Custom Forms

Inflection lets you ingest data from any third-party form tool that supports outbound webhooks. With a custom form connection, you receive data in JSON format and use it to update contact properties or filter audiences inside journeys. You can secure each connection with different authentication methods.

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Step 1: Set Up a Custom Form Connection

A custom form connection uses the same two-step flow as inbound webhooks: Endpoint setup → Map fields, finishing with Continue to map fields and then Finish setup.

1. Navigate to Forms in the main sidebar (Forms is now a top-level item - see Inflection Forms).
2. Click New Form and, in the Create form drawer, choose Custom form connection.
3. On the Endpoint setup step, enter a connection name (required), authentication, an optional description, and the create-contact option, then click Continue to map fields.
4. On the Map fields step, copy the Webhook URL into your form provider, then submit a sample payload and map the detected fields.

The sample-payload submission, the field-mapping table, and grouping all work exactly as they do for inbound webhooks - see Step 2: Map Fields and Group Submissions below for the full walkthrough.

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Connection Detail Page

A custom form connection opens as a single scrolling page, the same as an inbound webhook connection. At the top are two badges:

• A lifecycle badge (see Lifecycle actions).
• A readiness badge showing how far along the connection is: Setup incomplete, Mapping needed, Ready, or New fields found.

Below the badges, a stat strip shows four tiles: Submissions, Groups, Errors, and Grouped By. The rest of the page includes:

• Connection Details card - lists Type, Create Contact, Last Activity, Authentication, Date Created, and Processing Lane (Real-time or Bulk - controls which ingestion lane this connection uses; see Processing Lanes). For a custom form connection, Type reads Form API.
• Endpoint URL - with a copy control.
• Connection Health - includes a View submission errors action.
• Groups table - columns Group, Submissions, Errors, and actions, plus a Refresh control. Connected form assets appear as rows here.

Submission errors surface under Connection Health - use View submission errors to review them.

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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. 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.

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Lifecycle Actions

A custom form connection uses the same lifecycle actions as an inbound webhook. The lifecycle badge shows the connection’s current state - a connection is Active while it is processing incoming data. Use the lifecycle actions to control that:

• Pause - Confirmation reads “Pausing stops incoming data processing until this connection is resumed.” The confirm button is Pause sync. While paused, incoming POSTs are rejected, not queued.
• Resume - Sets a paused connection back to Active. Applies immediately, with no confirmation dialog.
• Disable - Confirmation reads “Once disabled, this connection will no longer process incoming data.” Once disabled, a connection cannot be self-resumed.

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Step 2: Map Fields and Group Submissions

Field mapping happens on the Map fields step of the two-step flow, not as a separate enable step.

1. Copy the endpoint from the Webhook URL block using its copy control, then configure it (with any credentials) in your form provider.
2. In the Payload textarea, either paste your own JSON or use the sample that’s prefilled for you. The helper text reads “Use the sample payload or paste your own JSON.” If the JSON is invalid, you’ll see Enter a valid JSON object before submitting.
3. Click Submit sample payload. On success you’ll see Payload received. Fields are ready to map. and the detected fields populate the mapping table.

The field-mapping table lists every field detected in your payload. It has four columns: You must map the Email contact field before you can continue. If it isn’t mapped, you’ll see Map the Email contact field before continuing. Click Save mapping to persist your mapping.

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Group Submissions

To split submissions from multiple forms on one connection, group them by a field in the payload:

• Use the Group submissions by field (optional) control to pick the grouping field.
• The How it works link opens a How grouping works explainer.

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Review Submission Errors

Submission errors surface under Connection Health on the connection detail page - click View submission errors to review them. 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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Processing Lanes

Every custom form connection is assigned to a processing lane - either Real-time or Bulk. Processing lanes isolate your webhook traffic so that high-volume submissions on one connection don’t slow down another.

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Default Assignments

Existing connections are automatically assigned a default lane: You can change a connection’s lane at any time from the Connection Details card on the connection detail page.

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Changing a Connection’s Lane

1. Open the connection’s detail page and open its settings for editing.
2. Under Processing lane, select one of the two options:
   • Real-time - recommended for form submissions and low-to-moderate volume.
   • Bulk - recommended for automations and high-volume sources.
3. Click Save.

The change takes effect immediately for new incoming submissions.

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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. Both Webflow and Formstack start from the Create form drawer (New Form → Webflow form or Formstack form). Step 1 shows the provider webhook URL with a copy control, then a Submission test step you can skip. You can Disconnect a provider at any time from its connection page.

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Connecting Webflow Forms

1. In the Create form drawer, choose Webflow form.
2. Copy the shown provider webhook URL 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.

4. Return to Inflection to reach the Submission test step. Submit a test form to verify the setup (recommended), or skip this step.
5. Submissions from your Webflow forms will now appear in Inflection.

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Connecting Formstack Forms

1. In the Create form drawer, choose Formstack form.
2. Copy both the webhook link and the shared secret key shown in Inflection (Formstack requires the shared secret in addition to the URL), 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.

4. Return to Inflection to reach the Submission test step. Provide a test submission to verify the setup (recommended), or skip this step.
5. 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:

• Typeform
• Jotform
• Formsite
• SurveyMonkey
• Feathery.io
• Fillout
• Zoho Forms
• Form.io
• QuestionScout
• Paperform

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Custom Forms FAQs