Why use forms in notes?
Forms can be embedded directly inside notes and note templates, so structured data collection lives alongside the free-text content of a note. This is useful for capturing experimental parameters, sample metadata, or any repeatable set of values as part of a lab report — without leaving the note.
Two rich text block types make this possible:
- Form template block — used in note templates only. It pins a form template so that every note created from the note template gets its own form.
- Form block — used in notes only. It holds an actual form that can be filled in directly within the note.
How to insert a form template into a note template?
While editing a note template, insert a form template block. The block initially shows no selection — click Select template and choose a form template.
Once a template is selected, the block displays the template name and version. By default the block tracks the latest published version of the template, so notes always pick up the most recent schema. The block does not collect data itself — it is a placeholder that becomes a real, fillable form when a note is created from the note template.
How to insert a new form into a note?
While editing a note, insert a form block. The block offers two options — to insert a brand-new form, choose Create a new form. You select a form template (and optionally a specific version), and a new form is created and embedded in the note.
A new form created this way is owned by the note. While the form is a draft, the block shows a preview with an Open & fill button that opens the form in a dialog. Once the form is submitted, its values are shown inline within the note.
How to reference an existing form in a note?
Instead of creating a new form, a form block can point to a form that already exists. When inserting the block, choose the option to select an existing form, then pick the form.
A referenced form is not owned by the note — it is the same form wherever it appears. The same form can be referenced from several notes, and an edit made in one place is visible everywhere. This is the way to surface a single shared form across multiple notes.
What happens to forms when a note is created from a template?
When a note is created from a note template, each form template block in the template is converted into a form block. A fresh, empty form is created from the form template's current published version and embedded in the new note.
Each note created from the template therefore gets its own independent form — filling in the form in one note does not affect the form in another. These generated forms are owned by the note they belong to. If the form template has no published version, the note cannot be created until one is published.
What happens to forms when a note is deleted?
When a note is deleted, what happens to its embedded forms depends on ownership:
- Owned forms — a form created inside the note is deleted along with the note, provided no other note still references it.
- Referenced forms — a form that was only referenced (created elsewhere) is left untouched; deleting the note simply removes the reference.
Because of this, a form that is still embedded in a note cannot be deleted on its own — the note must be removed or the form detached first. To check where a form is used before deleting it, use Search notes from the form's action menu (see Managing a form).
