Whether you are building a simple request form or a complex business solution, following these best practices will improve usability, maintainability, and performance.

Plan Before You Build

 

– Design the Form Layout First

Before building your form, plan:

• the structure
• the user journey
• the approval process
• the data you need to collect

If converting an existing paper or electronic form, remember that older layouts are often not mobile-friendly.

Sintel Apps are responsive by default, so design with desktop, tablet, and mobile users in mind.

– Use Auto-Fill Wherever Possible

Reduce manual data entry wherever possible.

Examples:

• Automatically set the submitter
• Pre-fill dates
• Use cascading dropdowns
• Automatically assign approvers

Reducing user input improves accuracy and adoption.

– Use the Correct Field Types

Avoid relying heavily on single-line text fields.

Using the correct field type improves:

• reporting
• filtering
• validation
• data consistency

Use:

• Date fields for dates
• Number fields for numeric values
• Choice or lookup fields for dropdown selections

– Choice Fields vs Lookup Fields

Choice Fields

Use when:

• values rarely change
• simple reporting is required
• performance is important

Lookup Fields

Use when:

• values need central management
• sorting or ordering is required
• multiple forms share the same data source

Tip: Large numbers of lookup columns can affect SharePoint performance and view rendering.

– Use Linked Lists for Complex Data

Use linked lists to create parent-child relationships similar to repeating sections in InfoPath forms.

Examples:

• expense line items
• inspection findings
• asset lists

This keeps the main list structure cleaner and easier to maintain.

Tip: This saves you from cluttering your main list with too many columns. Consider moving related fields into linked lists.

– Plan Your Workflow & Logic from the Start

Most business forms require workflow or automation.

Sintel Apps includes a built-in workflow engine and also integrates with solutions such as Microsoft Power Automate.

Before designing the form, think about the full process the form will go through, including:

• What stages the form moves through
• Who needs to complete actions
• Who needs to approve or review information
• Who should receive notifications
• Which fields should be editable at each stage
• Which sections should be hidden, disabled, or locked
• What should happen when actions are completed or rejected

Planning workflow and logic requirements early makes the solution easier to design, maintain, and support over time.

Design Best Practices

– Avoid Naming Lists “Forms”

Don’t name the SharePoint list behind your form Forms.

“Forms” is a reserved or commonly used term in Microsoft 365 and can cause confusion with document libraries, system-generated forms, or Microsoft Forms.

When creating a new list from the Sintel Apps Designer, if you enter Forms, the list may be created as FormsList because the word Forms is already used in document libraries.

A good rule is: name the list after the business data it stores, not the form used to collect it e.g. Requests, Submissions, Applications, EmployeeOnboarding, IncidentReports

– One Form per Site

Create a separate SharePoint site, site collection, or subsite for each form where appropriate. This provides better control over permissions, configuration, ownership, and long-term maintenance.

This is especially useful where forms have different security requirements, workflows, or business owners.

– Prefix Lookup Lists

Use consistent naming for lookup lists:

• LookupCountries
• LookupDepartments
• LookupStatuses

This makes administration and troubleshooting easier.

– Keep List and Column Names Short

Use short, meaningful names for lists and columns.

Examples:

• Ideas
• Timesheets
• InspectionReports

For questionnaire-style forms, use:

• Question01
• Question02

instead of:

• Q1
• Q2

This improves reporting compatibility.

– Email Subject Lines

When configuring email notifications, prefix the email subject with the app name in square brackets:
Example: [Expenses App] Approval Request.

– Avoid Item-Level Permissions Where Possible

Item-level permissions increase:

• complexity
• maintenance overhead
• support requirements

Use only when necessary.

If enabled, ensure users have appropriate permissions such as:

• Design
• Approve
• Full Control

 

– Protect Sensitive Data

Place sensitive fields inside hidden sections and display them conditionally using rules.

Avoid exposing confidential information unnecessarily.

Development Best Practices

– Use Rules Instead of Custom Code

Avoid custom JavaScript and unsupported CSS modifications where possible.

Use built-in rules for:

• conditional visibility
• validation
• messages
• button control

This improves compatibility and upgrade stability.

Need a pop-up? Use hidden sections and trigger them with rules.

– Use Themes for Styling

Use built-in theming features instead of custom CSS overrides.

Avoid:

• temporary CSS classes
• Microsoft-specific CSS selectors
• root-level style overrides

These can break after platform updates.

– Optimise Rule Performance

Use the “Run Once” option where appropriate to reduce unnecessary rule execution.

– File Upload Recommendations

Avoid uploading large numbers of files simultaneously through forms.

Large uploads can:

• slow save performance
• increase form load times
• affect user experience

Consider separating large document storage from transactional forms where appropriate.

– Relationship Behaviour

When creating lookup columns, enable:

Enforce Relationship Behaviour – Cascade Delete

This helps maintain data integrity between related lists.

Relationship Behaviour & Permissions

– Keep Configurations in Sync

After making changes directly to a SharePoint list, open the Sintel Apps Designer and save the form configuration to ensure changes are synchronised correctly.

– Balance User Experience and Performance

There’s a balance between user experience (UX) and form load speed.

Using autocomplete allows text fields to dynamically suggest values from a SharePoint list, making data entry easier while maintaining fast load times.

Need Help or Have a Custom Request?

Get in touch! If there’s something you think can’t be done with Sintel Apps—just ask. Many features in our platform are the result of customer feedback.

Sintel Apps is powerful and flexible, and following these best practices ensures your forms are easy to use, efficient to maintain, and fit for purpose.

Need advice or want to share feedback? Contact Us—we’re always happy to help.

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