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Introducing Drag-and-Drop Merge Fields in the Formstack Document Builder

Emma Douglas
February 29, 2024
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2
Min Read

Does document generation seem daunting to you? We, at Formstack, can assure you that document generation has never been easier. We've heard from our customers that user-friendliness and time to value are top priorities when choosing solutions for their organization. With this in mind, our team is thrilled to announce the release of drag-and-drop merge fields in Formstack Documents!

For those unfamiliar, merge fields (like {$first_name}) are placeholders in your document that pull in data automatically. While powerful for creating personalized documents, they've been a bit like "code" for our non-technical users, making the initial setup feel daunting. Our team recognized this challenge and created a new, simplified way to work with merge fields in the Formstack Document Builder.

What’s new? We are removing the need to add merge fields to your document templates using brackets and special characters. Now, when creating document templates, we have replaced bracketed merge fields with a clean, simplified pill-style design. All you have to do is type your merge field name and it will then populate into your Merge Fields box to the right of your Document builder. You can then drag-and-drop the merge fields throughout your document template, spinning up your professional-looking, customized documents in minutes—all with clicks, not code. 

Love the classic way of working with merge fields? No problem! You can easily switch off the drag-and-drop functionality in your Builder template with a simple click on the "T" in the top menu.

Whether you are new to Formstack Documents or a seasoned Documents customer, this feature empowers users at any skill level to build and edit templates with increased efficiency. 

Tools Needed

In this video demo, we’re using: 

Instructions  

Step 1: Log in to your Formstack Documents account and click on the ‘New Document’ button.   

Step 2: Name your document template and then select ‘Build from scratch’ to begin building in the Document Builder. 

Step 3: On the right hand side of your Document Builder, click on ‘Insert’ dropdown, select merge field and type in the name of your merge field. The merge field will appear as a visual pill onto your document template. 

Start Building Documents Now! 

We hope you enjoy our new drag-and-drop merge fields in Formstack Documents! Our hope is that it makes your document building experience better through our no-code approach. This new feature empowers anyone to build, edit, and automate document generation, no matter their technical capabilities or coding knowledge. 

Ready to try Formstack Documents? Dive into today with a 14-day free trial.

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Emma Douglas
Emma is a Product Marketing Manager at Formstack who is is committed to crafting content that highlights the Formstack Platform's capabilities and impact. When she’s not creating Formstack Builders tutorials, she can be found hiking with her dog, running, or spending time on the ski hill.
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