Long Answer

Free feature

Long answer is available to all Fomr users.

The Long Answer component provides a multi-line text area for collecting detailed, extended responses from your form respondents. Use it when you need more than a brief, single-line answer.

When to use Long Answer

Long Answer is ideal for collecting:

• Detailed feedback and comments
• Descriptions and explanations
• Open-ended survey responses
• Message content in contact forms
• Cover letters or personal statements
• Any response that may span multiple lines

Tip

For brief, single-line responses like names or titles, use the Short Answer component instead.

Adding a Long Answer component

1. Open your form in the editor

2. Drag the Long Answer component from the left sidebar onto your form

3. Click the component to select it and configure its settings

Configuration options

Question label

The main question or prompt displayed above the text area. This tells respondents what information you’re asking for.

Tips for effective labels:

• Be clear about what kind of response you’re looking for
• Indicate the level of detail expected
• Use open-ended phrasing to encourage detailed responses

Examples:

• “Please describe your experience with our product”
• “Tell us about yourself”
• “What feedback do you have for us?”

Description

Optional helper text that appears below the question label. Use this to provide additional context, instructions, or guidance on response length.

When to use descriptions:

• To suggest how much detail you’re looking for
• To provide prompts or questions to address
• To set expectations about response length

Examples:

• “Please provide as much detail as possible”
• “Include specific examples if applicable”
• “A few sentences is fine, but feel free to elaborate”

Placeholder

Ghost text that appears inside the text area when it’s empty. Placeholders disappear when the user starts typing.

Best practices for placeholders:

• Provide a starting prompt or example
• Keep it helpful but not too long
• Don’t rely on placeholders for critical instructions

Examples:

• “Share your thoughts here…”
• “Describe the issue you experienced…”
• “Tell us what you liked and what could be improved”

Required

Toggle whether this field must be filled out before the form can be submitted.

When enabled:

• An asterisk (*) appears next to the question label
• Users cannot submit the form without providing a response
• A validation message appears if they try to skip the field

Tips for effective use

Set expectations about length. If you want detailed responses, say so in the description. If brief responses are fine, let respondents know.

Use prompting questions. Help respondents know what to include by suggesting specific points to address in your description.

Consider making it optional. Long-form responses require more effort. Making them optional can improve overall form completion rates.

Position strategically. Place long answer questions after simpler questions to build momentum before asking for more effort.

Limit the number of long answer fields. Too many open-ended questions can be overwhelming. Be selective about what truly needs detailed responses.

Text area behavior

The Long Answer text area:

• Expands as needed: The text area grows to accommodate longer responses
• Supports line breaks: Users can press Enter to create new paragraphs
• Allows copy/paste: Users can paste text from other sources
• Preserves formatting: Line breaks and spacing are maintained in responses

Accessibility

The Long Answer component is built with accessibility in mind:

• Labels are properly associated with text areas
• Required fields are indicated both visually and to screen readers
• Error messages are announced to assistive technologies
• Keyboard navigation is fully supported
• Text areas are resizable for user comfort

Viewing responses

Long answer responses in your form results:

• Display the full text submitted
• Preserve line breaks and formatting
• Can be expanded for easier reading
• Are included in exports (CSV, etc.)