# How do I make a form without being attached to a record/table? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ask for Help\ **Created:** [March 12, 2021, 1:33am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-form-without-being-attached-to-a-record-table/24142 "2021-03-12T01:33:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Michael\_Pierce](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/michael_pierce/32/22958_2.png) [@Michael\_Pierce](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Michael_Pierce)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2021, 1:33am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-form-without-being-attached-to-a-record-table/24142/1 "2021-03-12T01:33:56Z")
I have a feature in my app that allows me to send a Text message to my customer. I use a Webhook into ClickSend, rather than sending the text message from my mobile, thereby allowing the customer to see my personal number we use ClickSend. This way the text come from our company account, and all text messages are in one place, not spread over various staff mobiles. In the customer record, I have a button **ClickSend Message**. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/8/b/8b9a2904188027fc0f323b9d7e996362efc5b3a1.png) It uses the Action **Show form**. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/a/6/a6a19ce4c94e8bbe8e650ffb18bc2150e0db2f4d.png) The destination form uses a Sheet **Text Messages**. This contains the basic fields for the message and data for auditing purposes. . ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/e/e/ee1b0b8c92030e0df36f8b7556149fe17b431174.png) The form itself. This is the resulting form when you click the button **ClickSend Message** for the customer. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/a/3/a3fa1562cb4774dbb7b1d54d16193ac83f157bfb.png) I compose the message and click the **Submit** button. The ON SUBMIT uses a basic multistep custom action. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/9/e/9e12d1808a61b8f40c33a78576d5d30709e12324.png) So that is how this feature currently works. And, this is what I don’t like about how it works. 1. Clicking the Submit button, it’s not obvious to some lesser minded people. 2. In order to achieve this I have to attach a database to it. I have all the auditing information in the ClickSend website, I don’t need it on the device. How do I make it like this… 1. Click the button on the customer form ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/a/2/a27df495f9d6545277e898bf70f197706dedfd3b.png) 1. A new form appears with almost the same fields. But with the addition of a drop-down allowing you to select various template messages. 2. A basic number field where type the MINUTES and this number is inserted into the message. Thereby no need to edit the entire text message. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/a/8/a843c7a12e3b647b471deae85d5f4c0b93759a4e.png) 1. Have a big SEND button on the screen that does the Webhook action. 2. I don’t want to create a new record in a Text Message table. I don’t want the Submit record button. **Alternatively** If I must work with a table, I can create the record in the background on the customer action. But I don’t want the screen to look like you are editing a record. The only thing I want to be able to change is a dropdown box to choose a template message, a number field (this number is inserted into the message) and a textbox with the full message (if they want to make further edits). ---
**Author:** ![kyleheney](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/kyleheney/32/41173_2.png) [@kyleheney](https://community.glideapps.com/u/kyleheney)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2021, 1:46am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-form-without-being-attached-to-a-record-table/24142/2 "2021-03-12T01:46:22Z")
I _think_ you could accomplish this by using User-specific columns to hold the data and then a button with an action that grabs the data in those user-specific columns and then does everything else you need it to. You could probably add in something that clears the user-specific values after you run whatever is needed. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Pierce](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/michael_pierce/32/22958_2.png) [@Michael\_Pierce](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Michael_Pierce)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2021, 1:48am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-form-without-being-attached-to-a-record-table/24142/3 "2021-03-12T01:48:27Z")
User specific columns? Call me a dolt, but what are those? [https://docs.glideapps.com/all/reference/data-editor/user-specific-columns](https://docs.glideapps.com/all/reference/data-editor/user-specific-columns) Thats still tied to database use. I’d prefer to avoid that if at all possible. ---
**Author:** ![kyleheney](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/kyleheney/32/41173_2.png) [@kyleheney](https://community.glideapps.com/u/kyleheney)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2021, 1:57am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-form-without-being-attached-to-a-record-table/24142/4 "2021-03-12T01:57:02Z")
Haha all good. They’re columns that only live in Glide and aren’t tied to columns in a GSheet and they hold Unique values for each user. The documentation can explain it way better than I can! [User-specific columns - Glide Library](https://docs.glideapps.com/all/reference/data-editor/user-specific-columns) ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Pierce](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/michael_pierce/32/22958_2.png) [@Michael\_Pierce](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Michael_Pierce)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2021, 1:59am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-form-without-being-attached-to-a-record-table/24142/5 "2021-03-12T01:59:07Z")
I had a look. That is still tied to a database. And if I’m not mistaken, which means a new record will have to be created, and in-turn, the Submit button appears on the form. The submit button is the biggest fault with my current process. Some of my (no so smart) customers have trouble with the Submit button. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Murphy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/darren_murphy/32/47326_2.png) [@Darren\_Murphy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Darren_Murphy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2021, 2:15am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-form-without-being-attached-to-a-record-table/24142/6 "2021-03-12T02:15:23Z")
> [@Michael\_Pierce](#): > > I had a look. That is still tied to a database. And if I’m not mistaken, which means a new record will have to be created, and in-turn, the Submit button appears on the form. > > The submit button is the biggest fault with my current process. Some of my (no so smart) customers have trouble with the Submit button. The way to get around that is to do what is commonly referred to as “rolling your own form”. This generally involves the use of User Specific Columns, but may or may not involve creating new rows - that’s up to you. Here is how it works: - You have a button that currently does an Open Form action. Change that to do Link to Screen → This Item - That will give you a new Details Layout with a bunch of default components. Delete all the ones you don’t want/need, and then build your form out on this screen - Each input component will need a target column. This is where the User Specific columns come in. Think of them as temporary storage. - At the bottom of the form you create, you will need to add your own Submit button. But this can be a nice big fat one that your users won’t miss 😉 - Your multi-step action that calls the webhoook, etc should be attached to the button. - Also as part of the Submit (or Cancel) action, it’s normal to clear out the values of the User Specific Columns > [@Michael\_Pierce](#): > > Click the button on the customer form Covered above. > [@Michael\_Pierce](#): > > A new form appears with almost the same fields. But with the addition of a drop-down allowing you to select various template messages. You can use a choice component for this. You just need a column somewhere in your Glide Tables/Google Sheets that contains the template definitions. > [@Michael\_Pierce](#): > > A basic number field where type the MINUTES and this number is inserted into the message. Thereby no need to edit the entire text message. Just use a User Specific column to hold the number the user enters, and combine this with the message template using a Template Column with a replacement. > [@Michael\_Pierce](#): > > Have a big SEND button on the screen that does the Webhook action. Covered above. > [@Michael\_Pierce](#): > > 1. I don’t want to create a new record in a Text Message table. I don’t want the Submit record button. You don’t have to. Well, you just need one row to hold the User Specific columns. That’s it. ---
**Author:** ![kyleheney](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/kyleheney/32/41173_2.png) [@kyleheney](https://community.glideapps.com/u/kyleheney)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2021, 2:17am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-form-without-being-attached-to-a-record-table/24142/7 "2021-03-12T02:17:54Z")
Ditto! Well said @Darren_Murphy ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Pierce](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/michael_pierce/32/22958_2.png) [@Michael\_Pierce](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Michael_Pierce)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2021, 6:46am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-form-without-being-attached-to-a-record-table/24142/8 "2021-03-12T06:46:40Z")
Thank @Darren_Murphy this is EXACTLY what I wanted. 🤩 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/d/5/d50ce8b3b3ab32f29664b9fdd89f3987f7101ef5.png) ---
**Author:** ![NoCodeAndy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/nocodeandy/32/62530_2.png) [@NoCodeAndy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/NoCodeAndy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 4:53pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/how-do-i-make-a-form-without-being-attached-to-a-record-table/24142/9 "2024-01-17T16:53:03Z")