What Are Forms and When Should You Use Them?
Forms are the backbone of your Member Splash registration system, available to Essentials and Premium plans. They allow you to collect information from members, process payments, and manage everything from membership signups to event registrations, all in one place.
Common uses for forms include:
Applications & Waitlists – Manage new member applications or waitlist signups with optional fees
Event & Program Signups – Register members for swim meets, lessons, social events, or camps
Facility Rentals – Let members book party spaces, meeting rooms, or other amenities
Waivers & Consent Forms – Gather required legal acknowledgments and digital signatures
Surveys & Feedback – Collect member input on policies, satisfaction, or new programs
Forms give you complete control over what information you collect and how you collect it, whether it's a simple contact form or a complex multi-page registration with payment processing.
Forms vs. Products: Which Should You Use?
Understanding when to use a form versus when to use a product is key to setting up your registration system effectively:
Use a FORM when you need to:
Collect detailed information (addresses, emergency contacts, preferences)
Require members to answer specific questions
Gather waivers, signatures, or consent agreements
Create multi-step registration processes
Show different fields based on user responses (conditional logic)
Use a PRODUCT when you need to:
Simply charge for something without collecting additional information
Offer items members add to their cart and pay
Understanding "Feeds" in Member Splash
As you work with forms, you'll encounter the term "feed." A feed is simply a connection between your form and your payment processor. Think of it as a pipeline that sends payment information from your form to the system that processes credit cards or ACH payments.
Why payment feeds matter: If you create a form that collects payment but forget to add a payment feed, the form won't be able to process transactions. Member Splash will show a warning indicator in your form list if a payment feed is missing from a form that contains pricing fields.
You'll learn how to add payment feeds as you build your forms; just remember that feeds are the "behind-the-scenes" connections that make payment processing work.
Your Form Building Workflow
Here's the simple process for creating and launching a form:
Build – Create your form and add the fields you need
Configure – Set up feeds, notifications, and form settings
Test – Submit test entries to ensure everything works correctly
Publish – Embed the form on your website and make it live
Let's walk through each step in detail.
Step 1: Creating a New Registration Form
Before creating a brand new form from scratch, consider downloading a form template from the MS Form Templates Library. Templates give you a head start with pre-built fields and structure.
To create a new form:
Navigate to WordPress Menu > Forms > Add New
Give your form a clear, descriptive title (e.g., "20XX Swim Team Registration" or "Pool Party Rental Request")
You'll enter the drag-and-drop form builder where you can begin adding fields
Step 2: Adding Fields to Your Form
Member Splash uses Gravity Forms to power your registration forms, giving you access to a wide variety of field types. Fields are organized into categories to make them easier to find.
Member Splash Fields (Custom Fields)
These custom-built fields are only available when a user is logged in to their Member Splash account. To enable these fields, go to Form Settings and require users to log in before completing the form.
Available custom fields:
Geofence – Allows users to draw a boundary on a Google Map, then automatically checks whether an address entered in a linked address field is within those boundaries (useful for verifying residency requirements)
Account ID* – Hidden field that automatically pulls the logged-in user's account ID into the form entry
Member ID* – Hidden field that automatically pulls the logged-in user's member ID into the form entry
Account Types – Dropdown field that lets users select from a pre-populated list of account types
Member Checkbox – Allows users to select one or more members from their account (e.g., "Which family members are attending?")
Member Select – Dropdown field with a pre-populated list of members from the user's account
*Note: Fields marked with an asterisk are hidden fields and should be used in combination with other Member Splash fields for accurate data collection.
Standard Fields
These are the building blocks of most forms:
Single Line Text – For short responses (e.g., first name, T-shirt size)
Paragraph Text – For longer input (e.g., notes, special requests, or medical concerns)
Drop Down – Choose one item from a list
Multiple Choice – Select only one option using radio buttons
Checkboxes – Select multiple options (e.g., days attending, dietary restrictions)
Number – Accepts only numeric input (e.g., age, quantity)
Hidden – Stores behind-the-scenes data like user ID or form source
HTML – Add headings, instructions, or explanatory text inside your form
Section – Group related fields under a heading for better organization
Page – Divide long forms into multiple pages for better user experience
Advanced Fields
These fields help format and validate user input:
Name – Structured fields for First, Last (and optionally Middle or Suffix)
Date – Choose a date from a calendar or type one in
Time – Enter a start or end time
Phone – Format and validate phone numbers
Address – Structured fields for street, city, state, zip, etc.
Website – Accepts and validates a URL
Username – Allows users to choose their own username when registering a new account
Password – Allows users to enter and confirm a password
Email – Validates for proper email address format
File Upload – Upload PDFs, images, or other documents (e.g., proof of residency, medical forms)
CAPTCHA – Prevents spam submissions
List – Create rows of repeated fields (e.g., list multiple family members with names and ages)
Consent – Checkbox with agreement language (e.g., waivers or policies)
Signature – Allows users to provide a digital signature directly in the form
Nested Forms – Lets you embed one form inside another—ideal for complex or repeating data entry (e.g., registering multiple guests or lessons)
Survey – Provides a Likert-scale style field for capturing user feedback or satisfaction ratings
Terms of Service – Displays a scrollable box with your terms, requiring users to agree before submitting
Post Fields
These fields are used if your form creates a WordPress post. This is not typical for member forms, but available if needed:
Title, Body, Excerpt, Tags, Category, Image, and Custom Field
Pricing Fields
If your registration form involves collecting money, use these fields:
Product – Add the item name and price (e.g., "Swim Team Registration - $150")
Quantity – Let users select a number (e.g., how many lessons or t-shirts)
Option – Add pricing variations (e.g., shirt sizes or add-ons like team gear)
Shipping – Add shipping fees (rarely used in Member Splash)
Subtotal – Automatically calculates the subtotal before discounts
Tax – Add tax amount to the form
Discount – Add a discount field for coupon codes or special pricing
Total – Automatically calculates and displays the full total
Credit Card – Secure payment field
ACH – Secure ACH/bank payment field
🚨IMPORTANT: A Payment Feed is required for all forms accepting payment. If you add pricing fields to your form but don't set up a payment feed, Member Splash will show a warning indicator in the Payment Indicators column on your forms list.
Learn how to add a Payment Feed: Add a Payment Feed to Your Forms To Accept Digital Payments
Step 3: Customize Form Settings
Once you've added your fields, click the Settings tab inside your form to configure how it behaves.
Form Settings
Control how your form functions:
Form Title & Description – What members see at the top of the form
Form Layout – Adjust field spacing and appearance
Restrictions – Limit the number of entries, schedule when the form is available, or require users to be logged in
Member Splash Options:
Waiver Form – If checked, this form will be displayed on the Manage Account screen for members to complete and on the check-in screen so staff can verify completion
Confirmations
Choose what message users see after submitting the form. Options include:
Display a confirmation message on screen
Redirect to a thank you page
Show a custom message with merge tags (e.g., "Thanks for registering, {First Name}!")
Notifications
Set up email alerts that are sent when someone submits the form:
To Admins – Notify your office staff of new registrations
To Coaches/Coordinators – Alert program leaders of signups
To the Registrant – Send a confirmation email to the person who submitted the form
Step 4: Embedding the Form on Your Website (Essentials & Premium Plans Only)
Once your form is ready, you need to publish it on your Member Splash website so members can access it.
To embed your form:
Option 1: Use the shortcode
Click the </> Embed button in your form
Copy the shortcode provided by Gravity Forms
Paste it into any WordPress page on your Member Splash site
Option 2: Use the Gravity Forms block
Edit the page where you want the form to appear
Click on the Add Form button
Select your form from the dropdown list
Step 5: Test Your Form
Always test your form before making it live. This is critical to ensure everything works as expected.
What to test:
Form submission – Fill out the form completely and submit it
Payment processing – If applicable, submit a test payment to ensure it processes correctly
Confirmation message – Verify the right message appears after submission
Email notifications – Check that all notification emails are being sent to the correct recipients
Form settings – Confirm login requirements, entry limits, and scheduling are working properly
Mobile experience – View and test the form on a phone or tablet
💡Pro tip: Use a test member account or create dummy entries you can delete later. For payment forms, process a small test transaction (like $1.00) to verify everything works end-to-end.
Next Steps
Now that you understand the basics of building forms, explore these advanced topics: