In Cognota, you can build fully customized request forms to capture exactly the information your team needs when a new request comes in.
Who can do this: Admins and Power Users
In this article
Create a form
Go to Settings › Configurations › Intake › Request Forms.
Click Create Form.
To create a legacy form instead, click the arrow on the right side of the Create Form button and select Create Legacy Form.
💡 Note: The Dynamic Form Builder is the new default form creation experience. Existing legacy forms aren't affected, so you can still view, edit, and use them. Legacy forms and new forms appear together in your form list and keep working as before.
When you open a form, there are two tabs at the top: Form Details and Form Builder.
Set up form details
The Form Details tab is where you set up the form itself before you build its questions.
Name — the form name visible to requesters when selecting a request type.
Description — a brief overview shown to requesters before they start filling out the form.
Business Units — which business units can see and submit this form.
Request Type — the category this form falls under (e.g., Content Development, Consulting). This list is system-defined and can't be customized or added to.
Default Request Owner — the team member(s) notified and assigned when this form is submitted.
When you've finished the Form Details, click the Form Builder tab to start building your questions.
Build your form
The Form Builder is where you design the questions requesters see and fill out. The screen has two areas:
Left panel: your library of Form Fields and Page Elements.
Right canvas: your live form layout. Drag components from the left and drop them onto the builder to add them.
Default fields
Every form includes two sets of hardcoded fields. They're always present and can't be removed.
Default Fields are visible to requesters when they create a request:
Request Title: the name the requester gives their request.
Description: a general description of the request.
These fields are also present, but they fill in automatically on submission and don't need to be completed manually:
Requesters: filled in based on who is logged in and submitting the form.
Business Unit: filled in on submission for business users. Learning team users can view and fill in this field when they submit a request.
Default Internal Use Fields are visible only to your learning team and are never shown to requesters:
Owners: the team member(s) responsible for the request.
Reviewers: internal reviewers assigned to the request.
Business Reviewers: business-side reviewers assigned to the request.
Internal Priority: defaults to Medium. Your team can adjust it after submission.
Form fields
To add a question, drag any of these field types from the left panel onto the builder:
Field type | Use it for |
Single Line Text | Short answers such as names, titles, or brief input |
Paragraph Text | Long-form answers for context, details, or explanations |
Number | Quantities, budgets, or headcount |
Checkbox | A single yes/no or on/off selection |
Checkboxes | Multiple-select lists |
Radio Button | Single-select from a list of options |
Collecting an email address | |
URL | Links to documents, websites, or resources |
Phone Number | Phone contact, with optional input mask formatting |
Date / Time | Scheduling, deadlines, or timeframes |
Currency | Monetary values, with a currency selector |
File Upload | Attachments such as briefs, assets, or documents |
Dropdown | Single or multi-select from a defined list |
⚠️ Note: The Toggle, Range, and Date Range field types from the legacy form builder are no longer available as standalone fields. You can recreate them: for a Toggle, use a Checkbox or Radio Button; for a date range, place two Date / Time fields side by side in a Column.
Looking for inspiration? The Request Form Question Bank has a library of commonly used questions you can refer to when building your forms.
Page elements
Page elements are structural components that organize your form layout. They aren't question types. They control how questions are grouped and displayed.
Informational Text: Adds a block of text anywhere on the form. Use it for disclaimers, instructions, or section context. It supports rich text formatting, including images and links.
Columns: Groups multiple questions side by side in columns. Drop your fields into the column to organize them. The column label is internal only, and its only purpose is to identify the column so you can target it with conditional logic.
Field Group: Adds a visible section header to group related questions. Use it to break long forms into clearly labeled sections (e.g., "Training Details," "Audience Information").
Manage fields on the builder
When you hover over any field, page element, or page tab on the builder, four action icons appear in the corner:
⚙️ Edit: opens the field's configuration settings.
✥ Move: drag to reorder the field on the builder.
⧉ Copy: copies the field. A fifth Paste Below icon appears so you can place the duplicate. All field settings carry over to the pasted copy.
🗑️ Delete: removes the field from the form.
Configure a field
To open a field's configuration panel, click its gear icon. The panel also opens when you drag a new field onto the builder. All field types share options across four tabs: Display, Data, Validation, and Conditional.
Display tab
Available on all field types:
Label: the question name the requester sees.
Internal use only: when enabled, the question is hidden from the requester and visible only to your internal team. Internal fields are marked "(internal)" in the builder.
Placeholder Text: the greyed-out hint text shown inside the field before the requester types.
Description: subtext below the field that clarifies what you're asking for.
Tooltip: adds a ? icon next to the field label. Its hover text gives extra context without cluttering the form.
Extra display options by field type:
Single Line Text, Paragraph Text: option to show a character counter.
Number: add a prefix and/or suffix (e.g., "$" as a prefix or "hours" as a suffix).
Checkboxes, Radio Button: option to display choices horizontally instead of stacked.
Phone Number: an input mask to enforce a specific format. All standard phone number formats are supported.
Date / Time fields have two more tabs:
Date tab: turn the date picker on or off. You can also disable specific dates, weekends, or chosen days of the week.
Time tab: turn the time picker on or off, with an option to use 12-hour (AM/PM) format.
Data tab
Available on all field types except File Upload.
Default Value: Pre-fills a field with a starting value the requester can change before submitting. Use it for fields where most requesters give the same answer, so they only need to act when their answer is different.
Extra data options by field type:
Number: show a thousands separator, set the maximum decimal places, or require decimals.
URL, Dropdown: allow multiple values.
Currency: choose the display currency (e.g., USD, CAD, EUR).
Validation tab
Available on all field types.
Required: When enabled, the requester can't submit the form without completing this field. Missing required fields are highlighted automatically when the requester clicks Submit.
Extra validation options by field type:
Number: minimum and maximum value.
Single Line Text, Paragraph Text, Email: minimum and maximum character count.
Checkboxes: minimum and maximum number of selections.
File Upload: maximum file size. The system and default maximum is 1 GB.
Conditional tab
Available on all field types, page elements, and pages. See Add conditional logic below.
Add conditional logic
Conditional logic shows or hides a field or section based on how the requester answered an earlier question. That way, requesters only see the questions that are relevant to them.
How it works
Think of conditional logic as an "if/then" rule: if a requester answers a question a certain way, then a follow-up question appears (or stays hidden).
For example:
If someone selects "Instructor-Led Training," then show fields asking for delivery dates and location.
If someone selects "eLearning," then those fields stay hidden, because they aren't relevant.
Tip: Add all your fields to the form before you set up any conditions. Conditions are built by referring to other fields, so a field that doesn't exist yet won't appear as an option when you build your rules.
Set up a condition
Click the gear icon on the field, column, field group, or page you want to show or hide.
Click the Conditional tab.
Under Show or Hide, select Show this field or Hide this field from the dropdown.
Under When, choose whether Any or All conditions must be met.
In the condition row, fill in three things:
When: select the field to base the condition on (e.g., "What type of training is needed?").
Is: select the comparison (e.g., "Is Equal To").
Value: enter or select the answer that triggers the condition (e.g., "Instructor-Led Training").
To add more conditions, click + Add Condition and repeat step 5.
Click Save.
Show or hide: which to use
Both give the same result, but one may feel more natural depending on your form:
Use Show when a question should only appear in specific situations. It stays hidden by default and appears only when the condition is met.
Use Hide when a question should appear most of the time but needs to disappear in specific situations.
Any or all conditions
When a field has more than one condition, you choose whether Any or All of them must be met:
Any: the field appears if at least one condition is true (like "or"). Example: Show this field if the request type is "New Content" or "Content Update."
All: the field appears only if every condition is true (like "and"). Example: Show this field if the request type is "New Content" and the audience is "External."
Apply logic to a group of fields
You don't need to set a condition on every field. If several related questions should show or hide together, group them in a Column or Field Group first, then apply the condition to the group. A condition applied to a Column, Field Group, or Page automatically applies to every field inside it. This saves time and keeps your logic easy to manage.
Tips
Test your form before activating it. Use the Preview Form button to fill out the form as a requester would and confirm your conditions work as expected.
Keep conditions simple. One or two conditions per field is usually enough. Complex logic can become hard to manage and may confuse requesters.
Example: Show delivery details for instructor-led training
Imagine a general learning request form used across your organization. You want to capture delivery logistics, but only when the request is for instructor-led training, not self-paced content.
Add a Radio Button field: "What type of learning solution are you requesting?" Options: Instructor-Led Training, Self-Paced eLearning, Job Aid / Reference Material
Add a Column containing three fields:
"Preferred delivery dates" (Date / Time)
"Estimated number of learners" (Number)
"Preferred delivery location or platform" (Single Line Text)
On the Column, open the Conditional tab and set:
Show or Hide: Show this field
When: All
When "What type of learning solution..." Is Is Equal To Value Instructor-Led Training
Result: The three fields appear only when the requester selects Instructor-Led Training. The form stays clean and focused for every other request type.
Example: Ask about translation only for multi-region content
You want to ask about translation only if the content will be delivered in more than one region.
Add a Radio Button field: "Will this content be delivered in more than one region?" Options: Yes / No
Add a Single Line Text field: "Which regions and languages are needed?"
On the text field, open the Conditional tab and set:
Show or Hide: Show this field
When: All
When "Will this content be delivered in more than one region?" Is Equal To Value Yes
Result: The translation question appears only when it's needed, and the form stays clean for everyone else.
Add and manage pages
A form can have one page or several.
To add a page: click + Add Page on the builder.
To rename a page: hover over its page tab and click the edit icon.
Each page has a Page Type that controls who can see and edit it:
Page type | Who can see and edit it |
Public (default) | Visible to your internal team and to requesters. Anyone with edit access can fill it out. |
Internal | Visible only to your internal team. Hidden from requesters. |
Approval | Hidden from requesters. Learning Team members can view it after submission, but only designated approvers and admins can edit and act on it. Approvers are notified when the page is ready for review, and only one of them needs to act. Learn more about Approval Workflows |
You can also apply conditional logic at the page level, so a whole page appears or stays hidden based on earlier responses.
Preview your form
Before you activate your form, click Preview Form in the top-right corner of the Form Builder. It shows exactly what requesters will see when they open the form.
Use the preview to:
Test your form flow: walk through the form as a requester would and check that questions appear in a logical order.
Test conditional logic: answer questions and confirm the right fields show and hide as expected.
Catch issues before the form goes live: for example, missing labels, unclear instructions, or fields that don't behave as intended.
Activate your form
When your form is fully built and ready to go live:
Go to the Form Details tab.
Toggle the form to Active.
Result: The form becomes visible to requesters in the portal. You can deactivate it at any time by toggling it back to inactive. It will no longer appear to requesters, but it stays in your form list.
Note: Dynamic Forms don't support direct links to individual forms. To point requesters to a form, share your Cognota login link along with the form's name. They'll find it under Requests › Create Request. If you need a direct link, legacy forms still support them.
Troubleshooting
I can't save my request form
Why this happens
The most common cause is a required field that's missing on the Form Details tab.
Fix it
Work through these steps in order.
Check the Form Details tab. Every request form needs all of these set before it can be saved:
Name
Description
Business Units
Request Type
Default Request Owner
Click Save Form.
Still not working?
Confirm that Name, Description, Business Units, Request Type, and Default Request Owner are all filled in on the Form Details tab.
Refresh the page and try again.
Take a screenshot of the Form Details tab.
If none of these work, contact support at support@cognota.com, or use Resources › Chat With Us. Include the screenshot of the Form Details tab so we can help.
My new business unit isn't showing up on a request form
Why this happens
The most common cause is that the unit hasn't been enabled on that specific request form yet.
Business units work differently for projects and requests:
Projects: a new unit is available immediately, across the whole organization.
Requests: each form has its own list of which units can use it. Creating a new unit doesn't add it to any existing form automatically.
Fix it
Work through these steps in order.
Enable the unit on the form. Go to Settings › Configurations › Intake › Request Forms and open the form you're using. On the Form Details tab, check the new unit under Business Units, then save the form.
Confirm you're checking the right form. If your team uses more than one request form, enabling a unit on one form doesn't apply it to the others. You may be creating a request from a different form than the one you edited. Check the form name shown when you go to create the request. Then open that exact form under Settings › Configurations › Intake › Request Forms and repeat step 1.
Still not working?
Confirm the exact name of the form you're trying to use.
Check the Business Units field again on that form's Form Details tab.
Confirm the form is Active.
If none of these work, contact support at support@cognota.com, or use Resources › Chat With Us. Include the form name and the business unit name so we can help.