Email Block - Flex Forms

The Email block is the absolute cornerstone of digital identity and lead generation. It inherently enforces structural validation (ensuring the input contains an @ symbol and a valid domain format) before allowing submission. Without a verified email, your CRM workflows, marketing automations, and transactional receipts cannot function.

Business Use Cases

SaaS Signups

Act as the primary unique identifier for account creation and password resets.

E-commerce

Route order confirmations, digital downloads, and shipping receipts to the customer.

Lead Magnets

Gate valuable content (like PDFs) behind a required email capture for newsletter drip campaigns.

Configuration & Usage

Deploying the Email block is straightforward, but its power lies in its deep integration with the rest of the Flex Forms ecosystem.

Deploy to Canvas

Drag the Email block from the Component Catalog onto the Canvas.

Configure the Inspector

Define the Label (e.g., “Work Email”). You can also inject a Placeholder (e.g., “[email protected]”) to guide the respondent.

Enforce Requirement

Email blocks are typically the most critical piece of data. Toggle the Required switch to prevent anonymous submissions.

Technical Configuration Schemas

Customize the email block using the advanced configuration options in the Inspector. We have broken these down into logical categories.

Visuals & Text
Validation Rules
Advanced Logic

string

required

The main text displayed above the field.

string

The empty state placeholder (e.g., [email protected]).

string

Muted instructional text displayed below the input.

boolean

default:"false"

Hides the main field label, keeping only the input and the placeholder visible. Useful for minimal landing pages.

Data Payload Architecture

When a form containing an Email block is submitted and sent via Webhook to an external service (like Zapier or Make), the payload looks like this:

{
  "submission_id": "sub_987654321",
  "form_id": "frm_123456789",
  "data": {
    "email_primary": "[email protected]"
  },
  "metadata": {
    "ip_address": "192.168.1.1",
    "submitted_at": "2026-08-02T10:00:00Z"
  }
}

[
    'email_primary' => '[email protected]',
]

Deep Dive: The “Primary Email” Concept

If your form contains multiple Email blocks (e.g., Personal Email and Manager’s Email), the system must know which one identifies the respondent. This is handled by the Primary toggle.

Automatic Promotion: Flex Forms intelligently promotes the first Email block you add to the Canvas to be the Primary.

Why Primary Matters:

The Contacts Directory: The Primary email is used as the unique identifier when creating or updating profiles in the global Contacts Hub.
Notification Routing: If you configure the form to send an auto-responder or receipt, the system dispatches it to the Primary address.
CRM Integration: Third-party feeds (like Mailchimp or Zapier) prioritize the Primary email field when syncing lead data.

You can manually change which block is designated as Primary within the block’s .

Best Practices & Troubleshooting

URL Prefilling for Email Campaigns

If you are emailing an existing database, you already know their email. Use Query Parameter Prefilling (e.g., [email protected]) so they don’t have to type it again. You can even combine this with the Hide Label setting for a frictionless flow.

Preventing Typos

Consider using the Help Text setting to gently remind users to double-check their spelling, as this address will be used for critical communications.

Issue: Users submitting fake emails

While the Email block validates structural integrity (e.g., requires an @ and a .com), it cannot verify if the inbox actually exists. For high-security environments, you should implement a double-opt-in workflow where the user must click a confirmation link sent to the provided address before granting access.

​Business Use Cases

SaaS Signups

E-commerce

Lead Magnets

​Configuration & Usage

​Technical Configuration Schemas

​Data Payload Architecture

​Deep Dive: The “Primary Email” Concept

​Why Primary Matters:

​Best Practices & Troubleshooting

Business Use Cases

Configuration & Usage

Technical Configuration Schemas

Data Payload Architecture

Deep Dive: The “Primary Email” Concept

Why Primary Matters:

Best Practices & Troubleshooting