Send Pre-Arrival Form to Customers
Quick path: Forms → + New form → Build fields → Save → Send to participant
What this helps you do
Section titled “What this helps you do”Pre-arrival forms let you gather important information from customers before their session day. Think liability waivers, medical fitness questionnaires, or check-in registrations. You build the form once in Bloowatch’s Form Builder, then either link it to a product (so it goes out automatically with booking confirmations) or share the link manually. Customers fill it in on any device, sign digitally if needed, and you review submissions from the back-office.
Before you start
Section titled “Before you start”- You have a PRO or GOLD plan (Forms are not available on START)
- You know what data you need to collect (medical info, experience level, emergency contact, waiver acceptance, etc.)
1. Go to Forms
Section titled “1. Go to Forms”Click Forms in the left sidebar. The Forms page opens with two tabs: Forms (your form templates) and Submissions (completed responses).
The table lists your existing forms with their name, creation date, last update, and action icons:
| Icon | Action |
|---|---|
| Pencil | Open the form in the builder |
| Link | Copy the form’s public URL |
| Copy | Duplicate the form |
| Trash | Delete the form |
2. Click ”+ Create New Form”
Section titled “2. Click ”+ Create New Form””Click the + Create New Form button. A panel opens with two options:
- + Start from scratch — Build a blank form
- Pre-built templates — Choose from 7 ready-made templates:
| Template | Best for |
|---|---|
| Check-in Form | Check-in registration before arrival |
| Contact Form | Collecting basic contact info |
| Enquiry Form | Customer inquiries and requests |
| Incident Report | Documenting incidents on-site |
| Liability Waiver | Legal release — the go-to for watersports schools |
| Medical Form | Medical declarations and fitness questionnaires |
| Satisfaction Survey | Post-activity customer feedback |
For a pre-arrival form, Medical Form or Liability Waiver are your best starting points. Click a template to pre-fill the form, or start from scratch.
3. Build the form
Section titled “3. Build the form”The Form Builder has three panels:
Left panel — Field palette. Drag fields into the form:
| Field type | Description |
|---|---|
| Radio group | Single-choice radio buttons |
| Rating | Star rating |
| Slider | Numeric slider |
| Checkbox | Checkbox |
| Dropdown | Single-select dropdown |
| Multi-select dropdown | Multi-select dropdown |
| Boolean | Yes/No toggle |
| Ranking | Ranked list |
| Single input | Single-line text |
| Comment | Multi-line text area |
| Signature pad | Digital signature — essential for waivers |
Center — Form preview. Shows the form as your customers will see it. Click any field to edit its label, help text, or validation rules.
Right panel — Properties. Edit the selected field or form-level settings:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Form name shown to customers |
| Description | Subtitle text beneath the title |
| Show / Hide Title | Toggle title visibility |
| Read-only | Lock the form from further edits |
| Form language | Set the language for the customer-facing form |
4. Add the fields you need for pre-arrival data
Section titled “4. Add the fields you need for pre-arrival data”For a typical pre-arrival form, include:
- Name (single input, required) — first and last name
- Email (single input, required) — to identify the customer
- Emergency contact (single input, required) — name and phone number
- Experience level (dropdown or radio group) — e.g. Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
- Medical conditions (comment field) — “Do you have any medical conditions we should know about?”
- Medical declaration (boolean) — “I confirm I am fit to participate”
- Waiver acceptance (checkbox, required) — link to your liability terms
- Signature (signature pad) — digital signature for legal validity
Watch out: The form preview in the builder can look narrow. Use the zoom controls to adjust. The actual customer-facing form renders at full width on any device.
5. Save the form
Section titled “5. Save the form”Click Create Form (for new forms) or Update Form (for existing forms). You are returned to the Forms list.
6. Link the form to a product (automatic sending)
Section titled “6. Link the form to a product (automatic sending)”To send the form automatically when a customer books:
- Go to Products in the sidebar
- Open the product you want to link (e.g., your surf lesson)
- In the product settings, find the Forms section
- Select your pre-arrival form from the dropdown
- Save the product
Now every booking confirmation for that product will include a link to your form. Customers get it without you lifting a finger.
7. Share the form manually (alternative)
Section titled “7. Share the form manually (alternative)”If you prefer to send the form on a case-by-case basis:
- Go back to Forms
- Click the link icon on your form’s row to copy the public URL
- Paste the link into an email, SMS, or message to the customer
This is useful for walk-ins, group bookings, or one-off situations where the form isn’t linked to a product.
8. Review submitted forms
Section titled “8. Review submitted forms”Click the Submissions tab to see all completed forms.
Each submission shows:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Customer name | Name and email of the respondent |
| Form | Form name and version (e.g., “Medical Form (v2.0)“) |
| Submitted on | Date and time of submission |
| Download | Export the submission as a file |
Use the search bar to find submissions by customer name or form name.
What should happen next
Section titled “What should happen next”- Your form appears in the Forms list, ready to receive submissions
- If linked to a product, customers automatically receive the form link with their booking confirmation
- Completed submissions appear in the Submissions tab
- You can download individual submissions for your records or compliance files
Common mistakes
Section titled “Common mistakes”| Mistake | Why it happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| ”Customer didn’t receive the form” | Form isn’t linked to the product | Check the product settings and add the form in the Forms section |
| ”Form shows in the wrong language” | Form language doesn’t match the customer’s language | Edit the form and change the language in the Properties panel |
| ”Signature field doesn’t appear” | Signature pad wasn’t added to the form | Edit the form and drag the Signature pad field from the palette |
| ”Can’t find a submission” | Looking in the wrong tab or wrong form | Switch to the Submissions tab and use the search bar |
If it still doesn’t work
Section titled “If it still doesn’t work”- Make sure the form is saved (not still in draft/edit mode)
- Verify the public link works by opening it in an incognito browser window
- Check that transactional emails are enabled in your organization settings
- Contact Bloowatch Support via the chat widget
