Available form options for your UC Santa Cruz website, including steps you need to take to ensure security and records keeping standards.
Use cases
Forms may be a necessary business function for your UCSC website. Some common use cases are
- Contacting the owners of the website
- Providing feedback on the website/Requesting information
- Engaging with a service the unit provides.
Collecting data
Before you create a form for your website here are a couple key concerns you should consider about the data you are collecting.
- What kind of data are you collecting?
- Where will the data be stored?
- How long will the data be stored?
- Who will have access to the data?
In most cases, web forms on UCSC public websites should not be collecting data classified at the P3-P4 level. To help further understand the types of data you are collecting:
- Review the UC Santa Cruz Data Protection Classification Levels.
- Review Data Retention rules and Should you keep it? (Google Slides)
Options
Internal to the UCSC WordPress
Gravity Forms
- Collects data on your UCSC WordPress website
- Can notify users when a submission has been made
- Includes styles of the UCSC WordPress theme
Website integration: plugin for the UCSC WordPress theme
Security: Not to be used for P3-P4 data
How to get it: Request the plugin be turned on
Internal to the UCSC WordPress
Formidable Forms
- Collects data on your UCSC WordPress website
- Can notify users when a submission has been made
Website integration: plugin for the UCSC WordPress theme
Security: Not to be used for P3-P4 data
How to get it: Request the plugin be turned on
External to the UCSC WordPress
Google Forms
- A service provided by ITS, not part of the WordPress theme
- Collects data into a Google Sheet
- Simple and easy to use form design
- Can notify users when a submission has been made
Website integration: Link to the form
Security: Not to be used for P3-P4 data
How to use it: Google Forms
External to the UCSC WordPress
Qualtrics
- A service provided by ITS, not part of the WordPress theme
- Collects data into a secure environment
- Can notify users when a submission has been made
Website integration: Link to the form
Security: Approved for up to P4 data
How to use it: Qualtrics