Add custom form fields to tasks

When editing a step in a process or a task on a project, in addition to the description on that task, you can add many different types of "blocks".  Blocks come in many different types, most of which are form fields.

In this article:

• Block types (form field types)
• Managing and reordering blocks on a task
• Making a form field required
• Inputting form values on process steps vs. tasks

Block types (form field types)

As of this writing, the set of blocks you can add to a task are:

• Description
  Each task comes with a description block by default, with no content added to it.  Like any block, you can remove it or reorder it.  A description block is where you'd write instructions and other info for people who would be doing this task.  Descriptions can also include links, images, and embedded videos.
• Text input
  Adds a one-line form field to a task.
• Rich text input
  Adds a multi-line form form to a task.  A rich text field is similar to a Description block, in that it can support text, images, links, and embedded videos.  It also has other formatting options like bold, italic, headlines, and lists.
• Dropdown
  Adds a selection field with multiple options.  You have the option of setting one option as selected by default, or leaving it as unselected by default.
• Radio buttons
  Adds a set of radio buttons with multiple selectable options.  Both the Dropdown and Radio buttons types allow the user to toggle and select one option.  You have the option of setting one radio button as selected by default, or leaving it as unselected by default.
• Checkboxes
  With the checkboxes block type, you can add a list of checkboxes.  Multiple checkboxes can be selected at any time.  You have the option of setting any of the checkboxes as checked by default, or leaving any or all as unchecked by default.  A checkboxes block type can often serve as a "sub checklist" within this task.
• File attachment
  This block enables users to upload a file attachment to a task in ProcessKit.
• Date & time
  The date and time block gives users the ability to open a date and time picker, where they can select a calendar date and set a time value.
• Email address
  The email address block gives users a one-line input field where they can input an email address.  Once an email address has been saved, a "copy email" link appears, making it easy for anyone to copy the email address to their clipboard.
• Email template
  A full email with a template message, subject line, and recipients.  You can use this block to have a sendable email that you can send straight from a task in ProcessKit.  More info here
• Website
  The website block gives users a one-line input field where they can input a website URL.  Once a web address has been saved, a "copy website" link appears, making it easy for anyone to copy the website URL to their clipboard.
• Separator
  This block simply adds a horizontal line separator to your task.  This can be helpful for visually organizing information and blocks on a task.

Managing and reordering blocks on a task

When you hover your mouse over each block, you will see a "..." icon appear on the right side of it.  Click this to open the management menu for this block.  This reveals some things you can do with your blocks:

• Reorder your blocks.  Move them up or down or send them to the top or bottom.
• Edit a block's settings.  This is where you can change a block's settings as well as input a default value for the block.
• Delete a block.

Making a form field required

You can make any form field on a task "required", meaning users will not be able to mark this task as complete until the required form field has a value saved.

To do this, when creating or editing a block's settings, check the box to make the field required.  This will then automatically add a new dependency rule to this task, which states that this field must have a value in order for this task to be permitted to be complete.

Inputting form values process steps vs. on tasks

You might be wondering why, when you click on a field on a process step, why can't you input any value?  Let's clarify this:

When you're editing a process template, the steps in this process are just that — templates.  They're not actual tasks yet.  So when you're in a process template, here is where you can decide which form fields should be included in those step templates.  

You can set a default value for your form fields at the process template level.  To do that, hover over a form field, then click its "..." to open it's settings menue, then click "Block settings".  Use this form to set a default value for the field.  Later, when this process template is copied into a task list on a project, this form field on this task will have that default value present by default.

When you're in a project and viewing a task list, here, a user can click any form field to input a value.  They can then click "Update" on the task to save these value(s).