Definition
An AI intake form is a website form where an AI chats with each visitor, asks a follow-up question when an answer is vague, and saves the answers. A service business gets each inquiry with the job, the timing, and the place already asked.
How does an AI intake form work?
A visitor types in their own words instead of filling in boxes. The form works through a short list of things the business needs to know:
- The AI reads what the visitor wrote and answers anything they asked.
- It asks for one missing detail at a time.
- When an answer is vague, such as "soon" or "not sure," it asks a follow-up question.
- It saves each answer as the chat goes on.
- The answers decide what happens next, such as a call, a reply, or a kind note that the job is not a fit.
That last step can be done by the AI or by fixed rules. In Qualiform, the AI has the conversation and saves the answers. Your own rules then score the inquiry and decide what happens next. So the same answers always get the same result.
How is it different from a contact form?
It is not the same as a contact form. A contact form shows every visitor the same boxes, and a person sorts the inquiries later.
| Contact form | AI intake form | |
|---|---|---|
| How the visitor answers | Fixed boxes | A short chat |
| A vague answer | Stays vague | Gets a follow-up question |
| Missing details | Found when someone replies | Asked before the visitor leaves |
| Who sorts the inquiry | A person, later | Rules or the AI, right away |
What does one look like for a plumber?
Here is an example. A visitor writes, "My kitchen sink is leaking." The form asks which town the job is in. Then it asks how soon they need someone. The visitor says "today." The inquiry arrives with the job, the town, and how soon already written down. The plumber can quickly see if the job is inside the area they cover. They can also see if it should get a call back first.
To see how those answers turn into a next step, read the guide to qualifying leads from your contact form, or the definition of lead scoring.
Common questions
Does the AI decide which inquiries are worth a call?
It can, but it does not have to. In some tools, the business writes fixed rules that make that choice, and the AI only asks and saves the answers. Rules give the same result every time for the same answers. That makes them easy to check.
Do small businesses need an AI intake form?
Not always. Say a business gets a few inquiries a week, and they all get the same reply. A short plain form is enough there. An AI intake form helps when inquiries are all different and the next step depends on the details.
Is an AI intake form the same as a chatbot?
Not quite. A chatbot usually answers questions about many things. An AI intake form has one job. It collects the details of an inquiry and passes them to the business.