Multi-step forms split your signup process into two steps to increase conversions and collect more subscriber data without overwhelming customers.
This guide explains how to create them, configure button actions, and set up welcome automation for email and SMS subscribers.
Before You Begin
You can create a multi-step form from a template or add a second step to any existing form (popup, landing page, or embedded form). Learn more about Types of Signup Forms.
Multi-step forms are built from the same Items as other forms. This guide discusses them briefly; refer to Form Builder Items for more details.
The first step is considered a separate signup. Views are only counted on the first step. If the first step is filled and closed, the second step will not display.
Currently, you can create forms with up to 2 steps. If you need to collect more information, add multiple optional fields to Step 2 or link to an external survey tool.
Benefits
Collect More Subscriber Data. Customers can fill in the first step (usually only their email) and decide whether to provide additional information like phone number, name, or preferences. This approach gathers more data without overwhelming users upfront.
Increase Conversion Rates. Breaking the form into two steps makes completion easier. Customers who commit to Step 1 are more likely to complete Step 2, leading to higher signup rates.
Simplify Phone Number and Email Collection. Collect email in Step 1, then collect phone numbers in Step 2. This way, you gather both channels without jeopardizing email subscriptions, and customers still receive the discount.
Personalize Communication. Additional information from Step 2 (name, preferences) helps you create more targeted email and SMS campaigns.
Collect Survey Answers: Ask a question and use multiple submit buttons as answer choices. Each button can save a different value to a contact custom property for more granular segmentation.
Setup Process
Step 1: Create a New Form or Add a Step to an Existing Form
Go to Forms → Create form → Choose a template.
You can also add a second step to existing forms. To add a step, click + Add option button → Select next step.
Step 2: Add Fields
Add data collection fields, such as Email, Phone number, Input, Dropdown, Radio button, or Checkbox, to either form step.
You can organize fields based on the flow you want to create. To save collected data to a contact profile, you must include an Email or Phone number field in at least one step.
If you collect both email and phone numbers, collect the email address first or in the same step as the phone number.
⚠️ Field Collection Order
In multi-step signup forms, email and SMS fields must follow specific placement rules:
Allowed configurations:
Step 1: Email → Step 2: SMS ✅
Step 1: Email + SMS → Step 2: Other fields ✅
Not allowed:
Step 1: SMS only → Step 2: Email ❌
Why? Omnisend's backend requires an email identifier before SMS can be added to a contact profile. If you need both channels, collect email first or together with SMS in the same step.
Additional rules:
A custom property is saved when the form includes an identifier, such as an Email or Phone number field, in any step.
To save an answer from a button, the button must use the Submit form action. Link to and Go to next step buttons do not save a mapped custom property value.
Suggested Fields for Step 2
In Step 2, you can add fields such as SMS, Input, Date, Dropdown, Radio Button, and Checkbox.
Here are examples of information you can request:
Address – For ecommerce stores or services that require a physical location.
Preferences – Product preferences (color, style, size) to personalize communications.
Referral source – How customers found your store to measure marketing effectiveness.
Feedback – Survey responses or feedback (e.g., checkbox options).
Interests – Topics customers care about to personalize marketing messages.
Demographics – Age, gender, or other details for audience segmentation.
Company information (B2B) – Company name, industry, size, or location.
Purchase intent – Planned purchase time, product interest, or budget.
Event registration details – Ticket type, dietary restrictions, or preferred sessions.
💡 You can switch the order of steps based on your preference. However, make sure the field collection order requirements are followed.
Step 3. Add Additional Form Builder Items
You can further customize your form by adding additional Form Builder items, such as Wheel of Fortune, Countdown timer, Radio buttons, and more.
💡 Tip: You can also run a teaser for your multi-step form. Learn more about Teaser for Signup Forms.
Step 4. Enable Your Form
Once your form is ready, click Enable form in the upper-left menu to make your form live.
Step 5: Track Results
Once you enable the form, track results in the Reports → Forms. The signup rate reflects the number of subscribers who signed up in the first step.
Note: If a customer only submits their email in Step 1, this information is saved right away as they proceed to the next step.
If the button in Step 1 is set to "Go to next step," the email is saved immediately when the user moves to Step 2.
If the user closes the form at that point, they are already subscribed. The "Submit Form" button on Step 2 finalizes any additional information (like phone number or preferences).
Understand Button Actions
Each button has one action. The action determines whether the button moves the contact to another step, submits the form, opens a link, or closes the form.
Go to Next Step – Moves the contact to the next step without submitting the form.
Use this option only when all fields on Step 1 are optional.
If Step 1 contains required fields (e.g., a required Email field), you cannot use this action, as the data must be submitted to proceed.
Submit Form – Submits the form and saves the collected data.
When used on Step 1, the button saves the data and automatically moves the user to Step 2.
On the final step, this action completes the form and finalizes data collection.
Link to: Opens the URL you specify. It does not submit the form.
Close form: Closes the form without submitting it.
Note: A single button can have only one action. However, you can add multiple buttons to the same step. Use Go to next step to move the contact to another step, and use Submit form to submit the form and save the collected data.
Collect Answers with Submit Buttons
You can use multiple submit buttons to ask a question and save the selected answer as a custom property in contact profiles.
For each answer button:
Set the button action to Submit form.
Turn on Map to custom property.
Enter the custom property name.
Enter the Value to save for that button.
The value is not taken automatically from the button text. For example, if your form asks, “What is your skin type?” and includes Oily, Dry, and Combination buttons, use the custom property name skin_type and assign the values oily, dry, and combination to the corresponding buttons.
Important notes:
An Email or Phone number field must be included in the form for the custom property value to be saved. The identifier can be collected in any step.
Buttons configured as Link to, Go to next step, or Close form do not save a mapped custom property value.
Yes/No Multi-Step Forms
Use Yes/No buttons when you want to ask whether a visitor wants to continue with the form:
Yes: Moves the visitor to the next step.
No: Closes the form.
💡 Important Tips:
You can use Yes/No buttons during the first step. You cannot add additional fields (like email or SMS) to the Yes/No step.
In the second step, you can include Email, SMS, and other fields to gather information from interested customers.
Step 1. Create Yes/No Form or Adjust an Existing One.
Go to Forms → Create form → Multi-step → Choose a preset.
💡 You can also adjust an existing form by adding Yes/No buttons to Step 1 of your form.
Step 2. Design Step 1.
Design the first step with a question that customers are likely to answer positively:
"Ready to join our community and receive insider updates?"
"Want to stay informed about our latest releases?"
"Want to save 10% off your first order? Subscribe now!"
"Ready to unlock exclusive discounts?"
Button Actions
Assign button actions:
Go to Next Step: Associate this with the "Yes" button to guide customers to Step 2.
Close Form: Associate this with the "No" button to close the form.
Step 3: Add Fields to Step 2.
In Step 2, add Email and SMS fields or other form items. You can add multiple fields to gather specific customer information.
Understanding Reports for Yes/No Multi-Step Forms
If your form starts with Yes/No buttons on Step 1, read the report as follows:
Interaction rate = How many users clicked Yes (buttons with the action Close form do not count as interactions).
Signup rate = How many users completed the final step (e.g., submitted their Email on Step 2).
A high interaction rate means your first question is engaging, and a lower signup rate may indicate friction on the second step (e.g., the email field). Use these insights to test different question formats, wording, or field combinations to improve performance.
Buttons to Skip Optional Steps
You can allow users to skip non-required steps for a smoother form-filling process.
To do this, you can either use:
Go to Next Step button: Include a button with "Go to next step" action to let users skip the current step.
Ensure input fields in this step are not marked as required if you want users to skip them.
Multiple buttons on the same step: You can have both "Submit form" and "Close form" buttons on the same step. For example:
Add an input field for the first name and two buttons to Step 2.
"Submit form" button with "Leave my name" label for users who want to share their name.
"Close form" button with "Skip" label for users who want to subscribe without sharing their name.
💡 This pattern is for submitting or skipping optional information. If you want to save a button selection as an answer, use multiple Submit form buttons and map each one to a custom property instead.
Field Requirements: If you want users to skip a step, ensure it does not include any required fields. If a field is set as required, users must complete it to move forward.
Welcome Automation for Multi-Step Forms
When you use a multi-step form in your store, you can collect more information about your visitors and potential customers. However, collecting data is only the first step. It’s important to follow up and keep those contacts engaged with your brand.
One effective way to do this is by setting up a Welcome automation for contacts who subscribe through a multi-step form. Here’s how to set it up:
Step 1. Create Automation.
Go to Automation → Create workflow → select one of the Welcome automation presets.
Step 2. Review Automation Trigger and Settings.
The default trigger “Subscribed to marketing” is pre-selected. Review the trigger filters carefully.
If the filter Channel subscribed to is Email is enabled and you also collect SMS, remove this filter if you want the automation to send regardless of the subscription channel.
If the filter First subscription is true is enabled, remove it if you want the automation to include contacts who are subscribing again (not only first-time subscribers).
Important: Keep the first delay at least 2 minutes because the contact’s email subscription is registered immediately. However, if SMS is collected on Step 2, the contact needs time to complete that step and subscribe to SMS as well.
Adding a short delay ensures both subscriptions are properly recorded before the automation sends.
Step 3. Edit Workflow Messages.
Craft a personalized welcome message that acknowledges the information customers provided in the multistep form. Include a call-to-action that encourages them to engage with your business (e.g., sign up for a newsletter or follow your social channels).
FAQ
If a customer enters their email (already subscribed) and then enters their phone number (not in their profile), will they see a success message and receive a welcome email?
Yes. If the customer enters their already subscribed email address and then adds their phone number, they will see a success message confirming their subscription through the new channel. They will also receive a welcome email as long as the welcome automation doesn't have a frequency setting.
Can I create a form with more than 2 steps?
No. Multi-step forms currently support up to 2 steps. If you need to collect more information, add multiple fields or submit buttons to Step 2, make some optional, or link to an external survey tool.
Why does my form show an error "Step has required fields and can't be skipped"?
This error appears when a step contains a required field, but the button is set to "Go to Next Step" instead of "Submit Form." To fix, make the field optional or change the button action to "Submit Form."
Why isn't my custom property (dropdown, checkbox) saving when a customer fills out the form?
A custom property can only be saved when the form includes an Email or Phone number identifier in any step. The identifier does not need to be in the same step as the custom property.
If the value comes from a button, make sure the button uses the Submit form action, Map to custom property is enabled, the custom property name is entered, and a value is assigned. The value is not taken automatically from the button text.
Can I add multiple submit buttons to one step?
Yes. Add multiple buttons to the same step and set each button’s action to Submit form. Turn on Map to custom property for each button, enter the same custom property name, and assign a different value to each button. The value assigned to the selected button is saved to the contact profile.
An Email or Phone number field must be included in the form for the custom property value to be saved.
Want some assistance? Our Support Specialists are here for you through in-app chat or at [email protected].