Form plugins

Form plugins allow you to add custom form controls to your form designs. You can create plugins to add new controls like star ratings or sliders, add alternative versions of native controls, visualize information in tables, charts, and generated images, provide workarounds and new functionality, or add complex solutions to your forms.

When a plugin is added in the Form plugins manager, it is added to the Form designer control toolbox. Form designers can then add the plugin to their form designs just like out-of-the-box form controls.

For more information on creating Form plugins, see the Form plugins software development kit.

Access the form plugins page

  1. Open the new responsive form designer.

  2. On the toolbar, click Plugins.

Plugin administrators setting

Site administrators and plugin administrators can control who can manage the Plugins page using the Plugin administrators feature. This feature allows them to define who is permitted to manage plugins within a site. You can choose whether plugin management is available to all users or restricted to specific users or groups. By default, all users have plugin management access.

  1. Open the new responsive form designer.

  2. On the toolbar, click Plugins.

  3. On the left menu, select Plugin Administrator.

  4. Select one of the options:

    • All users: This is selected by default and all users will have the ability to add and manage plugins.

    • Restrict plugin administrator: Restrict plugin management to selected users.

  5. To restrict access:

    1. Select Restrict plugin administrator, and click Update.

      The Add Admin button is displayed.

    2. Click Add Admin.

    3. In the Add Admin panel, enter the username or email address of the user you want to grant plugin management access.

    4. Click Add Admin to confirm.

Add a form plugin

  1. Open the form designer.

  2. On the toolbar, click Plugins.

  3. Click Add plugin.

  4. Select either:

    • Upload, and click Select file to choose the plugin file to upload.

      Your plugin file must be a JavaScript file less than 5Mb.

    • Link a URL and enter the Source URL where you have uploaded your plugin.

  5. In the Element name field, type the name of the exported web component.

    This field must exactly match the custom element name in the plugin's source code, including capitalization.

  1. If you want to add more information to identify the plugin, add a Description.
  2. Click Add plugin.

View a form plugin's source

You can view the source code of a form plugin.

  1. On the Form plugins page, click on the right of the form plugin you want to view.
  2. Select View source.

    3. A new tab opens with the plugin's source code.

Enable or disable a form plugin

When form plugins are first added to your tenant, they are automatically enabled. If you don't want the plugin to be added to form designs, but you also don't want to delete it, you can disable the plugin. When a plugin is disabled:

  • It does not appear in the Form designer toolbox and can't be added to forms.

  • Forms that use the disabled plugin can't be published unless the plugin is removed from the form design.

  • Already published forms that use the disabled plugin are not be affected.

A plugin's Enabled or Disabled status is displayed in the Status column on the Form plugins page.

To disable a plugin

  1. On the Form plugins page, click on the right of the form plugin you want to disable.

  2. Select Disable.

To enable a plugin

  1. On the Form plugins page, click on the right of the form plugin you want to disable.

  2. Select Enable.

Delete a form plugin

Deleting a form plugin removes it from your tenant so it cannot be added to new form designs. Already published forms that use the plugin are not affected and will continue to use the plugin, but you will need to remove the plugin if you want to edit or republish the form.

Existing forms that use the plugin will behave differently depending on whether the plugin was uploaded or externally hosted:

  • Uploaded: The plugin will be immediately removed from all published forms. Already published forms that use the plugin will display errors. You will need to remove the plugin from the form design and republish the forms.
  • Externally hosted: Already published forms that use the plugin are not affected and will continue to use the plugin, but you will need to remove the plugin if you want to edit or republish the form.

Whether a form plugin is uploaded or externally hosted is displayed in the Hosted by column in the Form plugins page:

  • Nintex means a plugin is uploaded.
  • URL means a plugin is externally hosted.

Caution: Deleting a form plugin can't be undone.

  1. On the Form plugins page, click on the right of the form plugin you want to delete.
  2. Select Delete.