Building Forms in 2025: Challenges, Solutions, and Approach

Trace the evolution of web form handling from basic HTML to modern API solutions. Learn how Reformify simplifies form submissions without complex backend configuration.

Muskan Sidana

Last updated on April 22, 2025

Forms are everywhere. Whether you’re signing up for a newsletter, registering for an event, logging into an app, or submitting a contact request, forms are the backbone of user interaction on the web. Yet, for something so fundamental, form handling remains a challenge for developers.

A seemingly simple form—just a few input fields and a submit button—quickly becomes a headache when you factor in:

✅ Validation (Client-side? Server-side? Both?)
✅ Data Handling (Where does the data go? How do we store it?)
✅ User Experience (Do we need auto-save? Should the form be dynamic?)
✅ Security (How do we prevent spam, XSS, and CSRF attacks?)

Over the years, developers have tackled form handling in different ways, each with its trade-offs. This article explores the common approaches to form management, their pros and cons, and a modern API-driven alternative that simplifies the entire process.

Approach #1: Traditional HTML Forms with Backend Processing

In its simplest form, a web form consists of an HTML structure that submits data to a backend server. This is how forms have worked since the early days of the internet.

Example:

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<form action="/submit" method="POST">
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  <label for="name">Name:</label>
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  <input type="text" id="name" name="name" required>
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  <label for="email">Email:</label>
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  <input type="email" id="email" name="email" required>
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  <button type="submit">Submit</button>
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</form>

✅ Pros:

Simple and requires minimal setup.
No dependencies—just HTML, CSS, and a backend.
Works without JavaScript, making it accessible and reliable.

❌ Cons:

Poor user experience—submitting the form refreshes the page.
Backend dependency—requires a server to process requests.
Limited flexibility—adding validation or real-time feedback is difficult.

While this approach still works, modern applications demand better user experiences, which is why developers often turn to JavaScript-powered solutions.

Approach #2: JavaScript-Powered Forms with AJAX

To avoid page reloads and improve interactivity, developers use JavaScript to submit forms asynchronously via AJAX.

Example (Using Fetch API):

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document.querySelector('form').addEventListener('submit', async function(event) {
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  event.preventDefault();
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  const formData = new FormData(this);
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  const response = await fetch('/submit', {
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    method: 'POST',
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    body: formData
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  });
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  if (response.ok) {
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    console.log('Form submitted successfully');
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  } else {
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    console.error('Error submitting form');
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  }
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});

✅ Pros:

No full-page reload → Better UX.
Works with any backend → Can be used with APIs or microservices.
Real-time validation → Users get instant feedback.

❌ Cons:

Requires JavaScript → Won't work if JS is disabled.
Still needs backend processing → Data still needs to be stored somewhere.
More complexity → Handling errors, retries, and validation can be tricky.

AJAX improves user experience, but as applications grow, handling forms across multiple pages or components becomes a challenge, leading many developers to adopt frontend frameworks.

Approach #3: Using Frontend Frameworks (React, Vue, Angular)

Modern web apps, especially single-page applications (SPAs), rely on frontend frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular for form handling. These frameworks provide state management, validation, and UI interactivity in a structured way.

Example (React with useState):

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import { useState } from 'react';
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export default function ContactForm() {
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  const [formData, setFormData] = useState({ name: '', email: '' });
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  const handleChange = (e) => {
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    setFormData({ ...formData, [e.target.name]: e.target.value });
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  };
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  const handleSubmit = async (e) => {
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    e.preventDefault();
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    await fetch('/submit', { method: 'POST', body: JSON.stringify(formData) });
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  };
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  return (
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    <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
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      <input name="name" onChange={handleChange} value={formData.name} />
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      <input name="email" onChange={handleChange} value={formData.email} />
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      <button type="submit">Submit</button>
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    </form>
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  );
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}

✅ Pros:

Great for dynamic applications → Forms can update state in real-time.
Component-based structure → Easier to maintain.
Client-side validation → Prevents unnecessary server requests.

❌ Cons:

Complexity increases → Forms require state management and additional libraries (Formik, React Hook Form).
It still requires backend setup. → Data storage and processing are still needed.

Despite these improvements, even the best frontend solutions still depend on custom backend logic, which can slow down development and increase maintenance efforts.

Approach #4: Third-Party Form Builders (Google Forms, Typeform, JotForm)

For quick and simple form collection, some developers (or businesses) opt for third-party form builders like Google Forms, Typeform, or JotForm.

✅ Pros:

No coding required → Drag-and-drop interfaces.
Hosted solutions → No need to manage infrastructure.
Built-in analytics & integrations → Connect to Google Sheets, Slack, or Zapier.

❌ Cons:

Limited customization → Hard to fully control look and feel.
Expensive at scale → Subscription models can add up.
Less control over data → Information is stored on third-party servers.

For developers who need full control and flexibility but don’t want to build and maintain backend infrastructure, an API-driven approach provides an alternative.

A Simpler Alternative: API-Driven Forms with Reformify

Each of the above solutions has its merits, but what if you want:
✅ A fully custom form without setting up a backend?
✅ A developer-first solution without drag-and-drop builders?
✅ Direct API access to store and process submissions?

That’s where an API-driven approach comes in. Reformify is designed for developers who need a lightweight, backend-free way to handle form submissions via an API.

How Reformify API works:

Create a form.
Submit data directly to the form.
Retrieve the form entries with a simple API call

Example: Creating a Form with Reformify

First, create your custom form programmatically using JavaScript:

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fetch('https://api.apyhub.com/reformify/create_form', {
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  method: 'POST',
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  headers: {
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    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
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    'apy-token': 'YOUR_API_KEY'
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  },
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  body: JSON.stringify({
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    formKey: "form-67bd7328234afb6f1210c257",
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    title: "Sample Form",
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    elements: [
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      { type: "text", name: "Full Name", required: false },
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      { type: "email", name: "User email", required: false }
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    ],
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    description: "Sample Form",
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    emailSettings: {
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      requireEmail: false,
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      confirmationEmail: "You're confirmed",
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      notifyOnEntry: false,
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      sendConfirmation: false
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    }
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  })
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})
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.then(response => response.json())
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.then(data => console.log('Form created:', data))
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.catch(error => console.error('Error:', error));

Example: Submitting a Form to Reformify

Next, easily submit data from your frontend to the form created earlier:

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fetch('https://api.apyhub.com/reformify/submission', {
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  method: 'POST',
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  headers: {
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    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
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    'Authorization': 'YOUR_API_KEY'
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  },
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  body: JSON.stringify({
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    formId: "form-67bd7328234afb6f1210c257",
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    entry: {
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      Full Name: "John Doe",
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      User Email: "john@example.com"
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    }
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  })
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})
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.then(response => response.json())
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.then(data => console.log('Form submitted:', data))
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.catch(error => console.error('Error:', error));

Example: Retrieving Form Entries

Finally, retrieve form submissions to manage and review responses programmatically:

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fetch('https://api.apyhub.com/reformify/get_submissions', {
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  method: 'POST',
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  headers: {
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    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
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    'apy-token': 'YOUR_API_KEY'
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  },
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  body: JSON.stringify({
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    formKey: "form-67bd7328234afb6f1210c257"
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  })
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})
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.then(response => response.json())
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.then(data => console.log('Form entries:', data))
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.catch(error => console.error('Error:', error));

✅ Why Consider This Approach?

No Backend Required → Just submit directly via API.
Works with Any Frontend → HTML, React, Vue, mobile apps.
Secure & Scalable → Built-in security, no infrastructure to manage.

Final Thoughts

Traditional form handling methods work, but often require backend logic, database setup, and maintenance. With an API-driven solution like Reformify, developers can offload form management while keeping full control over how they collect, process, and use data.

If you’re looking to simplify your form workflows without sacrificing flexibility, it might be time to consider an API-first approach. 🚀

Create Your First form using the Reformify API

FAQ

1. Do I need to build a backend to use the Reformify API?

Nope! The Reformify API handles data submission and storage for you. Just send a POST request to the API—no backend setup required.

2. Can I customize the form UI?

Yes! The Reformify API doesn’t impose any UI—you build and style your form however you like. Just make sure the field names match those defined in your form config.

3. How do I get notified when someone submits a form?

When creating a form in the dashboard, you can configure email notifications. You'll receive alerts for every new submission.

4. Is my data secure?

Absolutely. All submissions are sent over HTTPS, and your API key should be kept server-side. We also support rate limiting and validation to prevent spam and abuse.

5. What happens if someone submits invalid or incomplete data?

If required fields are missing or data types don’t match, the API returns a 422 Unprocessable Entity error with a helpful message indicating what went wrong.

6. How do I get my API key?

Once you’re logged in, you can generate and manage your API keys directly from your ApyHub dashboard.

7. Are there rate limits on API calls?

Yes, to ensure fair usage. If the limit is exceeded, you’ll get a 429 Too Many Requests error.

8. How much does it cost to use Reformify?

The Reformify API is included in ApyHub’s starter plan so you can try it out. If you need to make more API calls, you can upgrade to one of the premium plans.