Getting Started with 3B Forms: Initial Setup and Form Publishing

3B Forms is an incredibly powerful tool for building and managing forms, and it's important to get the initial setup right to ensure a smooth experience. In this article, we'll guide you through the essential steps to set up and publish your forms effectively.

Initial Setup Steps

1. Creating a Guest Site or Guest Community

If you plan to display your 3B Forms externally to non-Salesforce users, you'll need to create a Guest Site or Guest Community (Digital Experience). Follow these steps to create one:

Creating a Guest Site:

1. Log in as a System Administrator: Ensure that you have the necessary permissions.
2. Navigate to Sites: Go to Setup by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right corner, then search for "Sites" in the Quick Find box.
3. Create a New Site: Click on "New Site" and follow the prompts to set up your Guest Site. You'll need to define a unique domain name, among other details.

Creating a Guest Community (Digital Experience):

1. Log in as a System Administrator: Ensure that you have the necessary permissions.
2. Navigate to Communities: Go to Setup by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right corner, then search for "Communities" in the Quick Find box.
3. Create a New Community: Click on "New Community" and follow the steps to create a Guest Community. You can customize it according to your needs.

2. Assigning Permission Sets

The 3B Forms package includes two essential permission sets that need to be assigned:

Forms Site Guest User Access:

This permission set should be assigned to the Guest Site or Community Guest User you've created. It grants access to the pages and APEX classes that allow 3B Forms to work outside of Salesforce.

Forms Admin User:

Assign this permission set to the internal user who will be building and managing forms. It grants access to the form builder and publisher.

Building and Publishing Forms

Once you've completed the initial setup, you can start building and publishing your forms. Here's how to do it:

1. Create a Form: Begin by creating a form according to your requirements. Configure the form fields, layout, and any other form-specific settings.
2. Navigate to the Form Record Page: After creating the form, go to its record page within Salesforce.
3. Click on the "Publish" Tab: On the Form lightning record page, you'll find the "Publish" tab. Click on it to access the Form Publisher.
4. Form Publisher - Site Select: In the Form Publisher, you'll see four dropdown menus. The first one is "Site Select." This dropdown lists both internal and external sites on which the form can be hosted. Select the appropriate site for your form.
5. Form Publisher - Object Select: The second dropdown is "Object Select." It lists all objects in your Salesforce system and can be used with form pre-population. This selection is not required but can be useful if you intend to pre-populate forms with Salesforce data.
6. Form Publisher - Record: If you've chosen an object in the "Object Select" dropdown, the "Record" dropdown will display some sample records. This step is also optional and depends on your specific use case.
7. Form Publisher - Version: The last dropdown, "Version," allows you to preview a specific form version. Like the previous steps, it's not mandatory but can be helpful if you want to preview a particular version before publishing.
8. Click "Publish": Once you've configured the Form Publisher settings, click on the "Publish" button to make your form available on the selected site or community.

With these steps, you'll be able to create and publish forms using 3B Forms, whether for internal or external use. This setup ensures that your forms are accessible and functional in the right contexts, allowing you to collect data effectively and streamline your processes.