> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://learn.withessential.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://learn.withessential.com/administration/settings/build-your-intake-form.md).

# Build your intake form

The Intake Form is the public form prospective customers fill out to request work, and you build it on the Intake Form settings page with a drag-and-drop editor. The page appears whenever your role can manage intake forms. Publish a version before the public form can be used. **Add to your site** is the separate step for embedding that published form on your website.

If the page is missing but you need to manage intake forms, contact your business's administrator to review your role.

The form is organized into sections you can name and reorder, and you add fields into them. Standard fields capture known data (Contact Info, Customer Name, Property Address, Preferred Availability); custom fields cover anything else (Short Answer, Long Answer, Dropdown, Checkbox, Radio button, Numerical Answer, Area, Yes/No Toggle, Date Picker).

Each field has a label, a Required toggle, and - for choice fields - a list of choices, with a live preview of how it looks. Use Preview to see the form as a customer would, and Save to publish your changes. The first publish also creates the Service Requests workflow with Pending, In Progress, and Completed task statuses; you can customize them later in Task Statuses settings.

The page has a second tab, Notifications, where you decide who hears about a submission by email or in Essential. It saves on its own, so setting up notifications never publishes a new version of the form.

> **Where to find it:** Settings -> Intake Form

## Related guides

* [Get notified about new intake form submissions](/administration/settings/get-notified-about-new-intake-form-submissions.md)
* [Intake form field types: standard and custom fields](/administration/settings/intake-form-field-types-standard-and-custom-fields.md)
* [Add the intake form to your website](/administration/settings/add-the-intake-form-to-your-website.md)
* [Where intake form submissions go after a client submits](/administration/settings/where-intake-form-submissions-go-after-a-client-submits.md)
* [Add or edit a pricebook item](/administration/settings/add-or-edit-a-pricebook-item.md)
* [Automate task statuses with Task Automations](/administration/settings/automate-task-statuses-with-task-automations.md)
* [Feature availability and setup](/getting-started/getting-started/feature-availability-and-setup.md)
* [Let customers request service from the Customer Portal](/administration/settings/let-customers-request-service-from-the-customer-portal.md)


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://learn.withessential.com/administration/settings/build-your-intake-form.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.