How to design a form to collect metadata

Design a form to collect metadata with a MASV Portal

You can design a custom metadata form when you create or edit a MASV Portal, or you can create a Metadata Form template that you can reuse and apply to any Portal you want.

By default, a Portal has three Form Fields (Sender Email, Package Name, Package Description). The metadata entered in these fields is delivered via the email that includes the download link. When you create a Custom Form, you can change:

• Fields included
• Field format (text box, checkbox, dropdown list, hyperlink, radio button, etc...)
• Field setting: Required, Optional, Read Only, or Hidden
• Delivery format (Email, JSON, CSV, XML)

You can preview your form, save it as a template, and clear the form if you want to start from scratch. Each Portal has its own form, so any changes made on the Custom Form page are only captured for that Portal. If you save the form as a template, you're capturing a copy of the form at that time.

To create a Custom Form to collect metadata with a MASV Portal

1. In the MASV Web App, as a Team Owner or Admin (roles) , select Request Files with Portals from the sidebar on the left.
2. Do one of the following:
   1. Create a Custom Portal.
   2. Select and edit an existing Portal.
3. On the New Portal or Edit Portal page, select the Custom Form tab.
4. Do one of the following:
   1. If no customization has been made previously, select Create new Custom Form.
   2. If you want to use a form template (previously saved a Metadata Form), select Start with a form template, and select the form you want from the list.
5. In the Form Name field, type a name that reflects the purpose of the form.
6. In the Delivery Formats area, select the check boxes for the metadata delivery methods you want: JSON, CSV, XML, and Email Body.
7. In the Form Fields area, add, edit, delete, or rearrange any of the form fields you want. See Working with Metadata Fields for information about modifying form fields.
8. Select the Save button in the lower right corner of the page to apply your changes.
9. Select Preview at the bottom of the page and test your form. If you make any adjustments, don't forget to select the Save button to apply the changes.
10. If you want to save the form as a template, select Save form as template at the bottom of the page. The form is saved as a metadata form and available from Features & Settings > Metadata Forms.

Working with Metadata Fields

When designing a form, you can add, delete, edit, and rearrange fields.

• A: Drag the field up or down to arrange a form’s fields in the order you want. 
• B: Select to hide or show the field’s settings. You can also select Collapse or Expand to see an overview of all fields or details for each field.
• C: Select + to add a new field, then choose the type of field you want to add.
• D: Select the field you want to delete, select the trash button, then confirm your decision. Deleting a field can’t be undone!

Managing Custom Form templates (Metadata Forms)

You can save the Custom Forms from your Portals as templates and reuse them for new Portals. You can also create a form template from scratch and save it until you are ready to apply it to a Portal. For example, if you are preparing for a project and know the fields you'll need before you create Portals for your contributors, you can create and save your template as a Metadata Form.

To view or create Metadata Form templates

Use the Actions dropdown menu to do these things:

• Preview: See what a Portal’s custom metadata form looks like to Portal senders. You can also export sample metadata files. 
• Duplicate: Make a copy of the metadata template. 
• Edit: Edit the template’s metadata file formats and fields.
• Delete: Delete the template. Deleting a template can’t be undone!