How to Help Your Users Embed HTML Forms Generated by Your App
Tags: webdev, javascript, tutorial, html
Published: 2022-12-01 16:16:57

## Introduction

Are you building an app that generates HTML forms? If so, you may want to provide your users with an easy way to embed the forms on their own websites. In this post, we will show you how to help your users embed HTML forms generated by your app on their websites. We will cover different approaches for embedding the forms, including using an iframe element and a custom JavaScript and CSS solution. Read on to learn more about how to help your users embed HTML forms generated by your app.

## Using an iframe Element to Embed the HTML Form
To help your users embed the HTML form they have generated, you can create a snippet of JavaScript code that they can copy and paste into their website. This code will automatically create an iframe element on the page that will display the form.

Here is an example of a JavaScript code snippet that your users can use to embed the HTML form:

```html
<script>
  // Set the URL of the form to be embedded
  var formUrl = "http://www.example.com/form.html";

  // Create an iframe element to display the form
  var iframe = document.createElement("iframe");
  iframe.setAttribute("src", formUrl);
  iframe.setAttribute("frameborder", "0");
  iframe.setAttribute("scrolling", "no");
  iframe.setAttribute("width", "100%");
  iframe.setAttribute("height", "500");

  // Append the iframe to the document
  document.body.appendChild(iframe);
</script>

```

This code will create an iframe element on the page and set the URL of the form as the src attribute. The iframe will have a width of 100% and a height of 500 pixels. It will also have the frameborder and scrolling attributes set to 0 to remove the border and scrolling bars, respectively.

Your users can simply copy and paste this code into the HTML of their website, and the form will be embedded on the page. They can customize the width and height of the iframe as needed to fit the layout of their website.

## Using a Custom JavaScript and CSS Solution to Embed the HTML Form

If you don't want to use an iframe to embed the HTML form on your users' websites, you can use a different approach. Instead of using an iframe, you can use a combination of JavaScript and CSS to create a custom container on the page where the form will be displayed.

Here is an example of a JavaScript code snippet that your users can use to embed the HTML form without using an iframe:

```html
<script>
  // Set the URL of the form to be embedded
  var formUrl = "http://www.example.com/form.html";

  // Create a container element to hold the form
  var container = document.createElement("div");
  container.setAttribute("id", "form-container");

  // Create a script element to load the form
  var script = document.createElement("script");
  script.setAttribute("src", formUrl);
  script.setAttribute("type", "text/javascript");

  // Append the script to the container
  container.appendChild(script);

  // Append the container to the document
  document.body.appendChild(container);
</script>
```

This code will create a div element with the ID form-container on the page. It will then create a script element and set the URL of the form as the src attribute. The script element will be appended to the div container, and the div will be appended to the document.

To display the form correctly, your users will also need to add some CSS styles to their website. Here is an example of the CSS styles that they can use:

```html
<style>
  #form-container {
    width: 100%;
    height: 500px;
    overflow: hidden;
  }
</style>
```

This CSS will set the width and height of the div container, and it will also add the overflow: hidden property to prevent the form from being displayed outside of the container.

Your users can simply copy and paste this code into the HTML of their website, and the form will be embedded on the page without using an iframe. They can customize the width and height of the container as needed to fit the layout of their website.

## Share a javascript script 

You can provide your users with a link to a JavaScript script that they can use to embed the HTML form on their website. This approach is similar to the one where you provide a snippet of JavaScript code that they can copy and paste into their website, but instead of copying and pasting the code, they can include the script in their page by using a script element with a src attribute that points to the URL of the script.

Here is an example of how your users can include a JavaScript script in their page to embed the HTML form:

```html
<script src="http://www.example.com/form-embed.js"></script>
```

This code will include the script at the URL http://www.example.com/form-embed.js in the page. The script will be executed when the page loads, and it will generate the necessary HTML and JavaScript code to embed the form on the page.

You can provide your users with the URL of the script, and they can simply add this script element to their page to include the script. This approach has the advantage of making it easy for your users to include the script in their page, but it has the disadvantage of not allowing them to customize the script or the HTML and CSS styles used to display the form. If you want to allow your users to customize the script or the styles, you will need to provide them with a snippet of code that they can modify as needed.

## Choose between iframe and javascript

When deciding whether to use JavaScript or an iframe element to embed an HTML form on a website, there are several factors to consider. Some of the key considerations are:

* Customization: If you want to allow your users to customize the appearance of the form or the behavior of the iframe element, you will need to use JavaScript. With JavaScript, you can provide your users with a code snippet that they can modify to change the appearance or behavior of the form. With an iframe, on the other hand, the user has no control over the appearance or behavior of the form.

* Performance: If performance is a key concern, you may want to use JavaScript. Because an iframe loads the form in a separate frame, it can affect the performance of the page on the user's website. With JavaScript, on the other hand, the form is loaded directly on the page, which can improve the performance of the page.

* Compatibility: If you are targeting users with older web browsers or mobile devices, you may want to use an iframe. Some older web browsers and mobile devices may not support the JavaScript code needed to embed the form, whereas most modern web browsers and mobile devices support the iframe element.

* User experience: If you want to provide your users with a good user experience, you may want to use JavaScript. With JavaScript, you can provide your users with a code snippet that is easy to understand and use. With an iframe, on the other hand, the user may have to edit the HTML code of the page on their website, which can be more complex and difficult for some users.

Ultimately, the decision of whether to use JavaScript or an iframe to embed an HTML form on a website will depend on your specific requirements and the needs of your users. By considering the factors mentioned above, you can make an informed decision about which approach is best for your situation.

## Conclusion

In conclusion, embedding an HTML form on a website can be an effective way to collect data from users. There are several approaches to embedding a form on a website, including using an iframe element and a custom JavaScript and CSS solution. Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the best approach will depend on your specific requirements and the needs of your users. By providing your users with the right tools and instructions, you can help them to embed an HTML form on their website and start collecting data from their users. Thank you for reading this blog post and we hope you found it useful.