Cognito Forms are easy to publish and share across multiple platforms; like email, websites, and social media - but on the flip side, you may not want just anyone having access to your forms. With this simple trick, you can ensure that the right people fill out your forms!

Adding a Password Field

Using a Textbox field, you can create a barrier that will prevent users from advancing through the form if they don’t know the correct password.

To begin, enable Data Encryption in your field settings. Next, add a Textbox field set to the Password type at the top of your form. The Password type ensures that any inputted characters are masked from view with asterisks:

Textbox field set to password type.

Also, make sure that the field is set to be always required:

Field set to always be required.

Next, find the Custom Error option at the bottom of the Textbox field settings, and select When. In the conditional logic builder, set an error message to display when a user doesn’t type in the correct password (“Cognito”).

Display an error message when the password is not Cognito.

In the second box, write a custom error message (“Invalid Password”).

Show Custom Error When Password is not Cognito.

Lastly, add a Page Break below your password field to effectively hide the rest of the form.

Course Evaluation with a page break added to it.

Now, when a user doesn’t enter the correct password on the first page, they won’t be able to continue on through the rest of the form:

Course evaluation form with password required to view the form.

If you have any questions about password protecting your forms, feel free to contact us!


Nadia A.

Nadia A.

Nadia, the Technical Writer for Cognito Forms, develops documentation, support content, and how-to videos. No matter your experience – with her help, you'll be able to take full advantage of the product. In her spare time, Nadia enjoys listening to French house, drinking coffee, and talking about herself in third person.