

For a standard contact form, for example, name, email address, and message might be required, while a phone number can remain optional.

Important: Do not make a field mandatory just because the information would be interesting to you. The decisive factor is whether it is actually needed for the respective purpose.

Correctly request email address #

If you want to reply to the sender, the form should collect an email address.

Label the field clearly and use the designated field type, provided it is available in the form builder.

An incorrectly entered email address can mean that while you receive an inquiry, you cannot reply to the sender.

For important inquiries, therefore, an additional telephone number may be useful – provided it is needed for the respective purpose.

Use message field #

A multi-line message field is suitable for open-ended inquiries.

This allows visitors to describe their request in more detail.

A clear label such as:

How can we help you?

can be more helpful than a technical or unclear field label, depending on the website.

The tone of address should, of course, match the style of your website.

Use selection fields #

If visitors need to choose between several predefined options, a corresponding selection field can be useful.

At a service company, for example, a selection could look like this:

I am interested in:

Consulting
Planning
Implementation
Support
Other

This gives you more structured requests and often allows you to see what it's about even before reading the message.

Use selection options only where they actually help the visitor.

Do not make the form unnecessarily complicated #

A common mistake is to set up a simple contact form like an extensive questionnaire.

For an initial contact, you normally don't need to gather all the information that might only be needed later in the conversation.

A clear form could be structured like this, for example:

Name *
Email address *
Phone
Subject
Message *

[Send message]

The asterisk can—if you use this representation—indicate a mandatory field.

Set recipient of the form request #

A contact form is only helpful if the submitted inquiries arrive at the right place.

Therefore, check in the form settings to which email address or designated destination the form messages are sent.

Use an address that is checked regularly.

For a corporate website, for example, an address like:

info@example.ch

often more practical than an employee's personal inbox when multiple people need to process requests.

Important: Do not publish a form without subsequently sending a real test request. That is the only way to determine whether the message actually arrives at its intended destination.

Submit form and visitor confirmation #

After submitting, it should be clear to the visitor that their request has been transmitted.

Clear confirmation prevents the form from being submitted multiple times because the visitor doesn't know if the first attempt worked.

If the form configuration you are using provides a corresponding confirmation or success message, it should be concise and clearly worded.

For example:

Thank you. Your message has been sent.

Do not promise a response time that you cannot reliably meet.

Label button meaningfully #

The send button should also be easy to understand.

A label like:

Send message

clearly describes the action.

With a different form type, a more suitable label can be used, for example:

Send request
Submit registration
Request callback

The button should make it as clear as possible to the visitor what happens when it is clicked.

Integrate the form visually into the website #

A form should match the rest of your website's design.

Pay particular attention to ensuring that labels are easy to read, input fields offer sufficient space, and the submit button is clearly identifiable.

Avoid insufficient color contrast between text, input fields, and background.

We cover the general design options under Customizing Kopage template and design: Colors, fonts, header, and footer.

Spam via contact forms #

Publicly accessible forms can be targeted automatically by bots. This can result in unwanted form submissions.

Kopage offers functions and integrations to protect forms from automated entries. You should check which protection option is used for your specific form within the current form configuration.

Such protection is intended to make automated transmissions more difficult without unnecessarily making it hard for real visitors to get in touch.

Practical Tip: When a sudden influx of obviously automated form messages arrives, check the existing spam protection features of the form first before recreating the entire form.

Do not confuse Formular and SpamExperts #

Protecting a website form and the spam filter of your email inbox are two different levels.

SpamExperts protects email traffic. However, a form on your website is first filled out and processed.

When a form message is delivered by email, normal email processing may subsequently also be relevant.

In case of problems, you should therefore first differentiate whether the form itself is not working or whether a form message that has already been sent simply does not appear in the expected inbox.

Form and Privacy Policy #

Data from visitors is transmitted via a contact form. Therefore, you should only request information that is necessary for the respective purpose.

In addition, your website should provide transparent information about how personal data is processed. Which specific legal information is required depends on your company, the purpose of the form, the data collected, and the applicable legal requirements.

Important: A technically functioning form does not automatically mean that all data protection requirements are met. Check the regulations that apply to your website and your use case.

Do not collect sensitive data unnecessarily via a standard contact form. #

A standard contact form should not be used without necessity to transmit particularly sensitive or confidential information.

Therefore, consider before creation which data is actually needed and whether a standard website form is suitable for the intended purpose.

For a general inquiry, basic contact information and the actual message are usually sufficient.

Test form before publication #

A form should always be fully tested.

Fill it out the way a real visitor would later.

Then check:

Can all required fields be filled in?
        ↓
Do mandatory fields work?
        ↓
Can the form be submitted?
        ↓
Does a confirmation appear?
        ↓
Does the request reach the correct recipient?
        ↓
Are sender details and the message legible?
        ↓
Can the request be responded to meaningfully?

Test what happens when a mandatory field is left blank.

Test form on smartphone #

Many visitors will use your form via smartphone.

Therefore, do not only check the desktop view.

Make sure that fields are clearly visible and easy to use, labels do not break awkwardly, and the submit button can be used without any problems.

Very extensive forms can be particularly tedious on small displays. That is another reason to only ask for truly required fields.

You can find further information at Responsive Design: Optimizing Kopage website for smartphones and tablets.

What to do if no form message arrives? #

If a test request can be sent successfully, but no message arrives at the expected destination, you should proceed systematically.

First, check if the recipient address in the form has been entered correctly.

Check the spam or junk folder of the mailbox in question as well.

If there is no message there either, it should be determined whether the problem occurs during form submission or during the subsequent email delivery.

Practical Tip: In the event of a delivery issue, please note the approximate time of your test request, the sender address used, and the intended recipient address. This information will significantly facilitate a subsequent technical review.

What to do if the form cannot be submitted? #

If submitting the form already fails, first check the visible notices or error messages.

Also check whether all required mandatory fields have been filled in correctly and whether an existing protective function is preventing transmission.

Test the form additionally in another browser or in a private browser window if necessary.

If the error persists, a screenshot of the message will be helpful for further troubleshooting.

What to do when form messages end up in spam? #

If the message was actually sent, but ends up in the recipient mailbox's spam folder, you should not immediately change all spam filter settings.

First, examine the message in question and the available log or analysis information.

At CURIAWEB, we generally recommend not changing the default configuration of SpamExperts without a specific reason. The filter is already preconfigured accordingly.

You can find further information on email and spam filters in our Knowledge Base under the Email & SpamExperts section.

Retest form after changes #

If you add fields later, change mandatory fields, switch the recipient, or adjust other settings on the form, you should send another test request.

Do not rely on a form continuing to function just because it was tested several months ago.

Especially after major changes to a website, a new functional test is advisable.

Multiple forms on a website #

A website may require different forms for various purposes.

For example:

Contact
→ general inquiry

Service
→ specific quote request

Event
→ registration

However, do not create a nearly identical form for every subpage if a single shared contact form serves the same purpose.

Multiple forms are especially useful when different information is actually needed.

Form or normal email address? #

Both contact methods have advantages.

A form can request the required information in a structured manner and offer the visitor a direct contact option within the website.

By contrast, a published email address makes it possible to contact someone using one's own email program.

Depending on the website, both options may also be available.

Combine form with location information #

On a contact page, in addition to the form, address, opening hours, or a map can also be helpful.

If visitors need to find a physical location, you can add a corresponding map feature.

We handle Google Maps and other external content under Embed Google Maps, YouTube, and social media into Kopage.

Typical mistakes in contact forms #

Common problems include too many mandatory fields, unclear field labels, an incorrect recipient address, and a form that was never tested after setup.

Even very long forms can deter visitors from contacting you.

Another mistake is failing to provide understandable feedback after submission, leaving visitors unsure whether their request has been sent.

Checklist for a completed contact form #

Purpose of the form clear?
        ↓
Only necessary fields present?
        ↓
Mandatory fields sensible?
        ↓
Field labels understandable?
        ↓
Recipient address correct?
        ↓
Spam protection checked?
        ↓
Data privacy considered?
        ↓
Test request successful?
        ↓
Message arrived?
        ↓
Smartphone display checked?

What's next? #

A contact form is often part of a complete contact page. In addition, location information, a map, or other external content can be integrated there, for example.

Therefore, we continue with Embed Google Maps, YouTube, and social media into Kopage.

Summary #

With the form function of the classic Kopage website builder, you can create contact forms and other forms for structured inquiries.

Plan first what information you actually need and keep the form as clear as possible. Use unambiguous field labels and only define truly necessary details as mandatory fields.

Check the intended recipient address and always send a real test request before publishing. In doing so, check not only the submission of the form, but also whether the message actually arrives at the correct recipient.

Also consider spam protection, mobile usability, and the data protection requirements applicable to your use case.

A contact form is not fully set up until a complete test request successfully works from the visitor form to the intended recipient.