Overview
Element451 makes it easy to build Applications that are branded and customizable and offer an easy-to-navigate experience for students, underpinned by powerful features such as SnapApp and the ability to submit early once required fields are complete.
Applications are hosted within a dedicated Application Site, ensuring students have 24/7 access to check their status, upload documents, and review their checklist, making the application process as straightforward as possible.
This guide will walk you through building an application that leverages advanced functionalities.
Understanding Steps, Sections, and Fields
Steps: Think of Steps as distinct pages within the application process, each designed to collect specific information. For instance, Steps might include titles such as 'About You,' 'Education History,' 'Academic Plans,' and 'Emergency Contact Info.' They organize the application flow and help applicants progress logically.
Sections: Within each Step, you'll create Sections to group related Fields. This not only enhances the applicant's experience by categorizing information (e.g., Personal Information, Contact Details, Residency) but also aids in keeping the application organized and easy to navigate.
Fields: Fields are the individual questions or data points you want to collect from the applicants. They are the building blocks of your application, allowing you to gather all necessary information efficiently.
Step 1 - Initial Application Creation
Navigate to Applications > Applications > All Applications.
Click the + New Application button in the top right corner of the header.
Configure the settings:
General
General
Application Name: Enter a descriptive name for your application. As shown in the screenshot below, this name will be visible to students when they choose which application to submit, making it a crucial element for identification.
Description: Describe the Application. This field is intended for internal use, providing your staff with context.
Enable SnapApp: Toggle this option to offer a condensed version of the application, SnapApp. SnapApp displays only the required fields to the applicant, simplifying the application process. Enabling this feature includes an option for applicants to toggle SnapApp on or off based on their preference, as shown in the screenshot below:
Default Application: If you enable SnapApp, select the default version of the application that applicants see upon initially accessing it. This setting configures the toggle to either FullApp or SnapApp by default.
Alert When Required Fields Are Complete: Activate this option to present a popup notification to the applicant once they complete all required fields. The popup will give them the choice to either submit the application immediately or continue filling in any optional information, as shown in the screenshot below:
Allow New Registrations: Controls whether new applications can be started from the application site. When turned off, students can still sign in to view and edit their existing applications, but they won’t see this application in the "Start Your Application" list.
📌 Note: This setting is best used when importing applications from another vendor and providing students access through magic links or pre-generated accounts.
✨ Pro Tip: You can also remove the "Start Application" button from the Application Site Home Page by editing the "Billboard App with CTA" content block and toggling off "Registration Button" under Customization > Elements.
Should Applicants be able to Withdraw Application: Permit applicants to withdraw their application directly from their Application Dashboard. This feature empowers applicants by giving them control over their application status.
Hide Blank Responses: Hides fields with no submitted value in the generated PDF, resulting in cleaner, more relevant documents.
Note: Field headings (section labels) will still appear to provide context about each application section, even when the individual fields beneath them are empty. This ensures you always keep track of what information was requested.
Hide Unused Conditional Fields: Hides fields that were never shown to the applicant due to conditional logic, along with hidden fields, in the generated PDF.
📌 Note: Both PDF toggles are off by default, so generated PDFs include all fields unless you opt in. Keep in mind that hidden fields can still contain data (for example, prepopulated country codes or fields populated via API for conditional logic), so enable these only when you want a more condensed PDF.
Show Application Status: Opt to show the current status of the application on the Application Dashboard. This transparency helps applicants track their progress and understand their application's standing.
Show Documents Section: Decide whether to display the documents section within the application's sidebar. This section can be used to request specific documents from applicants.
Will International Students Apply Using this App: When enabled, this setting instructs the AI Fraud Detection Agent to expect international IP addresses, ensuring they aren’t incorrectly flagged as fraudulent.
Registration Rate Limit: Sets how many applications can be submitted per minute from the same IP address. The default limit is 2, but you can increase this by entering a custom value.
✨ Pro Tip: Use this setting during high-volume events—such as fairs or open houses—when multiple applicants may share the same network and need to apply at once. After the event, it’s best to revert to a lower limit to maintain standard traffic controls.
Submitted Status Sidebar Text: This setting allows you to display custom text in the sidebar once an application is submitted. You can use this space to provide helpful information, next steps, or essential notifications to applicants post-submission.
Icon
Icon
Choose an icon for your application to display next to its name on the Application Site.
Payment Info
Payment Info
The payment info section allows you to enable payments and collect an application fee if required to submit an application.
Active: Use the Active toggle to enable application fee collection.
Discounts: Turning this toggle on permits discount codes to be used on this payment. Discount codes are configured in General Settings. To learn more about configuring discount codes, visit our Discount Codes article.
Personal Check: Turning this toggle on permits applicants to select a 'Mail a Personal Check' method instead of using a credit card. Note that Applications is the only module that allows credit card payments. If selected, you will also need to provide the following information:
Paid to: To whom should the check be made out?
Address: Provide the address where the check should be mailed.
Payment Description: Describes the product or service purchased only for internal use.
Credit Card Provider: If you have multiple credit card providers, you will be prompted to select one.
Account: Input an account number or name for internal tracking.
Payment Type: There are four payment types to choose from: fixed, conditional, calculated, and user-defined.
Additional fields will appear to configure the specific settings depending on the Payment Type chosen. You can explore our article, Payment Types, to gain further insight into each type and how to configure them.
If you wish to use payment rules, you will need to select the Conditional payment type.
Required to Submit: If payment is a prerequisite for application submission, toggle this setting to Yes. This ensures that the application can only be submitted after payment.
Payment Dialog Title: Add help text that appears on the modal/dialog box under the "Application Fee" title.
This space supports adding links, which is great for including your payment/refund policies and more. See the screenshot below:
Deposit
Deposit
If you wish to collect a deposit on this Application:
To apply an existing Deposit, select one from the dropdown menu.
To create a new Deposit, click Add Deposit.
Configure the Deposit Settings. For help creating deposits, review the Application Settings article.
Identity Verification
Identity Verification
Enable Identity Verification: Toggle this option on to enable Identity Verification for the application.
Element451’s Identity Verification adds an extra layer of security to your application process by confirming the identity of your applicants using verified documents and selfie checks— all powered by the industry leader in payment and ID verification, Stripe. This feature is designed to combat application fraud and works alongside tools like the Bolt AI Fraud Detector Agent to ensure that your applicants are who they say they are.
Identity Verification is available to partners with Element451's AI Workforce Admissions Team as a Usage-Based Pricing Feature.
You can read more about the Identity Verification feature here.
After configuring the Application settings, click Add in the top right corner to Save your Application. The Application editor will open, allowing you to begin customization.
Step 2 - Add Steps + Sections
Now that you've successfully created your application, it's time to tailor it to your needs.
Applications in Element451 are organized into Steps and Sections. This structure streamlines navigation and organization for applicants.
Step: Acts as separate pages in the application process, guiding applicants through different phases of information submission.
Section: The area within each Step where data fields are placed to gather information from the applicant. Sections are especially useful for grouping related topics or information. They can be expanded or collapsed to streamline the user experience within each Step.
For instance, Steps could be titled About You, Education History, Academic Plans, and Emergency Contact Info. Within the About You Step, Sections could include Personal Information, Contact Details, and Residency, allowing for a structured and user-friendly application experience.
Editing, Deleting, + Reordering Steps
Editing, Deleting, + Reordering Steps
When you create an Application, the first step is created for you automatically.
To edit a Step, click the Step name.
To rename or delete a Step, click the three horizontal dots next to the Step name.
To reorder your Steps, click and drag the Step to the desired place using the up and down arrow icon.
Adding Steps + Sections with Fields
Adding Steps + Sections with Fields
Adding a Step
To add a new Step, click + Add Step from the lefthand menu.
Enter a name for your Step. Keep in mind that this name is visible to applicants, as shown in the screenshot below:
Click Add in the top right corner to save your new Step.
Adding a Section
Click + Add Section.
Give the Section a name. To let applicants enter multiple items (e.g., every high school they attended), toggle the Repeatable Section to Yes. If enabled, you will be prompted to select whether entering an item is required and whether you want to limit the number of items.
After configuring your Section, click Add in the top right corner. The Section will be added to the Section list.
Adding Fields
Fields are the individual pieces of information you request from applicants. For efficiency, you can add fields individually or in groups.
Click the Section name to edit.
Click + Add Field. The Add Field sidesheet will open. You can choose from individual fields or field groupings for standard data collection. For example, add a field grouping for Name, Home Phone, and Cell Phone, followed by individual fields for Date of Birth and Email.
Customize the field to control how it appears and behaves in the Application:
Label: The name of the field as seen by the applicant.
Keep form field labels short and concise to ensure they display properly on mobile devices. For additional context or instructions, use the Help Text field instead.
Description: An internal note about the field, useful for administrative purposes.
Required: Toggle whether the field must be filled out to submit the application.
Hidden: Hide a field from the application form without deleting it; it is helpful for temporary adjustments.
Help Text: Guide what the applicant should enter in the field. Using examples can be very helpful.
Field Size: Adjust how much space the field occupies on the line.
Repeat steps 2-3 as needed.
Custom Step + Section Sidebars
Sidebars hold the instructions, tips, and policy details applicants need while completing a step, without adding that text to the form itself. Applicants open a sidebar by clicking a labeled button, and you control where that button appears and what it says.
Within a Step, you can configure two separate sidebars:
Custom Step Sidebar: configured on the Step. Applicants open it from a button in the step header, in the top right corner next to their account menu.
Custom Section Sidebar: configured on an individual Section inside the Step. Applicants open it from a button in that section's header, alongside the required field count and the expand/collapse control.
Both can be active at the same time. A Section sidebar does not replace the Step sidebar, so applicants can open either one at any point in the step.
There is only one button in the step header, and its content follows the applicant. On the Dashboard it opens the Dashboard sidebar. Once the applicant moves into a Step, that same button opens the Step sidebar instead. If that Step does not have its sidebar activated, no button appears in the header at all.
📌 Note: A third sidebar is available on the application Dashboard. It is configured under Content > Dashboard, covered in Step 3 - Configure Application Content below.
To configure a sidebar (the steps are the same at both levels):
Select the Step from the lefthand menu, or click into a Section within that Step.
Scroll to Custom Step Sidebar or Custom Section Sidebar and set Activate custom sidebar to Yes.
Click the pencil icon on the Sidebar Title row and complete two fields:
Title: the heading applicants see at the top of the sidebar when it opens.
Button label: the text on the button applicants click to open the sidebar. Leave it empty to use the default, Tips and Info. Whatever you enter appears in the Sidebar Trigger Label column.
Click + Add Paragraph to add a block of content, then give it a Title and Text. The editor supports bold, italics, numbered and bulleted lists, and links. Add as many paragraphs as you need.
📌 Note: Paragraphs display in the order you add them and cannot be dragged to reorder. To change the order, edit the paragraph content or delete and re-add them.
🚨 Important: Setting Activate custom sidebar back to No deletes that sidebar's title, button label, and paragraphs. Turning it back on gives you an empty sidebar, so copy your content somewhere safe first if you plan to reuse it.
✨ Pro Tip: Use the Step sidebar for guidance that applies to the whole step, such as deadlines or who to contact with questions. Keep Section sidebars focused on the fields in that section, for example how to enter a name so it matches legal documents. Short paragraphs and bullets are easier for applicants to scan than long blocks of text.
Good to know: a button appears only where a sidebar is activated. If a Step or Section has Activate custom sidebar set to No, applicants see no button for it. If you activate a sidebar but leave its paragraph blank, the button does appear and opens an empty panel, so add your content before publishing.
Information Requests and Supplemental Forms have their own custom sidebars, configured in those features and surfaced to applicants the same way.
✨ Pro Tip: When building your Steps, use the Show Preview toggle to preview how the fields will display to the applicant.
Step 3 - Configure Application Content
The Content section of the lefthand menu allows you to configure the following application components. Click on a heading to expand the details.
Dashboard
Dashboard
The Dashboard is the application start screen or the first step in the application process. Applicants will see the Dashboard immediately after starting an application and completing the Registration Form.
Greeting Messages: Greeting messages are displayed in the Dashboard header and are customized based on the applicant's status, so applicants see stage-appropriate messaging as they progress. You can configure a separate greeting message for each of the following statuses: Admitted, Default, In Review, Conditional Offer, Submitted, Denied, Deferred, Waitlisted, Deposited, and Withdrawn.
Each greeting has a default title and description provided by Element451, but you can click the pencil to edit the greeting.
Tokens can be used to personalize the greeting.
The Admitted, Conditional Offer, and Deposited greetings have an added feature that allows you to show a package button. This feature is used in conjunction with Decision Packages and Microsites. Read more on Linking the Admitted Student Dashboard to the Microsite.
The Admitted and Conditional Offer greetings also include a Show Confetti toggle. Confetti displays by default. Turn the toggle off if the celebratory graphic is not the right fit for a particular decision (for example, a needs-based or diversity scholarship offer) or for your brand. The setting is applied per application, so existing greetings keep their confetti unless you turn it off.
Good to know: Application dashboard greeting messages support the use of URL tokens, which display as hyperlinks.
Information Cards: Element451 allows you to enhance your Application Dashboard with various Information Cards, including Documents, Text, Deadlines, and Checklists. Additionally, you can apply conditional logic to control visibility for different users.
Checklist Card: This card displays checklist items tied to the application, which can be managed under Applications > Decision > Decision Settings > Checklist. It is vital for tracking application requirements. Read more on the Decision Checklist.
Text Card: This card displays essential information or guidance related to the application or the application process. This card remains visible until a decision is released.
Documents Card: This card showcases the applicant's uploaded documents after submitting the application. It becomes visible after the application has been submitted.
Deadline Card: This card features a customizable deadline, which is ideal for highlighting application or scholarship due dates. Visibility continues until a decision is released or the specified deadline is reached, whichever happens first.
Sidebar and Paragraphs: The Dashboard has its own sidebar, which applicants open from a button in the top right corner of the dashboard header. Use it for information applicants may want at any point in the process, such as deadlines, required documents, or who to contact for help.
🚨 Important: Unlike the Step and Section sidebars, the Dashboard sidebar has no activation toggle. It is always available, so add a title and at least one paragraph before publishing.
Click the pencil icon on the Sidebar Title row to set the Title applicants see at the top of the sidebar, and the Button label shown on the button they click. Leave the button label empty to use the default, Tips and Info.
Click + Add Paragraph to add a block of content with a Title and Text. Add as many paragraphs as you need.
You can also add sidebars to individual Steps and Sections. See Custom Step + Section Sidebars for details.
Registration Form
Registration Form
The Registration Form allows students to quickly create an account to start or continue their application, upload necessary documents, and check their application status—all in one place.
This form is customizable and tailored to meet your institution's needs. Element451 automatically adds the following fields to streamline the process: email, password, first name, last name, date of birth, term, campus, and intended program of study.
🚨 Important: The email, password, first name, and last name fields must remain on the registration form.
To add additional fields to the registration form, click + Add Field.
To preview how the fields display to the applicant, use the show preview toggle.
✨ Pro Tip: When sharing your application site URL, you can pre-fill the registration form fields by adding query parameters—for example, use ?user-application-term=[insert term guid] to automatically select the application term. In the example URL below, we highlight some example parameters and their values:
Request Information
Request Information
The Request Information feature within Applications allows students to easily request documents or information from third parties within an application (e.g., transcripts, fee waivers, test scores, letters of reference). You can add an Information Request to your application(s) with just a few clicks. The request automatically emails the third party/recipient upon application submission.
Submission Form
Submission Form
The Submission Form is designed to gather essential information from applicants before finalizing their applications. It’s strategically positioned to ask sensitive but necessary questions such as "Have you ever been expelled or academically dismissed from school?" or "Have you ever been convicted of a felony?"—queries that institutions may need for legal compliance or internal criteria.
Additionally, this form offers the flexibility to add fields that require the applicant's consent or agreement. Leveraging conditional logic, these fields can be dynamically tailored, ensuring that applicants only see questions relevant to their specific circumstances, thus enhancing the submission process.
The process for adding fields to the Submission Form is the same as Steps and other Forms.
The responses to the submission form questions will appear on the application preview and PDF.
Supplemental Forms
Supplemental Forms
Supplemental application forms are helpful for institutions that need to collect additional information from applicants after submitting a primary application. These can be used for several use cases, such as residency verifications, enrollment agreements, etc.
Submission Prevention Rules
Submission Prevention Rules
With the application submission prevention feature, you can prevent users from submitting applications using custom criteria. While users are already prevented from submitting applications if they do not fill out the required fields or have already submitted an application for the same term and major combination, this feature allows further customization of these rules.
Step 4 - Settings: Autoresponder Messages
The Settings section of the lefthand menu allows you to modify the default autoresponder messages sent to applicants as they work through their applications.
Click on the heading to expand the details.
🚨 Important: Autoresponders require activation at two levels. The autoresponder must be enabled in Application Settings and the specific autoresponder message must be set to Active within the application in order to send.
Autoresponder Messages
Autoresponder Messages
Default autoresponder messages are managed in Application Settings, where each autoresponder type can be globally enabled and its default message content defined.
The same autoresponders are also available within the settings of each individual application. From there, you can customize the message content and settings for that specific application. If an application-level version is customized, it will be used instead of the default message. If no customization is made, the system will fall back to the default message from Application Settings.
Regardless of whether the message is customized at the application level, the autoresponder must be set to Active in both Application Settings and the individual application in order to send.
You can identify application-level customizations by the word “edited” appended to the autoresponder title in the application-level settings.
You can modify the following eight autoresponder types at the application level, tailoring each to meet your institution's specific needs:
Application Preview
Application Submitted
CC Payment Successfully
Deposit CC Payment Successful
Password Reset Request Secondary Email Notification
User Password Changed
User Password Reset Request
User Registered to Application
📌 Note: Profile change notification emails are no longer an application autoresponder. They now send automatically as a system message and cannot be disabled or customized in Application Settings. This notification is triggered only when a student updates their information using the Edit Profile function on the application site; changes made by staff, imports, or backend processes do not trigger it.
The other three autoresponders in Application Settings relate to Information Requests, which can be customized or fine-tuned by Request Type.
According to your preference, these messages can be personalized and delivered through email, SMS, or both.
You can also enable or disable these messages at any time. For added convenience, a feature allows you to send a preview to yourself. This lets you see exactly what the applicant will receive, ensuring that every communication is perfectly crafted.
To activate/deactivate an autoresponder, use the Active toggle.
Don't forget to confirm it's also active in Application Settings.
To edit an autoresponder, click the three vertical dots, then Edit Message.
To send a preview, click the three vertical dots, then Send Preview Message.
Managing Applications
From the All Applications page (Applications > Applications > All Applications), you can edit, duplicate, delete, and reorder your list of Applications.
To edit an Application, click the three vertical dots, then Edit.
To locate the application's general, icon, payment, and deposit settings after creation, click the pencil icon in the top right corner of the header once you've entered edit mode.
All other settings (steps, content, etc.) can be found in the left-hand menu.
To duplicate an Application, click the three vertical dots, then Duplicate.
To delete an Application, click the three horizontal dots, then Delete. You'll be asked to confirm your action.
To reorder your Applications, click and drag the Application to the desired place using the up and down arrow icon. If you have multiple applications available to a student, the other here is how it will appear to the student on the Application Site.
Troubleshooting
Q: Why is X term (or major, degree, etc) not showing up as an option on this application?
A: We automatically filter out majors, terms, degrees, and other options that are not available for a particular application. Make sure to check the data source to confirm that the term, major, degree, etc., has a value in the “Available For” tab.