Sharing a form

Forms in Timecounts can be shared in several ways depending on how they're being used. In most cases, you should not share the standalone form URL. Instead, attach the form to onboarding, an event, or an application and share the URL for that specific workflow.
​
​

By default, most organizations require volunteers to complete onboarding before they can sign up for opportunities, register for events, or submit applications.

For this reason, we recommend sharing your hub URL and allowing new volunteers to begin onboarding from there. Timecounts will automatically guide new volunteers through your onboarding process based on your organization's settings.

If a volunteer is not yet in your directory, they may be prompted to complete onboarding before accessing other workflows. This behaviour can be adjusted in your onboarding settings if your organization does not require onboarding first.
​

When you publish a form, click Share in the top-right corner to generate a standalone URL that volunteers can complete.
​

Standalone forms are best used when you need to collect information outside of onboarding, events, or applications.
​

Common examples include:

Responses submitted through a standalone form are not associated with onboarding, event signup, or application review workflows.
​

When you attach a form to onboarding under Hub Editor → Details, Timecounts automatically creates a dedicated onboarding flow for new volunteers.
​

For most organizations, we recommend sharing the main hub URL. This gives potential volunteers an opportunity to learn about your organization and explore available opportunities before deciding to get involved.

To copy your hub URL, open the Hub Editor. Once your hub has been published, click Share in the top-right corner and copy the link provided.

If you need to direct volunteers straight to registration, you can also use the onboarding URL by adding /join to the end of your hub URL. This bypasses the hub landing page and takes volunteers directly to creating a Timecounts account and completing your onboarding form.

Using onboarding ensures that your organization's approval settings, onboarding requirements, and automated communications are applied correctly. Depending on your settings, volunteers may be automatically accepted or submitted for review before being added to your directory.
​
​

Events and forms work together in Timecounts. Rather than sharing a standalone form, you attach a form to an event and then share the event URL with volunteers.

When volunteers sign up for the event, they will be prompted to answer the form questions as part of the registration process. There is no separate form link to share.

This is useful for collecting event-specific information such as emergency contacts, t-shirt sizes, dietary requirements, or other details volunteers need to provide before participating.
​

Click Copy to copy the correct URL for volunteers and share it through email, social media, your website, or other communications.
​

Applications and forms work together in Timecounts. Rather than sharing a standalone form, you attach a form to an application and then share the application URL with volunteers.
​

When volunteers apply, they will be prompted to answer the form questions as part of the application process. There is no separate form link to share.
​

Creating application-specific forms is recommended, as it allows you to ask questions tailored to the opportunity. You can then review responses alongside the rest of the application during the screening process.

Click Copy to copy the correct URL for volunteers and share it through email, social media, your website, or other communications.