Table of Contents

Capture Requests the Catalogue Misses With Inline Forms

Helpdocs Admin Updated by Helpdocs Admin

No catalogue covers every request. Some requests are useful but rare, and a service type for each one would make your catalogue long. This article shows how to attach a form to a ticket after it is created, so you can collect details without slowing the contact down.

The short version

  • Keep your catalogue short. Don't create a service type for every rare request.
  • When a ticket is created, automation triggers AI.
  • AI decides whether the ticket needs a form.
  • AI can attach a predefined form, or draft a disposable form for that one ticket.
  • If no form is needed, nothing is attached.

Why use inline forms

Contacts are often in a hurry. They want to know that their request was received. A long form at the start can slow them down or make them give up.

With an inline form, the contact creates the ticket first. Then, if more details are needed, a form is attached to the ticket. By then the contact knows their request is being handled, so they are more willing to answer a few questions.

See Why a Small Service Catalogue Works Better for the reasoning.

Two kinds of inline form

Predefined form

Disposable form

What it is

A form you build in advance

A form defined from scratch on one ticket

Where it comes from

Your form list

Written by an agent, or drafted by AI

Best for

Requests that repeat, but are too rare for a service type

Ad-hoc situations nobody planned for

Form ID

The form's own ID

Always 0

Can it be used in a service type?

Yes

No. It can only be defined on an existing ticket.

Disposable forms exist for ad-hoc cases. If you find yourself drafting the same disposable form again and again, build it as a predefined form instead.

Submitted disposable forms are listed on a dedicated page, so you can review what was asked.

What happens when a form is attached

  1. The form is attached to the ticket and a form result is created without answers.
  2. The agent and the contact can work on it together in the ticket and the client portal.
  3. Either of them can submit it.

You can add a comment when you attach the form. The contact receives an email with the comment and the form information, so they know what to do.

How the flow works

  1. A ticket is created, by any route.
  2. Tokity automation is triggered.
  3. AI reads the ticket, including its description.
  4. AI decides whether a form is needed.
  5. AI chooses a predefined form, or drafts a disposable one.
  6. The form is attached, with a short comment for the contact.

Step 1: Prepare your predefined forms

AI can only choose well if each form is described well.

Write a clear name and description

Forms are searchable by name and description. In the description, tell AI:

  • When this form should be used.
  • What this form collects.

Example:

Use this form when a contact asks for a new laptop or other equipment for a new or existing employee. It collects the employee name, the equipment needed, the delivery location and the date needed.

Write it plainly, as if for a new team member.

Add tags

Tags group your forms, for example onboarding, hardware, software or access. AI can filter by tag first, then read only the forms in that group. This is faster and more accurate when you have many forms.

Step 2: Let AI look up your forms

Tokity has an MCP server. With it, AI can:

  • Search forms by name and description.
  • Filter forms by tag.
  • Read a form's details.

This works well even with a large number of forms. A separate article will cover the MCP setup.

Step 3: Attach the form

Tokity has two API endpoints for attaching forms to a ticket:

Endpoint

Use

Attach a predefined form

The form already exists. Give the form ID.

Attach a disposable form

AI or an agent defines the form on the spot.

Both endpoints can include a comment. See the API reference (Swagger) for the request details. [Confirm: link, required fields, and how the disposable form's questions are described.]

If you call the API from your own tools, use an API key or OAuth with scoped permissions. See API access article.

Step 4: Write a good prompt

The prompt decides how much noise you create. The most important rule: attach a form only when it is necessary. A form on every ticket annoys contacts and gives your team extra work.

Here is a sample prompt. Change it to match your own forms and process.

You are helping a service desk team.

You will receive a new ticket, including its description.
Decide whether a form should be attached to it.

Rules:
- Attach a form ONLY if the ticket clearly needs information that a form would collect.
- If the ticket already contains the information, attach nothing.
- First search the predefined forms by name, description and tag.
  Use a predefined form when one clearly fits.
- Only if no predefined form fits, and the ticket really needs extra details,
  draft a disposable form. Keep it short: ask only what is needed to start the work.
- Attach at most one form.
- Do not guess. When unsure, attach nothing.
- Write a short, polite comment for the contact that explains why
  the form is attached.

Answer with: the form ID, or "disposable", or "none".
If "disposable", also list the questions.

Step 5: Test and review

  1. Test with a few sample tickets before you turn it on for everyone.
  2. Check that forms are attached only when they are useful.
  3. In your monthly review, look at tickets that received a form. Did contacts complete them?
  4. Check tickets with no form. Were any missed?
  5. Review the submitted disposable forms. If the same one keeps appearing, turn it into a predefined form.
  6. If the wrong form is attached, check the form description first. A vague description is the most common cause.

What to expect

  • Setup effort. You need to describe and tag your forms, set up the automation and write the prompt.
  • AI usage cost. Each ticket is read by AI, and form searches may add more.
  • Mistakes. AI will sometimes attach a form that isn't needed, or miss one that is. Review a sample each month.
  • Contact response. Contacts may not fill in the form. Keep forms short.

Which requests suit inline forms

  • Requests that are useful but rare.
  • Details you need after the request is understood, such as asset lists or approvals.
  • Ad-hoc situations that only need a form once.

Keep the most common requests as service types. See Build a Small, High-Value Service Catalogue.

How did we do?

Build a Small, High-Value Service Catalogue

Use AI Categorisation Instead of Setup-Only Service Types

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