Text input

Text input lets visitors type any short or long answer. Use this block when the answer is open-ended and a list of choices would not capture it — visitor names, comments, project descriptions, additional context, or anything that does not fit a more specific input type.

Applies to: Builder Widget Results Contact fields

Best for

Names, free comments, brief explanations, additional context, and any custom text field that is not a list of choices.

Stores

A single text string in workflow answers. Optionally updates a compatible contact field.

Routes

Continues along the step’s default path. Text input does not branch based on the answer.

At a glance

Capability	Supported
Free-form short answers	Yes
Long-form, multi-line answers	Yes, with the Long answer toggle
Maximum character length	Yes, configurable per block
Format validation (email, URL, etc.)	Use the matching specialized block
Per-answer routing	No, all answers continue along the step’s default path
Contact field binding	Yes, when bound to a compatible text field
Skip if the contact already has the value	Yes

Example

A lead-capture workflow asks:

What’s the best name to call you?

The visitor types their answer into a single-line field and presses Continue. The answer is saved to the workflow result and bound to the contact’s display name, so later messages in the same workflow can address the visitor by name.

When to use Text input

Use Text input when the visitor’s answer cannot be predicted or constrained.

Good use cases:

Capture a visitor’s name when no contact information is known yet.
Collect a free comment or piece of additional context after a structured question.
Ask for the name of a project, account, or company.
Populate a custom text contact field that does not fit any other input type.

Use a different block when:

The answer is a known set of choices: use Buttons or Picture choice.
The answer is an email address, phone number, or URL: use the matching input block for built-in format validation and a better mobile keyboard.
The answer is a number, date, or rating: use Number input, Date input, or Rating input.
The answer is a file: use File upload.

Add a Text input block

Open a workflow and go to the builder.
In the block sidebar, open Questions.
Add Text Input to a step.
Write the question text visitors should see.
Optionally set a placeholder shown inside the empty field.
Choose where to save the answer.
Turn on Long answer if the response needs a multi-line area.
Optionally set a maximum character length.
Connect the next path.

Configure the question

The question text appears immediately before the visitor sees the input. Keep it specific and answerable.

Good:

What’s the best name to call you?

Avoid:

Tell us about yourself.

Open-ended prompts collect rambling answers that are hard to use later. Ask for one specific piece of information at a time.

Configure the input

Placeholder

The placeholder is the helper text shown inside the empty input field. Use it to give a short example or hint of the expected answer — it disappears as soon as the visitor starts typing.

Good placeholders are short and concrete: Jane Smith, Acme Inc., Project description. Avoid using the placeholder to repeat the question or to convey required information; visitors lose it the moment they start typing.

Long answer

By default, Text input renders as a single-line field. Turn on Long answer to render a multi-line text area instead. Use long answer when the expected response is more than a sentence — feedback, project descriptions, support context, or anything with line breaks.

Maximum length

Set Max length to cap the number of characters the visitor can submit. The widget rejects submissions that exceed the limit and shows a validation error.

A hard ceiling of 4,000 characters always applies, even when no Max length is set. Use a lower limit when the answer needs to fit a downstream constraint such as a database column, an integration field, or an SMS body.

Save the answer

Text input answers are always saved in workflow answers. You can also bind the answer to a contact field.

The editor shows Workflow answers only when the answer should stay in the workflow result and not update the contact. Choose a compatible contact field when the answer should also update the visitor’s contact profile.

Question	Suggested contact field
What’s the best name to call you?	Display name
What is your first name?	First name
What is your last name?	Last name
What is your company name?	Company (custom text field)
What is your job title?	Job title (custom text field)

Compatible contact fields: Display name, First name, Last name, and any custom field of type text, long text, email, phone, or URL.

Skip if we already have this value

When the answer is bound to a contact field, the editor shows a Skip if we already have this value toggle. Turn it on to skip the question entirely if the contact already has a value for that field. This avoids re-asking returning visitors for information they have already provided.

The default mode. Renders a single-line input. Use for short answers like names, titles, account identifiers, and one-line comments. Submits when the visitor presses Continue or hits Enter.

Common patterns

Capture a visitor's name

Ask for a first name, full name, or display name early in the workflow. Bind the answer to the matching contact field so later messages can address the visitor by name.

Open feedback or comments

Add a Long answer field after a rating or choice question to collect free comments. Save to workflow answers when the comment is for a single submission.

Custom contact details

Collect job title, company, account ID, or any other custom text field. Turn on Skip if we already have this value so returning contacts are not asked twice.

Project or request context

Use Long answer to collect a description of what the visitor is asking about. Pair with a Buttons block to route the workflow to the right specialist after the context is captured.

Answer output

When a visitor submits a Text input answer, DialogMaker stores the value as a structured object.

{
  "type": "text",
  "value": "Jane Smith"
}

Field	Meaning
`type`	Always `text` for this block.
`value`	The trimmed string the visitor submitted. Whitespace at the start and end is removed before storage.

Routing behavior

Text input always continues along the step’s default path. The block does not branch on the answer’s content.

To route based on what the visitor typed, add a Condition block after the Text input and check the saved value.

Validation and limits

DialogMaker rejects invalid Text input answers when:

The answer is not a Text answer.
The answer is empty after trimming whitespace.
The answer exceeds the configured Max length, when one is set.
The answer exceeds the hard ceiling of 4,000 characters.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to check
The question is skipped unexpectedly	Check whether Skip if we already have this value is on and the contact already has a value for the bound field. Turn the toggle off to always ask.
Long answers are cut off in results	Check the configured Max length. Increase it if the expected answers are longer.
The answer is missing from contact information	Make sure Save answer is bound to a compatible contact field. Workflow answers are still stored even without a contact field binding.
Visitors cannot submit	Make sure the field is not empty. Empty answers, including whitespace-only answers, are rejected.
The widget shows a single line for a long answer	Turn on Long answer in the block editor to render a multi-line text area.