How Did You Hear About Us template
One optional question, six options, and a follow-up that shows up only when someone picks Other. This is the how did you hear about us template I put on signup and checkout forms.
What your visitor sees
Plain semantic HTML rendered through the same default form theme Core Forms applies on the front-end. Try it — this demo confirms inline and sends nothing.
Demo only. On your site, the same markup wires into the normal Core Forms action loop — email, Slack, Google Sheets, webhook, whatever you configure.
The HTML behind it
Copy this block, paste into Core Forms → Add New Form → Fields tab, save. Field names map to merge tags automatically in your action templates.
<p>
<label for="cf-heard-about">How did you hear about us?</label>
<select id="cf-heard-about" name="HEARD_ABOUT">
<option value="">Select one</option>
<option>Google search</option>
<option>Social media</option>
<option>Friend or colleague</option>
<option>Podcast or YouTube</option>
<option>Newsletter</option>
<option>Other</option>
</select>
</p>
<p data-show-if="HEARD_ABOUT:Other">
<label for="cf-heard-about-other">Where, specifically?</label>
<input type="text" id="cf-heard-about-other" name="HEARD_ABOUT_OTHER" />
</p>
What this how did you hear about us template is for
Analytics records the last click. A podcast, a friend, or a link pasted into a chat shows up as direct or as a branded search. This question asks the person what they remember. Keep it optional. Six to eight options is the ceiling, and Other with a text field is how you find a channel you forgot to list.
Put the dropdown on a form you already have. Do not make a second form just to ask it, and do not make it required. A required attribution question gets guessed answers. The markup below is the whole field, including the conditional follow-up.
Every field, and why it's there
| Field | Type | Required | Why it's there |
|---|---|---|---|
| How did you hear about us? | select | Optional | Optional. Six options that match where you actually market, plus Other. |
| Where, specifically? | text | Optional | Shown only when Other is selected, with data-show-if. |
From this HTML to a working form
- 1
Paste it into a form you already use
Core Forms, then the form, then the Fields tab. Paste this block under the email field on a signup, checkout, or contact form. Change the options to the channels you actually use.
- 2
Leave it optional
Do not add required or aria-required. The useful answers come from people willing to answer. A forced answer is usually the first option.
- 3
Read it next to the tracked source
Add a hidden field for the referrer or UTM campaign if you want both stories on one row. The Sheets action can turn the column into a monthly count.
Three upgrades worth considering
See why the question exists
The long version covers option order, where to place the field, and how to read the answers without pretending they are precise.
How did you hear about us survey →Show the follow-up only for Other
data-show-if is the conditional. The same attribute works on any field, not only this one.
Conditional fields →Keep the tracked source too
A hidden field can carry the referrer or a UTM parameter beside the answer the person picked.
Hidden fields in HTML forms →How Did You Hear About Us template questions
What are good how did you hear about us options?
Google search, social media, friend or colleague, podcast or YouTube, newsletter, and Other. Replace any of those with a channel you actually use. Drop the ones you do not. If Other climbs past about 15 to 20 percent, promote the most common write-in to its own option.
Should how did you hear about us be required?
No. A required attribution question sits at the worst moment, checkout or signup, and people pick the first option to get through. Optional answers are fewer and more honest.
How should someone answer how did you hear about us?
Pick the place they remember, not the last site they happened to open. If a friend sent the link and they then searched the name, the friend is the answer. If they do not remember, Other or a blank is better than a guess.
The template is free. The plumbing is the product.
Core Forms turns this HTML into stored submissions, spam-filtered email, and 70+ integrations.