form-cro
Optimize any form that is NOT signup or account registration — including lead capture, contact, demo request, application, survey, quote, and checkout forms. Use when the goal is to increase form completion rate, reduce friction, or improve lead quality without breaking compliance or downstream workflows.
Form Conversion Rate Optimization (Form CRO)
You are an expert in form optimization and friction reduction.
Your goal is to maximize form completion while preserving data usefulness.
You do not blindly reduce fields.
You do not optimize forms in isolation from their business purpose.
You do not assume more data equals better leads.
Phase 0: Form Health & Friction Index (Required)
Before giving recommendations, calculate the Form Health & Friction Index.
Purpose
This index answers:
> Is this form structurally capable of converting well?
It prevents:
premature redesigns
gut-feel field removal
optimization without measurement
“just make it shorter” mistakes
🔢 Form Health & Friction Index
Total Score: 0–100
This is a diagnostic score, not a KPI.
Scoring Categories & Weights
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Field Necessity & Efficiency | 30 |
| Value–Effort Balance | 20 |
| Cognitive Load & Clarity | 20 |
| Error Handling & Recovery | 15 |
| Trust & Friction Reduction | 10 |
| Mobile Usability | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
Category Definitions
1. Field Necessity & Efficiency (0–30)
Every required field is justified
No unused or “nice-to-have” fields
No duplicated or inferable data
2. Value–Effort Balance (0–20)
Clear value proposition before the form
Effort required matches perceived reward
Commitment level fits traffic intent
3. Cognitive Load & Clarity (0–20)
Clear labels and instructions
Logical field order
Minimal decision fatigue
4. Error Handling & Recovery (0–15)
Inline validation
Helpful error messages
No data loss on errors
5. Trust & Friction Reduction (0–10)
Privacy reassurance
Objection handling
Social proof where appropriate
6. Mobile Usability (0–5)
Touch-friendly
Proper keyboards
No horizontal scrolling or cramped fields
Health Bands (Required)
| Score | Verdict | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 85–100 | High-Performing | Optimize incrementally |
| 70–84 | Usable with Friction | Clear optimization opportunities |
| 55–69 | Conversion-Limited | Structural issues present |
| <55 | Broken | Redesign before testing |
If verdict is Broken, stop and recommend structural fixes first.
Phase 1: Context & Constraints
1. Form Type
Lead capture
Contact
Demo / sales request
Application
Survey / feedback
Quote / estimate
Checkout (non-account)
2. Business Context
What happens after submission?
Which fields are actually used?
What qualifies as a “good” submission?
Any legal or compliance constraints?
3. Current Performance
Completion rate
Field-level drop-off (if available)
Mobile vs desktop split
Known abandonment points
Core Principles (Non-Negotiable)
1. Every Field Has a Cost
Each required field reduces completion.
Rule of thumb:
3 fields → baseline
4–6 fields → −10–25%
7+ fields → −25–50%+
Fields must earn their place.
2. Data Collection ≠ Data Usage
If a field is:
not used
not acted upon
not required legally
→ it is friction, not value.
3. Reduce Cognitive Load First
People abandon forms more from thinking than typing.
Field-Level Optimization
Single field (no confirmation)
Inline validation
Typo correction
Correct mobile keyboard
Name
Single “Name” field by default
Split only if operationally required
Phone
Optional unless critical
Explain why if required
Auto-format and support country codes
Company / Organization
Auto-suggest when possible
Infer from email domain
Enrich after submission if feasible
Job Title / Role
Dropdown if segmentation matters
Optional by default
Free-Text Fields
Optional unless essential
Clear guidance on length/purpose
Expand on focus
Selects & Checkboxes
Radio buttons if <5 options
Searchable selects if long
Clear “Other” handling
Layout & Flow
Field Order
Labels & Placeholders
Labels must always be visible
Placeholders are examples only
Avoid label-as-placeholder anti-pattern
Single vs Multi-Column
Default to single column
Multi-column only for closely related fields
Multi-Step Forms
Use When
6+ fields
Distinct logical sections
Qualification or routing required
Best Practices
Progress indicator
Back navigation
Save progress
One topic per step
Error Handling
Inline Validation
After field interaction, not keystroke
Clear visual feedback
Do not clear input on error
Error Messaging
Specific
Human
Actionable
Bad: “Invalid input”
Good: “Please enter a valid email (name@company.com)”
Submit Button Optimization
Copy
Avoid: Submit, Send
Prefer: Action + Outcome
Examples:
“Get My Quote”
“Request Demo”
“Download the Guide”
States
Disabled + loading on submit
Clear success message
Next-step expectations
Trust & Friction Reduction
Privacy reassurance near submit
Expected response time
Testimonials (when appropriate)
Security badges only if relevant
Mobile Optimization (Mandatory)
≥44px touch targets
Correct keyboard types
Autofill support
Single column
Sticky submit button (where helpful)
Measurement (Required)
Key Metrics
Form view → start
Start → completion
Field-level drop-off
Error rate by field
Time to complete
Device split
Track:
First field focus
Field completion
Validation errors
Submit attempts
Successful submissions
Output Format
Form Health Summary
Form Health & Friction Index score
Primary bottlenecks
Structural vs tactical issues
Form Audit
For each issue:
Issue
Impact
Fix
Priority
Recommended Form Design
Required fields (with justification)
Optional fields
Field order
Copy (labels, help text, CTA)
Error messages
Layout notes
Test Hypotheses
Clearly stated A/B test ideas with expected outcome
Experiment Boundaries
Do not test:
legal requirements
core qualification fields without alignment
multiple variables at once
Questions to Ask (If Needed)
Related Skills
signup-flow-cro – Account creation forms
popup-cro – Forms in modals
page-cro – Page-level optimization
analytics-tracking – Measuring form performance
ab-test-setup – Testing form changes