Navigate to: Forms (main menu) | Client or Patient Profile > Forms tab
What You Need to Know
Enabling forms on an appointment sends them immediately when the appointment is saved.
If you add a form to an appointment that has already been created, the form is sent the moment you save the appointment — not at a scheduled future time. There is no delay.
Auto-send requires appointment-type notifications to be enabled.
Linking a form to an appointment type does not guarantee it will send automatically. If the appointment type has notifications disabled, or if the client does not have a valid email address or SMS number on file, the form will not send. Check both the appointment type notification settings and the client's contact preferences if auto-send is not working.
Do not delete the auto-generated email body when customizing a form email.
The auto-generated email contains required variables — including the variable that generates the link the client uses to access the form. If you delete that text, the link disappears from the email. To customize the email, edit around the existing variable text rather than replacing it entirely. If the link has already been removed, restore it by adding
{DOWNLOAD RECORDS}back into the email body.Pending form responses can be archived from the Forms Center without going to the client's profile.
If a client never completed a form and you want to remove it from the pending list, go to Forms > Responses, find the pending response, click the three-dot menu, and select Archive.
Video Walkthrough
Setting Up a Client Consent Form Template
If you need to create a new form template rather than use a pre-loaded one, navigate to Forms from the left navigation panel and click + Create Form.
The essentials:
Click Add Title and give the form a clear, specific name.
Click + Add Field to add a section. Name each field in the right-hand editor.
Drag input elements from the right-hand panel into each field. Common types include Short Text, Text Area, Radio, Select, Multi Select, Signature, and Date.
Click any input element to configure it — including toggling Required — in the right-hand editor.
To enable auto-send, select the relevant Appointment Types at the top of the template.
Click Save Template when finished.
For a full walkthrough of all input element types, required field configuration, dropdown limitations, and builder troubleshooting, see Creating Form Templates.
For a full reference on each input element, see the Input Elements: Forms & Physical Exams guide.
Ways to Send Consent Forms
Client consent forms in Shepherd can be sent in three ways:
From the Forms Center
From a client or patient profile
Automatically, based on appointment type
Sending from the Forms Center
Select Forms from the main menu.
Locate the form you want to send.
Click the Actions icon (three dots) and select Send.
Search for and select the client. If the form is patient-specific, also select the patient. If it is client-specific — such as a new client intake form — a patient selection is not required.
Choose how to send:
Email sends the form directly to the client's email address on file.
Copy Link generates a shareable link. You can paste it into a message in the Message Center to send via text or for in-clinic completion — simply click on the link and it will open in the tablet's default browser for the client to complete.
Make sure the correct client and patient are selected before sending. Incorrect associations affect how the completed form is stored in the patient record. If no client is selected, the form may default to an internal clinic email. This ensures the form is sent to the intended recipient.
Sending a new Form from a Client or Patient Profile
Open the client or patient profile.
Navigate to the Forms tab.
Click Send Form.
Select the form template you want to send.
Assign a patient if relevant.
Click Create Form
Choose to Copy Link for SMS Messaging, Send to email the form directly to the client or click directly on the link to open the form via browser in-clinic.
To resend a form — click the envelope in the Actions column and follow the prompt.
Automatically Sending Forms for Appointments
You can link a form template to specific appointment types so the form sends automatically when that appointment is scheduled. Auto-send is configured in the form template, not in the appointment type settings.
To set this up, open the form template and select the appointment types that should trigger the form. When a matching appointment is scheduled, the form sends automatically based on the client's notification settings.
To disable auto-send for a single appointment without changing the template, toggle off Send forms via email in the appointment details when creating or editing that appointment.
If a Form Is Not Sending Automatically
If a form linked to an appointment type is not sending as expected, check the following before contacting support:
Are notifications enabled for that appointment type? If notifications are disabled for that appointment type, forms will not send automatically regardless of the template configuration.
Does the client have a valid email or SMS on file? Auto-send requires compatible contact information.
Was the appointment created before the auto-send setting was configured? Changes to auto-send settings are not retroactive — appointments created before the configuration change may need forms sent manually.
Is the issue limited to one appointment type? If so, the notification settings for that specific type are the most likely cause.
Is there an error message? Capture a screenshot and the appointment details.- Check for browser-specific issues. Try switching to a different browser or clearing the cache to resolve potential browser-related problems.
If none of these resolve the issue, contact Shepherd support with the appointment details and any error messages.
Sending a Form After the Client Has Left
If a form was not sent during the appointment, you can send it at any time afterward.
From the Forms Center:
Select Forms from the main menu.
Locate the form template.
Click the Actions icon and select Send.
Search for and select the client and patient.
Choose Email or Copy Link to send via text.
From the client or patient profile:
Open the profile.
Navigate to the Forms tab.
Click Send Form, select the template, and choose Email or Copy Link.
Form Responses
Pending and Completed Status
Once a form is sent, it appears as Pending in two places:
The Forms section of the client and patient profile
The Responses tab of the Forms Center
When the client completes and submits the form, the status updates to Complete. The client receives a copy of their completed form via email after submission. Completed forms are automatically saved to both the client and patient profiles under the Forms section.
Archiving Pending Forms
If a client never completed a form and you want to remove it from the pending list:
Navigate to Forms from the main menu.
Select the Responses tab.
Locate the pending form response.
Click the three-dot menu (Actions).
Select Archive.
Archiving removes the form from the active pending view. You do not need to access the client's profile to do this.
Adding a Completed Form to Patient History
If the correct client and patient were selected when the form was sent, the completed submission automatically appears in the patient's file under the Forms section — no manual import needed.
To manually import a completed form into the patient's record or an active SOAP:
Open the Forms tab from the client or patient profile.
Click the Actions icon next to the completed form.
Select Import Form Response.
Choose where to store the form:
General patient history, or
An active SOAP (if the information applies to that specific visit)
Frequently Asked Questions
A client says they submitted the form, but it still shows as Pending — what should I do?
Try a hard refresh of your browser (Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows, Cmd+Shift+R on Mac) and recheck the Responses tab. If the form remains pending, collect the client name, patient name, and form name and contact Shepherd support — this is not expected behavior and may need to be escalated. If the client claims they submitted the form, ask them to check their email for the confirmation. Additionally, verify if the form remains pending due to missing required fields, as incomplete forms cannot be submitted.
Can I send a form to a client by text or have them complete it on a tablet in clinic?
Shepherd does not send forms directly via SMS automatically. To share a form by text, use the Copy Link option and paste the link into a message in the Message Center. For in-clinic tablet completion, copy the link, open a browser on the tablet, paste the link into the address bar, and hand the tablet to the client.
When I send patient records with Forms selected, will it send all of the patient's forms?
When sending patient records with the Forms checkbox selected, Shepherd includes all forms within the selected date range. To control which forms are included, apply a date range filter before sending. Without a date range, all forms on file for that patient may be included.