> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.campground.fyi/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Collect applications with custom forms
> Build intake forms with custom fields, route submissions to programs, and manage the full application review lifecycle from one dashboard.
Forms are the one part of Campground that can be reached without signing in. Use them to collect structured information from anyone — members, applicants, or the general public. When you mark a form as an application, each submission creates an application record that you can review, accept, or reject. Accepted applicants automatically gain access to their program on the platform.
Everything else in Campground requires a sign-in. Only profiles with the **member** role can sign in to the platform, and members only see content for the programs they're assigned to.
## Creating a form
In your admin dashboard, navigate to **Forms**. Click **New form** to open
the form builder.
Give the form a clear title and an optional description (supports Markdown).
The description appears at the top of the public form page.
Switch to the **Questions** tab. Click **Add field** and choose a field
type. Drag fields to reorder them. Mark individual fields as required to
enforce them on submission.
Under **Destinations**, choose the program and season where applications
should be routed. You can add multiple destinations — when you do,
applicants see a selector to choose which program they are applying to.
Set an optional closing date, customize the post-submission message, and
choose whether a profile photo is required, optional, or hidden. You can
also enable auto-acceptance here.
Copy the public form URL from the form settings and share it on your
website, social media, or via email. Anyone with the link can submit — no
Campground account required.
## Field types
| Field type | What it collects |
| --------------- | ------------------------------- |
| `text` | Short single-line text |
| `long_text` | Multi-line text area |
| `single_select` | One choice from a dropdown list |
| `multi_select` | Multiple choices from a list |
| `file` | Any file upload |
| `image` | Image upload |
| `url` | A web address |
| `checkbox` | A single yes/no toggle |
| `date` | A date picker |
| `number` | Numeric input |
| `rating` | A rating scale |
## How submissions create profiles
When someone submits a form, Campground looks up or creates a profile by email address. The role assigned to that profile depends on who is submitting and what kind of form they are filling out.
| Who is submitting | Form type | Role assigned to the profile |
| ------------------------------ | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Anonymous visitor (no account) | Application form | `applicant` |
| Anonymous visitor (no account) | General (non-application) form | `applicant` |
| Signed-in member | Any form | Existing roles are kept; admin-level roles cannot be added through a form submission |
Anonymous form submissions never grant member access on their own. A new submitter shows up on the **Applications** page until you accept their application or manually change their role.
General forms — forms not marked as applications — are a good fit for
newsletter signups, event RSVPs, or interest surveys when you don't want
submitters added to your member directory. Submitters appear as applicants so
you can review, contact, or delete them without expanding your active
membership.
## Application forms vs. general forms
Use an **application form** when you want each submission to enter a review queue tied to a program or season. Submitters become applicants for a specific program, and accepting an application grants the profile access to that program.
Use a **general form** when you only need to collect data — for example, an interest list, an event RSVP, or a public feedback survey. General forms create a profile and a form response but do not create an application record or grant program access.
## Saving a draft
Applicants can click **Save Draft** at any time without completing every required field. The minimum required to save a draft is an email address, first name, and last name. When an applicant returns to the same form URL and enters their email, they are prompted to verify their identity, and the form reloads with their saved answers.
Draft applications appear in the Applications table with an **In Progress**
badge and do not trigger any notification emails. They only become active
applications once the applicant clicks **Submit**.
## Reviewing submissions
Navigate to **Applications** in your admin dashboard to see all submissions. You can filter by status, program, season, or search by name. Click **Details** on any application to see the full form response.
## Application status lifecycle
| Status | Meaning | Badge color |
| -------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------ |
| Draft | Partially filled, not yet submitted | Gray |
| New | Submitted and awaiting your review | Yellow |
| Accepted | Approved for the program | Green |
| Rejected | Declined | Red |
| Custom | Any status your organization defines | Custom color |
To change an application's status, select one or more applications and use the bulk action menu in the Applications table.
Both admins and sub-admins can review applications and change their status. Sub-admins can only act on applications for the programs they're scoped to.
### Bulk actions
Select one or more applications using the checkboxes in the Applications table. The bulk action menu lets you:
* Change status (accept, reject, or apply a custom status)
* Delete applications
* Export to an email list
## Auto-acceptance
If you want every submission to be accepted immediately — for example, for an open-enrollment community — set the **Initial application status** to **Accepted** in the form settings. Applicants are added to the program and granted platform access as soon as they submit.
## Custom statuses
Your organization can define additional review stages beyond new, accepted, and rejected — for example, "Waitlisted" or "Interview Scheduled." Create custom statuses in your organization settings and they will appear alongside the standard statuses in the status selector.
When you accept an application, the applicant is automatically added to the
program and granted access to the platform as a member. If your program has
task lists linked to it, those are assigned to the new member at the same
time.
## Common setups
Set **Initial application status** to **Accepted** in the form settings. Anyone who submits the form is immediately added to your program. There is no manual review step.
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Leave the initial status as the default (**New**). Applications land in your
review queue. You and other admins can read each response, then accept or
reject individually or in bulk. Configure acceptance and rejection email
templates in your program settings so applicants are notified automatically
when you update their status.
Add more than one destination to your form. Applicants see a program selector and pick the cohort or season they want to join. Their application is routed to the program they select.
Set a **closing date** on the form to automatically stop accepting new
submissions after your intake period ends. You can still review and update the
status of applications that came in before the deadline.