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Inflection allows you to seamlessly ingest data from any third-party form tool that supports outbound webhooks. By using custom forms, you can receive data in JSON format and use it to update contact properties or filter audiences inside Journeys. You can securely configure these webhooks with different authentication methods.
Key Concepts:
  • Form Provider: The external tool you’re using to collect submissions (e.g., Typeform, Jotform).
  • Form Connection: The authenticated webhook link between Inflection and your form provider.
  • Form Asset: The representation of a specific form within Inflection, created automatically after the first submission is received.

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Step 1: Set Up a Custom Form Connection

  1. Go to Assets → Forms. Click on View Provider and choose Custom form connection. Alternatively, go to Connections → Add new connection and choose Custom form connection.
  2. Provide a form name and optional description, then proceed to authentication.
  3. Select an authentication method (see Authentication section below).
  4. Configure the Create New Contact toggle:
    • ✅ Enabled: Inflection will create a new contact whenever a new email address is received. Existing contacts will be updated according to the mapping rules.
    • ❌ Disabled: No new contacts will be created. Existing contacts will still be updated based on mapping rules.
    • This setting can be overridden at the form asset level, but the connection’s setting acts as the default.
  5. Click Generate Webhook to create the connection.
  6. Copy the webhook URL and authentication credentials (if applicable). Add this information to your form provider and click Finish setup.
Once the connection is created, the authentication method cannot be changed.

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After the First Submission: Manage Form Asset

Once the form provider triggers a webhook submission:
  • A new Form Asset appears under Assets → Forms.
  • Submissions will be marked as Mapping Pending until fields are enabled and mapped.
  • Each form submission is grouped under an asset based on form identity.
Form submissions will not be used to update or create contacts until you:
  1. Enable fields in the form asset.
  2. Map those fields to contact properties (email is mandatory).
You must complete this process after your first submission is received.

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Configure Unique ID (Optional)

To group submissions from multiple forms by their internal ID:
  1. Open the form connection.
  2. Click Add Unique ID.
  3. Choose a field (e.g., form_id, survey_id) as the unique identifier.
Behavior:
  • If a submission contains a new unique ID → A new form asset is created.
  • If it matches an existing ID → The submission is appended to that asset.
  • If no unique ID is configured → All submissions go to the same asset.
Unique ID refers to the unique identifier of the form, not the contact. Most forms do not require a unique identifier. We advise against setting Email Address as the unique ID.

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Authentication

Select the authentication option that matches your security requirements. Using No Auth can expose your webhook to spam and malicious data — Basic Auth or API Key is strongly recommended. No Auth No authentication. Anyone with the webhook URL can send data.
Not recommended. Risk of spam or malicious data.
Basic Auth Uses a username and password combination.
  • Credentials are hidden after setup. Copy and store them securely.
  • To reset: Click Reset Password from the connection page and enter a new password. Update the password in your third-party system.
API Key An API key is automatically generated.
  • Configure in your form provider using one of the following methods:
    • Option 1 — Custom Header: Key: Authorization / Value: Bearer <YOUR_API_KEY>
    • Option 2 — Bearer Token: Paste the API key directly into the “Token” or “Authorization” field in your integration settings.
  • To reset: Click Refresh API Key under Authentication Details. Update the API key in your third-party system.
Credentials are hidden after setup. If you reset credentials, update your third-party system immediately. The webhook URL remains unchanged.

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Pause & Resume Connection

  • Pause Connection: Temporarily stop receiving form submissions.
  • Resume Connection: Restart the connection when needed.

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Disconnect Connection

  • Disconnect permanently stops a webhook connection.
  • All previous submissions can still be used in Journeys.
Once disconnected, a form connection cannot be reactivated.

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Step 2: Enable Submission Fields for Mapping

After receiving your first submission:
  1. Go to Assets → Forms, click the newly created form asset.
  2. Navigate to Submission Fields.
  3. Click Edit and enable any fields you want to use for segmentation or contact mapping.
Only enabled fields will be visible in dynamic list audience criteria. You can enable more fields later if required. Once enabled, fields cannot be disabled again — choose only the fields you need to keep things simple.
When a submission is received, the system flattens the JSON structure into key-value pairs. Each key-value pair can then be mapped to a corresponding contact field.

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Step 3: Map Fields to Contact Properties

Submissions will not be used for creating or updating contact properties until mapping is completed.
  1. Open the form asset and navigate to Form Mapping (or Connection Mapping) in the sidebar.
  2. Click Edit in the top-right corner.
  3. For each enabled field, select the corresponding Contact Property to map it to.
  4. Set the mapping rule for each field:
    • Update if empty — Populate only if the contact property is currently blank.
    • Always Overwrite — Always update the contact property with the new submission value.
Mapping the Email field is required to save the mapping schema and activate contact creation/updating. All form fields are received as string data type — ensure your submission data is compatible with the target contact property type.

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Step 4: View & Debug

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Submissions Tab

All submissions are visible under the Submissions tab of the form asset.

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Errors Tab

Errors are visible under the Errors tab. Common errors and fixes:
  • ❌ “No valid email present in submission” → Ensure the email field is mapped.
  • ❌ “Obtained email is not valid” → Verify the correct email format is being sent.
  • ❌ “Mapping failed due to date format error” → Check date format compatibility between your form tool and the contact property.

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Page Filters

All webhook connections are visible under Assets → Forms (or Assets → Inbound Webhooks), where you can filter by authentication method, mapping status, connection status, or date added.

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Using Form Submissions in Journeys

You can use custom form submissions within Journeys for automated follow-up.
  1. Navigate to Journeys → Create New Journey (or open an existing journey).
  2. Add an entry condition: Performed a Marketing Activity → Submitted a form.
  3. Select the specific form asset to trigger the journey.
You can also use form submissions in Branch by Filter to tailor communications based on specific field values submitted. Every data sync event is recorded under the Marketing Activity tab for each contact. You can also filter contacts in Dynamic Lists using form submission data by applying conditions based on specific form fields.

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Supported Form Providers

Inflection’s API / Custom Forms approach works with any tool that can POST JSON to a webhook URL. Below are step-by-step guides for Webflow and Formstack, followed by links for other supported providers.

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Connecting Webflow Forms

  1. Go to Assets → Forms. Click on Connect Provider and choose Webflow. (Alternatively, go to Connections → Add new connection and choose Webflow.)
  2. Copy the shown webhook link and go to your Webflow site builder.
  3. In your Webflow dashboard, go to Site Settings → Apps & Integrations → Webhooks. Click Add Webhook. Set the configuration as shown and paste the copied link into the Webhook URL field.
Inflection only supports API V1 for Webflow.
  1. Return to Inflection and click Proceed in the form setup wizard. The wizard will wait for a test submission — you can submit a test form to verify the setup (recommended) or skip this step.
  2. Submissions from your Webflow forms will now appear in Inflection.

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Connecting Formstack Forms

  1. Go to Assets → Forms. Click on Connect Provider and choose Formstack. (Alternatively, go to Connections → Add new connection and choose Formstack.)
  2. Copy both the webhook link and the shared secret key shown in Inflection, then go to your Formstack form builder.
  3. In Formstack, open your form and go to Form Settings → Emails & Actions → Advanced Settings → Add a Webhook. Click Add a Webhook and configure as follows:
    • Webhook URL: Paste the link copied from Inflection.
    • Shared Secret: Paste the secret key copied from Inflection.
    • Leave all other settings exactly as shown in the Formstack webhook configuration screen.
Ensure that the Webhook settings are configured exactly as shown above.
  1. Return to Inflection and click Proceed in the form setup wizard. Provide a test submission to verify the setup (recommended) or skip this step.
  2. Submissions from your Formstack forms will now appear in Inflection.

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Other Commonly Used Providers

Inflection works with any form tool that supports outbound webhooks posting JSON. External setup guides: