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Lead Intake Forms

Capture leads directly from your website into Readybuild. This page covers all available methods for integrating lead capture with your website.

Overview​

Readybuild offers three ways to capture leads from your website:

MethodBest ForSetup
External Lead FormsMost users - visual form builder with built-in spam protectionLow
External Leads APIDevelopers needing complete control over form designHigh
ZapierNo-code automation from other appsMedium

Feature Comparison​

FeatureExternal Lead FormsExternal Leads APIZapier
Visual Builder✅ Yes❌ No❌ No
Spam Protection✅ Turnstile CAPTCHAUser implementsVaries
Custom Styling✅ Yes✅ Complete controlN/A
Rate Limiting✅ Multi-tier❌ No❌ No
Custom Fields✅ Contact & Project✅ Via metadata✅ Yes
Conversion OptionsExternal or DirectExternal onlyExternal only
Duplicate Detection✅ Yes❌ No❌ No
Activity Tracking✅ Yes❌ No❌ No
Technical Skills RequiredNoneDeveloperNone

External Lead Forms​

The visual form builder provides an easy interface for creating and customizing lead capture forms. Recommended for most users.

Access​

Navigate to Settings > External Lead Forms

Key Features​

Conversion Modes​

  • External Lead: Creates lead for manual review (default)
  • Direct Conversion: Creates Contact and optionally Project immediately

Built-in Security​

  • Cloudflare Turnstile CAPTCHA - Automatic bot protection
  • Domain whitelisting - Only accept submissions from approved domains
  • Multi-tier rate limiting:
    • 60 requests/min per IP (all endpoints)
    • 5 attempts/min per IP (any submission result)
    • 1 successful submission per 5 minutes per IP
  • Cloudflare-aware IP detection - Real client IP through proxy

Customization Options​

  • Visual form builder with drag-and-drop
  • Custom styling (colors, fonts, CSS)
  • Custom completion message or redirect URL
  • Field labels and required field settings

Advanced Features​

  • Email lookup for returning customers
  • Address reuse from existing contacts
  • Activity logging for all submissions

Setup Instructions​

Step 1: Create a New Form​

  1. Go to Settings > External Lead Forms
  2. Click Create New Form
  3. Enter a form name

Step 2: Configure Basic Settings​

  1. Choose Conversion Mode:
    • External Lead (for manual review)
    • Direct Conversion (automatic contact creation)
  2. Set default assignment rules if applicable

Step 3: Add Fields​

  1. Click Add Field to include form fields
  2. Drag fields to reorder them
  3. For each field, configure:
    • Field label (what users see)
    • Required/optional status
    • Placeholder text

Available Fields:

  • Contact information (name, email, phone)
  • Address fields
  • Custom contact fields
  • Project-related fields
  • Free-form message/notes

Step 4: Style the Form (Optional)​

Customize the form appearance:

  • Colors (background, text, buttons)
  • Fonts
  • Custom CSS for advanced styling

Step 5: Set Completion Action​

Choose what happens after submission:

  • Show Message: Display a custom thank-you message
  • Redirect: Send users to a specific URL

Step 6: Embed on Your Website​

Copy the embed code and paste it into your website:

<div id="rb-form-widget"></div>
<script src="https://project.readybuild.com/embed/widget.js"
        data-widget-type="form"
        data-form-hash="YOUR_FORM_HASH">
</script>

Replace YOUR_FORM_HASH with the unique hash provided for your form.

Rate Limiting Details​

The system uses a three-tier approach to prevent spam:

TierLimitPurpose
API Rate Limit60 requests/minPrevents general API abuse
Submission Attempt Limit5 attempts/minPrevents rapid-fire spam
Successful Submission Limit1 per 5 minutesPrevents duplicate leads

IP Detection:

  • Uses real client IP through Cloudflare proxy
  • Validates IPs to prevent spoofing
  • Each user gets separate limits
Failed Submissions

Failed submissions count toward the attempt limit but not the successful submission limit. This means validation errors won't lock out legitimate users.

External Leads API​

The API endpoint provides flexibility for custom integrations but requires technical implementation. Best for developers who need complete control.

Full API Documentation

For complete API documentation with code examples in multiple languages, see External Leads Integration.

Overview​

  • Direct POST to https://project.readybuild.com/remote/lead_form.php
  • Token authentication via header
  • External leads only (manual review required)

Supported Fields​

FieldDescription
first_nameLead's first name
last_nameLead's last name
emailEmail address
phone_numberPhone number
addressStreet address
cityCity
stateState
zipZIP code
notesAdditional notes
bucketLead bucket/category
sourceLead source
campaignMarketing campaign
return_urlRedirect URL after submission

Authentication​

POST /remote/lead_form.php?token=YOUR_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "company_id": 123,
  "first_name": "John",
  "last_name": "Doe",
  "email": "john@example.com",
  "phone_number": "555-1234"
}

When to Use the API​

  • Server-to-server integrations
  • Chatbot integrations
  • Complete control over form design/styling
  • Custom spam protection requirements
  • JavaScript not available on your website

Zapier Integration​

Use Zapier to capture leads from other apps and services without writing code.

Overview​

Zapier connects Readybuild to thousands of other apps. You can create "Zaps" that automatically send leads to Readybuild when triggered by events in other apps (form submissions, CRM updates, etc.).

Setup​

  1. Go to Settings > Integrations > Zapier in Readybuild
  2. Follow the connection instructions
  3. Create a Zap in Zapier that sends data to Readybuild

Common Use Cases​

  • Capture leads from Typeform, JotForm, or other form builders
  • Sync leads from Facebook Lead Ads
  • Import contacts from other CRMs
  • Capture leads from landing page builders
Zapier Documentation

For detailed setup instructions, see the Zapier Integration page.

Choosing the Right Method​

Use External Lead Forms When:​

  • You want quick setup with minimal technical work
  • Built-in spam protection is important
  • You need activity tracking and analytics
  • Direct conversion to contacts is desired
  • You want visual customization options

Use External Leads API When:​

  • You need complete control over form design
  • You have server-to-server or chatbot integrations
  • Custom validation or security is required
  • Your website doesn't support JavaScript embeds

Use Zapier When:​

  • You want to capture leads from other apps (Typeform, Facebook, etc.)
  • You prefer no-code automation
  • You need to connect multiple services together

Configuration Requirements​

Both systems require:

  1. Allowed Domains - Configure in Company Settings
  2. Administrator Access - To set up and manage forms

Setting Up Allowed Domains​

  1. Go to Settings > Company Settings
  2. Find the Allowed Domains section
  3. Add your website domain(s)
  4. Click Save

This security measure ensures only your authorized websites can submit leads.

Monitoring Lead Submissions​

Viewing Incoming Leads​

  1. Go to Contacts in Readybuild
  2. Filter by source or date created
  3. Look for recently submitted leads
  4. Review lead details and follow up

Activity Log​

For forms using the new system, each submission creates an activity log entry with:

  • Submission timestamp
  • IP address
  • Form fields submitted
  • Conversion result

Troubleshooting​

Form Not Appearing​

Problem: Embed code added but form doesn't show

Solutions:

  1. Verify the form hash is correct
  2. Check that your domain is in the allowed list
  3. Ensure JavaScript is enabled
  4. Check browser console for errors

Submissions Not Creating Leads​

Problem: Users submit form but no lead appears

Solutions:

  1. Check the activity log for errors
  2. Verify domain is whitelisted
  3. Check if rate limits were triggered
  4. Review required field validation

Rate Limit Errors​

Problem: "Too many requests" error

Solutions:

  1. Wait 5 minutes between submissions (for testing)
  2. Check if multiple forms are submitting from same IP
  3. Contact support if legitimate traffic is being blocked

Legacy API Errors​

Problem: API returns authentication error

Solutions:

  1. Verify the token is correct
  2. Check that company_id is included
  3. Ensure Content-Type header is set
  4. Review server logs for details

Best Practices​

Form Design​

  • Keep forms short - only ask for essential information
  • Use clear field labels
  • Mark required fields clearly
  • Provide a compelling call-to-action

Security​

  • Always use HTTPS on your website
  • Keep allowed domain list current
  • Monitor submission activity regularly
  • Review and clean up old/unused forms

Follow-up​

  • Set up notifications for new leads
  • Define a follow-up process
  • Assign leads promptly
  • Track conversion rates