How to Setup a Self-Enroll Form

A self-enroll form lets people sign themselves up through your portal instead of calling your office or filling out paper. You build it on the **enroll** tab of any portal, and eCourtDate creates the client record the moment the form is submitted.

### Overview

The **Enroll Form** is a public page on your portal. You pick which client fields appear, write the heading and instructions, and decide who gets notified when someone signs up.

- **What it is:** A public form published at the `/enroll` path of your portal address, built from the fields you select in **Enroll Fields**.
- **Why it matters:** Every submission creates a client record directly, so your staff do not retype intake information.
- **Who uses it:** Court, probation, and other agency staff who manage portals and client intake.
- **Expected outcomes:** New client records on the **Clients** page, and a notification message to each address in **Enroll Notification Contacts**.

### Prerequisites

- An account with the `create_portals` and `update_portals` permissions, so **Portals** appears in the **Admin** menu
- An existing portal with a subdomain and domain saved (see [How to Create Web Portals](/how-to-create-web-portals))
- A list of the client fields your agency needs to collect at intake
- Email addresses or phone numbers for the staff who should hear about new enrollments

### How-To Steps

1. Click **Admin** in the top navigation bar.
2. Click **Portals**.
3. Click the **Edit** button on the row for the portal you want to change.
4. Click the **enroll** tab in the portal preview tab strip.
5. Click **Configure Default Fields** to load First Name, Last Name, Email, and Phone into the form. This button also overwrites **Enroll Title**, **Enroll Description**, and **Enroll Notification Contacts** with defaults, so click it before you write your own text.
6. Select any other fields you need from the **Enroll Fields** list.
7. Enter a heading in **Enroll Title**, for example "Sign Up to Receive Case Notifications".
8. Enter instructions in **Enroll Description**.
9. Edit each selected field in its **Edit Field** box, where you can change the **Field Label**, set a **Default Value**, and check **Required** or **Hidden**.
10. Click the arrow buttons inside a field box to move that field up or down the form.
11. Check **Auto Optin** to opt every enrollment in to automated texts.
12. Enter a comma-separated list of emails and phone numbers in **Enroll Notification Contacts**.
13. Enter your own wording in **Submit Button Title** to replace the default "Sign Up" button text.
14. Enter your own wording in **Confirmation Info after Enroll** to replace the default confirmation message.
15. Enter a full web address starting with `https://` in **Redirect after Enroll** to send clients to your own page after they sign up.
16. Click **Save** at the top right of the page.
17. Click **View Portal** to open the enroll page in a new tab and submit a test enrollment.

Settings from **Auto Optin** onward only appear once at least one field is selected in **Enroll Fields**.

To share the form once it is saved:

1. Click **Copy Link** while the **enroll** tab is active to copy the enroll page address.
2. Click **Generate QR Code** to open Design Studio with the enroll link, title, description, and fields already filled in.
3. Click **Download Enroll Form** to download a PDF version of the form.
4. Click **Add ENROLL** under **Sidebar Navigation** to add the enroll page to your portal navigation.

### What to Expect

Saving takes effect immediately, and the form is live at the `/enroll` path of your portal address.

When someone submits the form, eCourtDate creates a client record. If the submission carries no group, the client is placed in the `self-enroll` group, and the **Created By** column on the **Clients** page shows your portal name followed by "self-enroll". Every address in **Enroll Notification Contacts** receives a message with the subject "A Client has Self-Enrolled via the Portal" and a link to the new client.

The client then sees your **Confirmation Info after Enroll** text, or the default "Your enrollment is complete. You will receive a confirmation message once processed." if you left the field blank. If **Redirect after Enroll** holds a full web address, the client goes there. Otherwise the portal home page loads after about three seconds.

### Best Practices

- **Click Configure Default Fields first.** It overwrites **Enroll Title**, **Enroll Description**, and **Enroll Notification Contacts**, so run it before you write your own wording.
- **Keep the field list short.** Every field you select in **Enroll Fields** renders on the public form, and each **Required** field blocks submission until it is filled in.
- **Pair Hidden with Default Value.** A hidden field still submits its default, which is a clean way to stamp a fixed value on every enrollment. The **Default Value** box is read-only once **Hidden** is checked.
- **List more than one notification contact.** **Enroll Notification Contacts** accepts several emails and phone numbers separated by commas, so enrollments are not missed when one person is out.
- **Test through View Portal.** Submitting a real enrollment is the only way to confirm your required fields, confirmation message, and redirect behave as you expect.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Where does the self-enroll form appear on my portal?**

A: At the `/enroll` path of your portal address, for example `https://yoursubdomain.ecase.io/enroll`. Click **Copy Link** while the **enroll** tab is active to copy that exact address.

**Q: Why does the enroll page load the portal home page instead of the form?**

A: The enroll page only opens when at least one field is saved in **Enroll Fields**. Select fields, or click **Configure Default Fields**, then click **Save**.

**Q: Can I opt clients in to text messages during enrollment?**

A: Yes. Check **Auto Optin** and every enrollment is opted in automatically. Leave it unchecked and the form shows an "Opt in to receive automated texts." checkbox beside the phone field.

**Q: What group are self-enrolled clients placed in?**

A: When the submission does not include a group, eCourtDate assigns the client to the `self-enroll` group.

**Q: Can I hand out a paper version of the form?**

A: Yes. Click **Download Enroll Form** while the **enroll** tab is active to download a PDF named after your portal.

**Q: Can I limit who is allowed to enroll?**

A: Yes. Enter a domain in **Allowed Domain** on the **Edit Portal** card. Only email addresses at that domain can then enroll or log in.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** The enroll page redirects to the portal home page.

**Symptoms:** Opening the `/enroll` address loads the portal welcome page rather than the form.

**Solution:** Go to **Admin** > **Portals**, edit the portal, click the **enroll** tab, select at least one field in **Enroll Fields** (or click **Configure Default Fields**), then click **Save**.

**Issue:** Enrollments do not create client records.

**Symptoms:** The form returns an error instead of the confirmation message, and no new client appears on the **Clients** page.

**Solution:** Check **Allowed Domain** on the **Edit Portal** card. When it holds a domain, only email addresses at that domain can enroll, and submissions without an email address are rejected. Clear the field or enter the domain you expect.

**Issue:** Clients are not sent to your website after enrolling.

**Symptoms:** The confirmation message appears, then the portal home page loads a few seconds later.

**Solution:** Enter a full web address in **Redirect after Enroll** starting with `http://` or `https://`. Anything shorter is ignored and the portal falls back to its home page.

**Issue:** Nobody hears about new enrollments.

**Symptoms:** Clients appear on the **Clients** page but no staff member receives a notification.

**Solution:** Enter a comma-separated list of emails and phone numbers in **Enroll Notification Contacts**, then click **Save**. That field only appears after you select at least one field in **Enroll Fields**.

### Related Articles

- [How to Create Web Portals](/how-to-create-web-portals)
- [How to Manage Portal Check-ins](/how-to-manage-portal-check-ins)
- [How to Manage Clients](/how-to-manage-clients)
- [How to Manage Client Groups](/how-to-manage-client-groups)
- [How to Configure Opt-in and Opt-out Compliance](/how-to-configure-opt-in-and-opt-out-compliance)