> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.firstrespondershub.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Sections and fields > How application form sections and fields work: required rules, field types, validation, and options Application forms are built from **sections** (groups of questions) and **fields** (individual questions). Each section has a title, optional description, and a “required” setting. Each field has a type (e.g. text, email, select), optional help text, required/optional behavior, and for some types, options or validation rules. ## Where to configure When [editing an application form](https://www.firstrespondershub.com/program-dashboard/applications), use **Form Sections** to add sections (from templates or custom), then add or edit fields inside each section. Sections and fields can be reordered by dragging. ## Sections * **Section title** — Shown to the applicant (e.g. “Student Information”, “Mailing Address”). * **Section description** — Optional text below the title (e.g. “Please provide your current contact details.”). * **Required section** — When turned **on**, every field in that section is required. When **off**, you can mark each field as required or optional individually. * **Order** — Sections are shown in the order you set (drag to reorder). You can add sections by choosing a [section template](/enrollment/applications-templates) (e.g. Student Information, Mailing Address) or a **Custom** section and then adding your own fields. ## Required: section vs field * If **Section** is required: all fields in that section are required. The “Required field” switch on each field is ignored (and disabled in the editor). * If **Section** is not required: each field can be set to required or optional via the “Required field” switch. Use a required section when the whole block must be completed (e.g. “Student Information”). Use a non-required section when only some questions are mandatory. ## Field types Each field has a **field type** that controls how the applicant enters data and how it is validated and stored. | Type | Description | Typical use | | ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | | **Text** | Single-line text. Optional placeholder. | Short answers (name, certification number). | | **Email** | Email input with format validation. | Email address. | | **Phone** | Phone input; stored as digits. | Phone number. | | **Date** | Date picker. | Date of birth, certification date. | | **Number** | Numeric input. | Age, years of experience. | | **Textarea** | Multi-line text. Optional row count. | Comments, longer responses. | | **Select** | Dropdown; one option. | State, shirt size, single choice. | | **Multi-select** | Multiple options from a list. | “Select all that apply.” | | **Radio** | Single choice from radio buttons. | Yes/No, one of several options. | | **Checkbox** | Single checkbox (e.g. “I agree”). | Consent, one-off yes/no. | | **Address** | Full address: line 1, line 2, city, state, ZIP. | Mailing or billing address. | | **Image upload** | Image file(s). Optional “allow multiple”; size limit 5MB per file. Accepted: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, HEIC, HEIF, AVIF. | Profile photo, ID photo. | | **File upload** | Document file(s). Optional “allow multiple”; size limit 8MB per file. Accepted: PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, TXT, CSV. | Resumé, certificate. | For **Select**, **Radio**, and **Multi-select** you define the **options** (one per line in the editor). At least two options are required. The applicant sees these in the order you enter them. ## Field settings (per field) * **Field label** — The question or prompt (e.g. “First Name”, “Date of Birth”). * **Help text (optional)** — Shown below the label to clarify the question. * **Required field** — Whether the applicant must fill this field (see [Required: section vs field](#required-section-vs-field) above). * **Field type** — One of the types in the table above. * **Options** — For select/radio/multiselect: one option per line. * **Auto-fill from User Profile** — If set, the field is [mapped to the student profile](/enrollment/applications-profile-mapping): it can be pre-filled from the profile and is updated on submit when applicable. For **Image** and **File upload** you can also set: * **Allow multiple files** — Whether the applicant can upload more than one file. * **Maximum number of files** — When multiple is allowed, between 2 and 10. ## Validation * **Email** and **Phone** — Validated for format; phone is normalized to digits for storage. * **Address** — Address fields are validated as appropriate (e.g. state as a code, ZIP format). * **Select / Radio / Multi-select** — Only the options you define are accepted. * **Number** — Only numeric input is accepted. * **Date** — Only valid dates. For **Text** or **Textarea** you can use **validation rules** (e.g. regex pattern and error message) if your form editor exposes them. Example: ZIP code pattern `^[0-9]{5}(-[0-9]{4})?$` with a “Please enter a valid ZIP code” message. Validation rules are stored in the field configuration and applied when the applicant submits. ## Summary * Build forms from **sections**; each section has a title, optional description, and required on/off. * **Required section** = all fields in that section required; otherwise set **Required field** per field. * Use the right **field type** (text, email, phone, date, number, textarea, select, multiselect, radio, checkbox, address, image, file) and configure **options** for select/radio/multiselect. * Use **Auto-fill from User Profile** so a field syncs to the [student profile](/enrollment/applications-profile-mapping) and is pre-filled/updated on submit where applicable.