We’ve been hard at work making it easier for you to generate PDF and Word documents, with the release of our new document creation feature. It provides a more modern and streamlined method for creating these documents quickly, built right into Quickbase. Therefore we will be retiring the Exact Forms feature.
What is the timeline for retirement?
- On September 15, 2024, Exact Forms reached end of support. The only change that comes with this is that technical support for the Exact Forms feature will no longer be available. You can continue to use the feature as needed for now, although as with all unsupported features we do advise you to move to supported alternatives when possible (which are listed later in this article).
- In the second half of 2025, we will disable the ability to create new document templates using Exact Forms.
Please note that we have no plans to bring Exact Forms to End of Life. So you will be able to continue using and editing any existing exact forms you have.
Why we are retiring Exact Forms
Exact Forms has served many companies well. However, since it runs as an MS Office macro, it has certain limitations. These issues have become more impactful over time. Our document creation feature, which will reach general availability at the end of October 2024, has none of those limitations:
Exact Forms |
Document Creation |
Outputs HTML files only |
Outputs PDF, Word, and HTML files |
Limited to Windows computers |
Can be used on Windows, Mac, Linux, etc. |
Limited to desktop version of Word |
Can be used with desktop or online version of Word |
Document templates can only be updated by modifying HTML code |
Document templates updated in simple web editor |
Embedded reports of child records can only be inserted using JavaScript code |
Embedded reports of child records can be inserted in a few clicks in simple web editor |
Application tokens not supported |
Application tokens are supported |
Uses Word macro, which may not meet corporate security requirements |
Does not use Word macros |
What alternatives are available?
The primary alternatives to Exact Forms are:
- Document Creation: Quickbase’s new built-in document creation feature, available on the Business and Enterprise plans, is the successor to Exact Forms. It provides a modern and streamlined way to build documents like invoices or purchase orders. With this new capability, creating and generating PDFs has never been easier. You can set up document templates from your table settings menu:
Use our familiar template builder to design your template from scratch or get started by importing a Word document. You can add text, images, and embedded forms and reports here. And you can insert fields from your Quickbase records anywhere throughout your document.
You can create documents in PDF, Word, or HTML formats. Use the toolbar to quickly insert content. Advanced users can also switch to source view to edit the document’s HTML directly. Click here to learn more about document creation.
- Partner add-ons: Our document creation capability is designed to help you create simple documents quickly. While this gives you a lot of flexibility, some may need more advanced formatting options. Or you may need file formats other than PDF, Word, and HTML. We have excellent partners who can help with that. Exact Forms Plus, a Quickbase add-on from Juiced Technologies, offers comprehensive templates in Word along with additional functionality via complementary add-ons. FormsEngine from Advantage Integrated Solutions comes with advanced digital forms for both data input and output, and e-signature capabilities.
If you’re interested in these add-ons, please reach out to your Quickbase account team. We will be happy to explore your document needs and point you to the right solution for your business.
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