---
schema_version: "1"
id: 8444b2b3042404850160fdc7f92c6dd5aef5fb1c72c522004916f9fd3f92471f
title: Use Hidden Fields and Default Values on a Form
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/mktg/264-0-0/mktg_content_form_hidden_fields.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_content_form_hidden_fields.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: cb207578d5cd3133cd621d337fea490081308f0569a5956028ce37a0853174da
description: Enhance data collection without compromising user experience with short forms that are easy to complete. Use hidden fields to gather contextual data behind the scenes, or add default values in visible fields to speed up form completion. Hidden fields and default values are available on the Checkbox, Dropdown, Number, Plain Text, and Text Area input components.
products:
  - Marketing
release: "264"
---
# Use Hidden Fields and Default Values on a Form

Enhance data collection without compromising user experience with short forms that are easy to complete. Use hidden fields to gather contextual data behind the scenes, or add default values in visible fields to speed up form completion. Hidden fields and default values are available on the Checkbox, Dropdown, Number, Plain Text, and Text Area input components.

### Required Editions

[View supported editions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_editions.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Marketing Cloud Next is available in Growth and Advanced editions, and requires Salesforce Enterprise or Unlimited editions. Some features are limited by edition or purchased add-on. All functionality is available in Lightning Experience only.").

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d89017e47">User Permissions Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d89017e47 ">To create a form:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d89017e47 ">
              <p>Marketing Cloud Manager permission set </p>
              <p>AND</p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Any CMS workspace contributor
                role</p>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d89017e47 ">To publish a form:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d89017e47 ">
              <p>Marketing Cloud Manager permission set </p>
              <p>AND</p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">A CMS workspace contributor role
                of content admin or content manager</p>
            </td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

A default value is useful in a visible field when you expect most users to enter the same value. A default value is useful in a hidden field when you want to capture information without requiring users to enter it.

A URL parameter fills its related form field with a value from the URL parameters of its host page, whether that’s a marketing landing page or an external site. You can use UTM parameters or any other URL parameter. For example, a URL parameter in a hidden Source field can collect details about where a particular lead came from. The UTM parameter `utm_source` can pull in the value `source=newsletter`. The URL parameter `product_team` can record the product page where the lead originated.

If you mark a hidden field as required, you must enter a fallback value. With a fallback value, you can gain context even if the form delivers an invalid URL parameter or no value at all. When you enter a fallback value, it appears in the component on the canvas and, for a visible field, in preview mode and the live form.

For example:

- In a hidden Status field, a default value can automatically record a new lead as Open.
- In a visible Country field, a default value is helpful if you expect most leads to enter the same country name.
- To learn which product page a contact form submission came from, you enter the URL parameter `product_team` for a hidden Lead Source field. For the fallback value, you enter Main Site. If the URL for the form’s page doesn’t include the `product_team` parameter, you still learn that the lead came from your main site and not from, say, a Google search or email.

1. To hide a field, select **Hide this field** in the input component’s property panel.
    
    ![Hidden field checkbox on a component property panel and components on the canvas showing the hidden field icon](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-mktg-mktg_all-264-0-0-production-enus/e92be4e1-4bef-47a5-a11d-95f4ea1f7d7a/mktg_all/images/mktg_content_form_hidden_field.png)
    
    Hidden fields are visible on the canvas while you create or update a form, and an icon identifies these fields as hidden. Hidden fields aren’t visible in preview mode or on a live form. This way, you can get a clear idea of what your end users can see on the form.
2. To enter a default field value, select **Static Value** or **URL Parameter**.
    
    ![Field Default Value section of a component property panel](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-mktg-mktg_all-264-0-0-production-enus/e92be4e1-4bef-47a5-a11d-95f4ea1f7d7a/mktg_all/images/mktg_content_form_field_default_value.png)
    
    1. For Static Value, enter a default value.
    2. For URL Parameter, enter a parameter from your page URL and include a fallback value. Make sure that the parameter entered in the form matches the parameter used in the URL.

#### See Also

- [Embed a Form on an External Site](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_content_form_external_embed.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Deliver a form from exactly where you need it by embedding it on your own hosted web page.")