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API and help

Getting started

Formtool at a glanceHow Formtool works from start to finish, from creating the form to the filled-in PDF.Getting started Create a formThe two-step wizard: title and questions, then page template.Create forms Send a form by emailThe client receives a personal link to fill in online, without creating an account.Send and receive responses Which PDFs can be filled in? (fillable fields or flat PDF)Only PDFs with fillable fields (AcroForm) are supported. Flat or scanned PDFs are not.Fill in an official PDF API keysCreate, name and revoke the fm_… keys that give access to your Formtool data from other tools.API, keys and webhooks Plans, limits and monthly usageFree or Pro ($20 CAD a month): what each plan allows and how to track your usage.Plans and subscription

Technical reference

How it works

Create a form (title, questions, template): it is saved in your library and can be downloaded as a fillable PDF.
Send it to a client: they receive a link to fill it in online or download the PDF.
Responses arrive in “Responses” (CSV export), by email and by webhook.

Question types: text (Short text), long (Long text), email (Email), tel (Phone), number (Number), date (Date), radio (Single choice), check (Multiple choice), select (Dropdown list), yesno (Yes / No), sign (Signature). The radio, check and select types require options (2 to 12). Templates: classique, moderne, minimal, colonnes, corporate, ardoise, juridique, elegant, encadre, lettre, immigration, sante, education, creatif, pastel, carte, cl_admin, cl_lignes, cl_tableau, cl_cases, cl_officiel, cl_compact.

REST API

Base: https://mail.formtool.app/api.php?r=… · Header Authorization: Bearer fm_… (key created in Settings) · JSON UTF-8 · 600 requests / 15 min.

Call	Purpose
`GET r=templates`	Templates (with SVG preview) and question types.
`GET r=usage`	Plan, usage for the month, `upgrade_url` to switch to Pro.
`GET/POST r=models`	Library of fillable PDF forms: list, or add (`name`, `pdf_base64` — PDF with fillable fields, 15 MB max). Response 402 `quota_exceeded` if the plan limit is reached.
`GET/POST/DELETE r=model&id=`	Read a template (with its fields), save its links (`form_id`, `map` : PDF field → `a:<question>`, `x:nom`, `x:email`, `x:date`, `x:cabinet`, `x:pro`) or delete it.
`POST r=fill`	`model_id`, `send_id` (completed response), `context` optional (`x:cabinet`, `x:pro`) : returns the filled PDF (`pdf_base64`, or raw PDF with `&raw=1`). Counts toward the month’s PDF fills.
`GET / POST r=forms`	List / create. Body: `title`, `descr`, `template`, `questions[]`. Response 402 `quota_exceeded` if the plan limit is reached.
`GET / POST / DELETE r=form&id=`	Read / update (partial fields) / delete.
`GET r=pdf&id=` · `POST r=pdf`	Fillable PDF of a saved form, or of an on-the-fly definition (counts as a generated form). JSON response `pdf_base64` ; add `&raw=1` for the binary.
`POST r=send`	`form_id`, `to_name`, `to_email`, `ref` (your identifier), `send_email` (default true). Returns the fill-in link.
`GET r=sends` · `GET r=send&id=`	Sends (filters `form_id`, `ref`, `status=completed\|sent`) / one send with its responses.
`GET / POST r=hooks`, `DELETE r=hook&id=`, `POST r=hook_test&id=`	Outgoing webhooks.

curl -X POST 'https://mail.formtool.app/api.php?r=forms' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer fm_…' -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"title":"Initial assessment","template":"moderne","questions":[
        {"label":"Full name","type":"text","required":true},
        {"label":"Status","type":"radio","options":["Student","Worker"]}]}'

Webhooks

Event form.completed : {"id","event","created","data":{"form":{…},"send":{…},"answers":[{"label","type","value"}]}}. Headers X-Formix-Event, X-Formix-Delivery and X-Formix-Signature: t=<timestamp>,v1=<HMAC-SHA256 of "t.body" with the webhook secret>. On failure: retry after 1 min, 5 min, 30 min, 2 h, then 12 h (task cron.php).

$ok = hash_equals(hash_hmac('sha256', $t . '.' . file_get_contents('php://input'), $secret), $v1);