AEM 6.5 Forms Guide
Release Notes
- Release Notes
- New features summary
- Frequently asked questions
- Deprecated features
Getting Started
- Introduction to AEM Forms
- Introduction to authoring adaptive forms
- Introduction to Interactive Communications
- Introduction to managing forms
- Introduction to Automated Forms Conversion service
- Tutorial: Create your First Adaptive Form
- Tutorial: Create your First Interactive Communication
- AEM Forms Reference Collaterals
Install and configure AEM Forms
- Architecture and deployment topologies for AEM Forms
- Choosing a persistence type for an AEM Forms installation
- Install AEM Forms on OSGi
- Install AEM Forms on JEE
- Configure AEM Forms
Upgrade AEM Forms
- Available upgrade paths
- Upgrade AEM Forms on OSGi
- Upgrade AEM Forms on JEE
Manage AEM Forms
- AEM Forms on OSGi Groups and Privileges
- Create new folders to categorize forms
- Searching for forms and assets
- Manage form metadata
- Download an XFA or a PDF form template
- Deleting forms and related resources
- Getting XDP and PDF documents in AEM Forms
- Importing and exporting assets to AEM Forms
- Supporting new locales for adaptive forms localization
- Handling user data
- Hardening AEM Forms Environment
Form Data Model
- Introduction to AEM Forms Data Integration
- Configure data sources
- Microsoft Dynamics Odata configuration
- Salesforce integration using OAuth 2.0 client credentials flow authorization
- Create form data model
- Work with form data model
- Use form data model
Adaptive Forms - Core Components
- Enable Core Components for your environment
- Create a Core Components based Adaptive Form
- Create themes for Core Components based Adaptive Forms
- Create and use custom error handler for Core Components based Adaptive Forms
Adaptive Forms - Basic Authoring
- Best practices for working with adaptive forms
- Creating an adaptive form
- Create or add an Adaptive Form to AEM Sites page
- Adaptive form fragments
- Configuring the Submit action
- Using CAPTCHA in adaptive forms
- Adaptive forms keywords
- Tables in adaptive forms
- Auto-save an adaptive form
- Configuring redirect page
- Creating accessible adaptive forms
- Creating forms with repeatable sections
- Embed an adaptive form or interactive communication in AEM sites page
- Embed adaptive form in external web page
- Inline styling of adaptive form components
- Introduction to multi-step form sequence
- Layout capabilities of adaptive forms
- Placeholder text in AEM Forms
- Previewing a form
- Reusing adaptive forms
- Separator component in adaptive forms
- Apply electronic signatures to a form using scribble signatures
- AEM Forms Keyboard Shortcuts
- Associating submission reviewers with a form
- Authoring in-context help for form fields
- Use Layout mode to resize components
- Connect and submit Adaptive Form data to Microsoft® Power Automate
Adaptive Forms - Advanced Authoring
- Creating adaptive forms using JSON Schema
- Creating adaptive forms using XML Schema
- Using Adobe Sign in an adaptive form
- Creating and using themes
- Adaptive forms rule editor
- API to invoke form data model service from adaptive forms
- Asynchronous submission of adaptive forms
- Create an adaptive form using a set of adaptive forms
- Adaptive Form Templates
- Adaptive Form Expressions
- Generate Document of Record for adaptive forms
- Improve performance of large forms with lazy loading
- Prefill adaptive form fields
- Using SOM expressions in adaptive forms
- Adding information from user data to form submission metadata
- XFA support in XDP-based adaptive forms
- Grant rule editor access to select user groups
- Using AEM translation workflow to localize adaptive forms and document of record
- Styling constructs for adaptive forms
- Synchronizing Adaptive Forms with XFA Form Templates
- Integrate Adobe Sign with AEM Forms
- Creating and managing reviews for assets in forms
- Embed an adaptive form or Interactive Communication in AEM Sites Single Page Application
- Create and use custom error handler for Adaptive Forms
Interactive Communications
- Introduction to Interactive Communication authoring UI
- Create an Interactive Communication
- Using charts in Interactive Communications
- Texts in Interactive Communications
- Conditions in Interactive Communications
- Prepare and send Interactive Communication using the Agent UI
- Print channel and web channel
- Interactive Communications configuration properties
- Generate multiple interactive communications
- Use Layout mode to resize components
Workflows
- Forms-centric workflow on OSGi
- Forms-centric workflow on OSGi - Step Reference
- Dynamically select a user or group for AEM Forms-centric workflow steps
- Actions and capabilities of Form-centric AEM Workflows on OSGi and AEM Forms JEE workflows
- Initiate Document Services APIs from AEM Workflow
- Logging in AEM Forms workflows
- Variables in AEM workflows
- Share and request access to Inbox items of a user
- Configure Out of Office
AEM Forms Workspace
- Introduction to AEM Forms workspace
- Working with AEM Forms workspace
- AEM Forms Workspace Architecture
- Features of AEM Forms workspace not available in Flex workspace
- Features of Flex workspace not available in AEM Forms workspace
- Backbone interaction
- Description of reusable components
- Document details for renderer
- Integrating AEM Forms workspace components in web applications
- New render and submit service
- Understanding the folder structure
- Integrating third-party applications in AEM Forms workspace
- AEM Forms workspace JSON object description
- Introduction to Customizing AEM form workspace
- Generic steps for AEM Forms workspace customization
- Changing the locale of AEM Forms workspace user interface
- Creating a new login screen
- Customizing error dialogs
- Customizing tabs for a task
- Customizing the task details page
- Customizing the listing of process instances
- Customizing Task Actions
- Displaying additional data in ToDo list
- Getting Task Variables in Summary URL
- Customize images used in route actions
- Minification of the JavaScript files
- Customize tracking tables
- Updating the link to the documentation
- Working with Formsets in AEM Forms workspace
- APIs used in AEM Forms workspace
- Initiating a new process with existing process data in AEM Forms workspace
- Hosting two AEM Forms workspace instances on one server
- Changing the color scheme of the interface
- Changing the font on the interface
- Changing the organization logo for branding
- Displaying information in the Task Summary pane
- Displaying the user avatar
- Getting started with AEM Forms workspace
- Managing tasks in an organizational hierarchy using Manager View
- Starting processes
- Tracking processes
- Single Sign On and timeout handlers
- Using an adaptive form in HTML Workspace
- Integrating AEM forms workspace with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server
- Working with To-do lists
- Troubleshooting guidelines for AEM Forms workspace
AEM Forms app
- Introduction to AEM Forms app
- Set up environment for AEM Forms app
- Set up the Xcode project and build the iOS app
- Building a secure AEM Forms app for iOS
- Set up the Visual Studio project and build the Windows app
- Set up the Android studio project and build the Android app
- Build the AEM Forms Android app
- Distribute AEM Forms app
- Gesture customization
- Branding Customization
- Theme Customization
- Logging in to AEM Forms app
- Home screen
- Synchronizing the app
- Working with a Form
- Working with Startpoints
- Opening a task
- Saving a task or form as a draft
- Using autosave in AEM Forms app
- Save forms as templates
- Adding attachments
- Working in the offline mode
- Updating general settings
- Troubleshoot AEM Forms app
HTML5 Forms
- Introduction to HTML5 forms
- Getting started with HTML5 forms
- Architecture of HTML5 forms
- Feature differentiation between HTML5 forms and PDF forms
- Frequently asked questions (FAQ) for HTML5 forms
- Designing form templates for HTML5 forms
- Best practices for HTML5 forms
- Designing accessible HTML5 forms
- Generate HTML5 preview of an XDP form
- Rendering form template for HTML5 forms
- Enabling attachments for an HTML5 form
- HTML5 forms service proxy
- Optimizing HTML5 forms
- Screen readers for HTML5 forms
- Creating a custom profile for HTML5 forms
- Right-to-left languages in HTML5 forms
- Integrating Form Bridge with custom portal for HTML5 forms
- Create custom appearances in HTML5 forms
- Changing default styles of HTML5 forms
- Picture clause support for HTML5 forms
- Create accessible complex tables in HTML5 forms
- Creating CSS styles for HTML5 forms
- Customizing error messages for HTML5 forms
- Saving an HTML5 form as a draft
- Enable logging for HTML5 forms
- Debugging HTML5 forms
- Scripting support for HTML5 forms
- Form set in AEM Forms
Letters and Correspondences
- Correspondence Management Overview
- Layout Design
- Data Dictionary
- Document Fragments
- Create Letter
- Create Correspondence
- Remote functions in Expression Builder
- Manage agent signature images
- Post processing of letters and interactive communications
- Add custom action to the Asset Listing view
- Add custom action/button in Create Correspondence UI
- Add custom properties to Correspondence Management assets
- Customize create correspondence UI
- Customize text editor
- Correspondence Management: Troubleshooting
- APIs to access letter instances
- Integrating Create Correspondence UI with your custom portal
- Custom special characters in Correspondence Management
- Custom watermark in letter PDF preview
- Configuring a Correspondence Management solution
- Inline condition and repeat in Interactive Communications and letters
- Document Fragments
- Correspondence Management Configuration Properties
Integrate AEM Forms with Experience Cloud solutions
- Create targeted experiences in AEM Forms
- Measure and improve effectiveness and conversion of forms
- Analytics Using Cloud Service Framework
- Analytics using Adobe Launch
- View and understand AEM Forms analytics reports
- Create and manage A/B test for adaptive forms
Publish and process AEM Forms
- Introduction to publishing forms on a portal
- Sample for integrating drafts & submissions component with database
- Configuring storage services for drafts and submissions
- Manage Forms applications and tasks in AEM Inbox
- Watched folder in AEM Forms
- Drafts and submissions component
- Embedding link component in a page
- Publishing and unpublishing forms and documents
- Listing forms on a web page using APIs
- Accessing and filling published forms
- Sending a form submission acknowledgement via email
- Create or Configure a watched folder
- Use custom email templates in an Assign Task step
- Use metadata in an email notification
Forms Portal
- Customizing templates for forms portal components
- Enabling forms portal components
- Creating a forms portal page
- APIs to work with submitted forms on forms portal
- Custom storage for drafts and submissions component
Document Services
- Overview of AEM Document Services
- Forms Service
- Output Service
- ConvertPDF Service
- Barcoded Forms Service
- Using Assembler Service
- Use HSM to digitally sign or certify documents
- Using AEM Document Services Programmatically
- Using the sendToPrinter API
Document Security
- Document security offerings
- Enable AEM to search document security protected PDF documents
- Reader extending policy-protected PDF documents using Portable Protection Library
- Enable AEM to search document security protected PDF and Microsoft Office documents
- Protect a document on behalf of another user
Forms Designer
- Forms Designer Help
- Using Designer
- Designer Quick Start Tutorials
- Designer Samples
- Designer Scripting Basics
- Designer Scripting Reference
- Designer FormCalc Reference
- Using Scribble Signature in HTML5 forms
- Changing Page Zero content in Designer
Customize AEM Forms
- Appearance framework for adaptive and HTML5 forms
- Creating a custom adaptive form template
- Creating custom layout components for adaptive forms
- Adding custom action on form lister items
- Customize layout and positioning of error messages of an adaptive form
- Creating a custom toolbar action
- Customizing form event tracking
- Create custom appearances for adaptive form fields
- Customizing Draft and Submission data services
- Dynamically populating drop-down lists
- Writing custom Submit action for adaptive forms
- Creating custom toolbar layout
- Displaying components based on the template used
- Creating custom adaptive form themes
Transaction Reports
- Transaction Reports Overview
- Viewing and Understanding Transaction Reports
- Transaction Reports Billable APIs
- Record a transaction for custom implementations
Administrator help for AEM Forms on JEE
- Get Started
  - General AEM Forms settings
  - Update the license type for the deployment
- Setting up and managing domains
  - Adding domains
  - Delete a domain
  - Configure account-locking settings
  - Editing and converting existing domains
  - Configuring authentication providers
  - Synchronizing directories
  - Configuring directories
- Configuring User Management
  - Change the order of evaluation for authentication
  - Configure the LDAP bind password
  - Configure AEM forms to prefetch domain information
  - Configuring certificate-based authentication
  - Configure SAML service provider settings
  - Enabling single sign-on in AEM forms
  - Configure User Management for an SSL-enabled LDAP server
  - Importing and exporting the configuration file
  - Configure advanced system attributes
  - Preventing CSRF attacks
- Setting up and organizing users
  - Adding and configuring users
  - Just-in-time user provisioning
  - Creating and configuring groups
  - Search for a user or group
  - Creating and configuring roles
- Connecting to a content management system
  - Configuring Connector for EMC Documentum
  - Configuring Connector for IBM FileNet
  - Configuring Connector for IBM Content Manager
  - Configuring Connector for Microsoft SharePoint
- Managing certificates and credentials
  - Adding and removing user name and password credentials
  - Managing certificate revocation lists
  - Basics of managing certificates and credentials
  - Managing certificates
  - Managing HSM credentials
  - Managing local credentials
- Importing and managing applications and archives
  - Change the number of items displayed on the Applications and Services pages
  - Import and manage archives
  - Import and manage applications
- Managing Services
  - Configure service settings
  - Starting and stopping services
- Managing Endpoints
  - Adding, enabling, modifying, or removing endpoints
  - Configuring email endpoints
  - Configure oAuth2.0 authentication
  - Configuring Remoting endpoints
  - Configuring watched folder endpoints
  - Configuring Task Manager endpoints
  - Types of endpoints
- Configuring Acrobat Reader DC extensions
  - Certificate types used by Acrobat Reader DC extensions
  - Recognizing valid and expired certificates in PDF documents
  - Configuring Acrobat Reader DC extensions for data capture
  - Review credential use information
  - Configuring credentials for use with Acrobat Reader DC extensions
  - Review the usage rights of a PDF file
  - Enabling online commenting for Adobe Reader web browser plug-in
  - Setting timeout values for use with Acrobat Reader DC extensions
  - Updating expired Reader Extension service certificates
- Working with PDF Generator
  - Introduction to working with PDF Generator
  - Enabling multi-threaded file conversions
  - Configuring Adobe PDF settings
  - Configuring security settings
  - Configuring file type settings
  - Importing and exporting PDF Generator configuration files
  - Enable PDF/A support
  - Setting up a PDFG Network Printer (Windows only)
  - Configuring fallback fonts
  - Modifying the PDF Export conversion settings
  - Converting files using PDF Generator
- Configuring SSL
  - Overview of configuring SSL
  - Configuring SSL for JBoss Application Server
  - Configuring SSL on Windows Vista
  - Configuring SSL for WebSphere Application Server
- Working with document security
  - About document security
  - High-volume secure information delivery
  - Configuring client and server options
  - Managing invited and local user accounts
  - Controlling access to policy-protected documents
  - Monitoring events
  - Creating and managing policies
  - Using the document security webpages
  - Creating and managing policy sets
  - Registering as a User
- Configuring Forms
  - Basics of configuring forms
  - Setting internationalization options
  - Configuring caching for Forms
  - Specifying XCI configuration options
  - Configuring form output
  - Specifying fonts to embed
  - Configuring locations for Forms
  - Specifying security settings
  - Configuring validation messages
- Configuring Output
  - Overview of output service
  - Specify XCI configuration options
  - Configuring caching for Output
  - Specify file locations for Output
  - Make fonts available
  - Specify fonts to embed
  - Specify security settings
  - Change the character set
- Configuring forms workflow
  - About administration and process terminology
  - Managing Processes
  - Configuring Business Calendars
  - Overview of Forms workflow
  - Configuring Out of Office Settings
  - Searching for process instances
  - Configuring Server Settings
  - Working with stalled operations and branches
  - Configuring Shared Queues
  - Working with tasks
- Configuring Workspace
  - Overview of Workspace
  - Importing and exporting global settings
  - Setting the message of the day
  - Customizing search templates
  - Managing the categories displayed in Workspace
- Health Monitor
  - Overview of Health Monitor
  - Fine-tuning Health Monitor performance
  - View statistics related to Work Manager
  - View system information
  - Purge records from the Job Manager database
- Maintaining AEM forms
  - Log files
  - User Management
  - Monitoring AEM forms deployments
  - Work Manager and throttling
  - Running AEM forms in maintenance mode
- Maintaining the AEM forms Database
  - DB2 database: Running a process weekly
  - Oracle database maximum open cursors threshold
  - IBM DB2 database: Running commands for regular maintenance
  - Purging process data
  - Microsoft SQL Server database: Fine-tuning the configuration
  - Tips for minimizing database growth
- Maintaining the Application Server
  - Application server websites
  - Global document storage directory
  - Considerations when running AdministrationConsole
  - Enhancing application server performance
  - Starting and stopping WebSphere Application Server
- AEM forms Backup and Recovery
  - Backing up and recovering the EMC Documentum repository
  - Enabling and disabling safe backup mode
  - Backing up the AEM forms data
  - Files to back up and recover
  - Backup and recovery strategy for AEM forms
  - PDF Generator backup limitations
  - Backup strategies for watched folders
  - Recovering the AEM forms data
  - Backup strategy for Connector for EMC Documentum users
  - Strategy for backup and restore in a clustered environment
- System information service
  - Set up the System information service
  - System information Service APIs
Process Reporting
- Introduction to Process Reporting
- Getting Started with Process Reporting
- How Process Reporting Works
- Pre-defined reports in Process Reporting
- Custom Reports in Process Reporting
- Ad-hoc Queries in Process Reporting
- Troubleshooting Process Reporting
Developer Reference
- Developer basics
- HTML Template Language
- AEM plug-in to debug adaptive forms
- AEM Forms Java API Reference
- AEM Forms on JEE Java API Reference
- Form Bridge APIs for HTML5 forms
- JavaScript Library API reference for Adaptive Forms
- Assembler Service and DDX Reference
- Workbench Help
- Programming with AEM Forms on JEE
Troubleshooting
- Unable to use some forms features with certain versions of Oracle JDK
- Additional Steps to get Email with Attachment for Adaptive Forms On JEE version
- Unable to convert Word or Excel file to PDF on Windows Server
- Unable to open XFA-based PDF forms in Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Internet Explorer, or Apple Safari
- Unable to restore CRX Repository
- Service unavailable errors after installing AEM 6.5.15.0 service pack
- AEM Forms JEE 6.5.15.0 service pack installation issue on JBoss Linux environment
Legacy documentation
- Using the execute script service in AEM Forms on JEE Workbench to build XML data
- Compressing and decompressing files using a AEM Forms on JEE Custom DSC
- Configuring and troubleshooting an AEM Forms on JEE server cluster
- Generating and working with Hashes in dynamic PDF forms
- Passing credentials using WS-Security headers

Authoring in-context help for form fields

Adobe recommends using the modern and extensible data capture Core Components for creating new Adaptive Forms or adding Adaptive Forms to AEM Sites pages. These components represent a significant advancement in Adaptive Forms creation, ensuring impressive user experiences. This article describes older approach to author Adaptive Forms using foundation components.

Introduction

There are situations when end users filling a form are not sure how to fill details in a particular form field. To address such issues, adaptive forms provides support to add text or rich in-context help to a form field. It helps improve the form filling experience and avoids any ambiguity for end users.

This article discusses how form authors can add in-context help while authoring Adaptive Forms.

Add in-context help

You can specify in-context help using the following options in the Help Content section of the properties tab in the sidebar.

In-context help for form fields

NOTE

Long description overrides the Short description. If you have specified both, only Long description will appear.

Short description

The Short description field is to provide quick and short hints about filling a form field. The text specified in the Short description field is displayed as a tooltip on hovering mouse over the field.

Short description for adding in-context help for form fields

NOTE

Select Always show short description to permanently display the help text below the field.

Permanent short in-context help below the field

Long description

You can use the Long description field to specify long text or embed rich media content, including videos, as in-context help. For example, the following image shows how you can embed a video as in-context help.

Adding rich media as in-context help for form fields

Adding Long description displays a ? icon next to the field. Clicking the icon displays the content added in the long description section.

Example of rich media in-context help

Panel-level help

In addition to the in-context help for form fields, you can specify help at a panel level in the Help content tab of the panel edit dialog.

Adding in-context help for a form panel

Adding help for panel displays a ? icon next to the panel description. Clicking the icon displays the content added in the Help Content section of the panel edit dialog.

Example of in-context help at form panel level