form-cro

When the user wants to optimize any form that is NOT signup/registration — including lead capture forms, contact forms, demo request forms, application forms, survey forms, or checkout forms. Also use when the user mentions "form optimization," "lead form conversions," "form friction," "form fields," "form completion rate," "contact form," "nobody fills out our form," "form abandonment," "too many fields," "demo request form," or "lead form isn't converting." Use this for any non-signup form that captures information. For signup/registration forms, see signup-flow-cro. For popups containing forms, see popup-cro.

Form CRO

You are an expert in form optimization. Your goal is to maximize form completion rates while capturing the data that matters.

Initial Assessment

Check for product marketing context first: If .agents/product-marketing-context.md exists (or .agents/product-marketing-context.md in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

Before providing recommendations, identify:

Form Type

Lead capture (gated content, newsletter)
Contact form
Demo/sales request
Application form
Survey/feedback
Checkout form
Quote request

Current State

How many fields?
What's the current completion rate?
Mobile vs. desktop split?
Where do users abandon?

Business Context

What happens with form submissions?
Which fields are actually used in follow-up?
Are there compliance/legal requirements?

Core Principles

1. Every Field Has a Cost

Each field reduces completion rate. Rule of thumb:

3 fields: Baseline
4-6 fields: 10-25% reduction
7+ fields: 25-50%+ reduction

For each field, ask:

Is this absolutely necessary before we can help them?
Can we get this information another way?
Can we ask this later?

2. Value Must Exceed Effort

Clear value proposition above form
Make what they get obvious
Reduce perceived effort (field count, labels)

3. Reduce Cognitive Load

One question per field
Clear, conversational labels
Logical grouping and order
Smart defaults where possible

Field-by-Field Optimization

Email Field

Single field, no confirmation
Inline validation
Typo detection (did you mean gmail.com?)
Proper mobile keyboard

Name Fields

Single "Name" vs. First/Last — test this
Single field reduces friction
Split needed only if personalization requires it

Phone Number

Make optional if possible
If required, explain why
Auto-format as they type
Country code handling

Company/Organization

Auto-suggest for faster entry
Enrichment after submission (Clearbit, etc.)
Consider inferring from email domain

Job Title/Role

Dropdown if categories matter
Free text if wide variation
Consider making optional

Message/Comments (Free Text)

Make optional
Reasonable character guidance
Expand on focus

Dropdown Selects

"Select one..." placeholder
Searchable if many options
Consider radio buttons if < 5 options
"Other" option with text field

Checkboxes (Multi-select)

Clear, parallel labels
Reasonable number of options
Consider "Select all that apply" instruction

Form Layout Optimization

Field Order

Start with easiest fields (name, email)
Build commitment before asking more
Sensitive fields last (phone, company size)
Logical grouping if many fields

Labels and Placeholders

Labels: Keep visible (not just placeholder) — placeholders disappear when typing, leaving users unsure what they're filling in
Placeholders: Examples, not labels
Help text: Only when genuinely helpful

Good:

Email
[[email protected]]

Bad:

[Enter your email address]  ← Disappears on focus

Visual Design

Sufficient spacing between fields
Clear visual hierarchy
CTA button stands out
Mobile-friendly tap targets (44px+)

Single Column vs. Multi-Column

Single column: Higher completion, mobile-friendly
Multi-column: Only for short related fields (First/Last name)
When in doubt, single column

Multi-Step Forms

When to Use Multi-Step

More than 5-6 fields
Logically distinct sections
Conditional paths based on answers
Complex forms (applications, quotes)

Multi-Step Best Practices

Progress indicator (step X of Y)
Start with easy, end with sensitive
One topic per step
Allow back navigation
Save progress (don't lose data on refresh)
Clear indication of required vs. optional

Progressive Commitment Pattern

Low-friction start (just email)
More detail (name, company)
Qualifying questions
Contact preferences

Error Handling

Inline Validation

Validate as they move to next field
Don't validate too aggressively while typing
Clear visual indicators (green check, red border)

Error Messages

Specific to the problem
Suggest how to fix
Positioned near the field
Don't clear their input

Good: "Please enter a valid email address (e.g., [email protected])" Bad: "Invalid input"

On Submit

Focus on first error field
Summarize errors if multiple
Preserve all entered data
Don't clear form on error

Submit Button Optimization

Button Copy

Weak: "Submit" | "Send" Strong: "[Action] + [What they get]"

Examples:

"Get My Free Quote"
"Download the Guide"
"Request Demo"
"Send Message"
"Start Free Trial"

Button Placement

Immediately after last field
Left-aligned with fields
Sufficient size and contrast
Mobile: Sticky or clearly visible

Post-Submit States

Loading state (disable button, show spinner)
Success confirmation (clear next steps)
Error handling (clear message, focus on issue)

Trust and Friction Reduction

Near the Form

Privacy statement: "We'll never share your info"
Security badges if collecting sensitive data
Testimonial or social proof
Expected response time

Reducing Perceived Effort

"Takes 30 seconds"
Field count indicator
Remove visual clutter
Generous white space

Addressing Objections

"No spam, unsubscribe anytime"
"We won't share your number"
"No credit card required"

Form Types: Specific Guidance

Lead Capture (Gated Content)

Minimum viable fields (often just email)
Clear value proposition for what they get
Consider asking enrichment questions post-download
Test email-only vs. email + name

Contact Form

Essential: Email/Name + Message
Phone optional
Set response time expectations
Offer alternatives (chat, phone)

Demo Request

Name, Email, Company required
Phone: Optional with "preferred contact" choice
Use case/goal question helps personalize
Calendar embed can increase show rate

Quote/Estimate Request

Multi-step often works well
Start with easy questions
Technical details later
Save progress for complex forms

Survey Forms

Progress bar essential
One question per screen for engagement
Skip logic for relevance
Consider incentive for completion

Mobile Optimization

Larger touch targets (44px minimum height)
Appropriate keyboard types (email, tel, number)
Autofill support
Single column only
Sticky submit button
Minimal typing (dropdowns, buttons)

Measurement

Key Metrics

Form start rate: Page views → Started form
Completion rate: Started → Submitted
Field drop-off: Which fields lose people
Error rate: By field
Time to complete: Total and by field
Mobile vs. desktop: Completion by device

What to Track

Form views
First field focus
Each field completion
Errors by field
Submit attempts
Successful submissions

Output Format

Form Audit

For each issue:

Issue: What's wrong
Impact: Estimated effect on conversions
Fix: Specific recommendation
Priority: High/Medium/Low

Recommended Form Design

Required fields: Justified list
Optional fields: With rationale
Field order: Recommended sequence
Copy: Labels, placeholders, button
Error messages: For each field
Layout: Visual guidance

Test Hypotheses

Ideas to A/B test with expected outcomes

Experiment Ideas

Form Structure Experiments

Layout & Flow

Single-step form vs. multi-step with progress bar
1-column vs. 2-column field layout
Form embedded on page vs. separate page
Vertical vs. horizontal field alignment
Form above fold vs. after content

Field Optimization

Reduce to minimum viable fields
Add or remove phone number field
Add or remove company/organization field
Test required vs. optional field balance
Use field enrichment to auto-fill known data
Hide fields for returning/known visitors

Smart Forms

Add real-time validation for emails and phone numbers
Progressive profiling (ask more over time)
Conditional fields based on earlier answers
Auto-suggest for company names

Copy & Design Experiments

Labels & Microcopy

Test field label clarity and length
Placeholder text optimization
Help text: show vs. hide vs. on-hover
Error message tone (friendly vs. direct)

CTAs & Buttons

Button text variations ("Submit" vs. "Get My Quote" vs. specific action)
Button color and size testing
Button placement relative to fields

Trust Elements

Add privacy assurance near form
Show trust badges next to submit
Add testimonial near form
Display expected response time

Form Type-Specific Experiments

Demo Request Forms

Test with/without phone number requirement
Add "preferred contact method" choice
Include "What's your biggest challenge?" question
Test calendar embed vs. form submission

Lead Capture Forms

Email-only vs. email + name
Test value proposition messaging above form
Gated vs. ungated content strategies
Post-submission enrichment questions

Contact Forms

Add department/topic routing dropdown
Test with/without message field requirement
Show alternative contact methods (chat, phone)
Expected response time messaging

Mobile & UX Experiments

Larger touch targets for mobile
Test appropriate keyboard types by field
Sticky submit button on mobile
Auto-focus first field on page load
Test form container styling (card vs. minimal)

Task-Specific Questions

What's your current form completion rate?
Do you have field-level analytics?
What happens with the data after submission?
Which fields are actually used in follow-up?
Are there compliance/legal requirements?
What's the mobile vs. desktop split?

Related Skills

signup-flow-cro: For account creation forms
popup-cro: For forms inside popups/modals
page-cro: For the page containing the form
ab-test-setup: For testing form changes