Forms and User Management

This article covers form templates and user management in Localist Events Liquid templates. The content builds on template fundamentals (Article 1), form tags (Article 6), and object references to provide practical guidance for developers implementing custom event submission forms, user dashboards, and messaging interfaces.

Overview

Forms and user management in Localist represent two critical surfaces where developers customize the user experience. Event submission forms allow both public users and administrators to create and edit events. User management templates render account settings, notifications, messages, and profile information.

This article documents:

Template variables available on form pages (event submission, user dashboards)
Object structures for custom fields, messages, conversations, and notifications
Practical patterns for rendering forms with custom field support
User-facing dashboard and settings templates

Event Submission Forms

Public Event Submission Form

The public event submission form (Theme Editor: Events → Public Event Submission Form) provides a template for users to create or edit events in the calendar. This template has access to the event being edited (if applicable) and all available form configuration data.

Template Variables

Variable	Type	Description
`event`	Event	The event object being edited (may be empty for new submissions)
`filters`	Hash	Available filter options by filter category
`visible_sections`	Hash	Boolean values indicating which form sections are visible (keyed by section name)
`groups`	Array	Group options formatted as label/value pairs for selection dropdowns
`departments`	Array	Department options formatted as label/value pairs (requires Departments feature)
`selected_groups`	Array of Group/Department	Groups already associated with the event
`selected_departments`	Array of Group/Department	Departments already associated with the event
`selected_tags`	Hash	Tags grouped by context, each value contains an Array of Tag objects
`visibility_options`	Array	Event visibility options (Public, Unlisted, Restricted)
`experience_options`	Array	Available experience types for the event
`status_options`	Array	Event status options; values are `live`, `canceled`, `postponed`, `soldout`
`has_zoom_integration`	String	Whether the platform’s Zoom integration feature is enabled
`zoom_status`	String	Zoom UI state for the editor: `"unauthorized"` (no Zoom token), `"no_meeting"` (token but no meeting on the event), or `"meeting"` (stream/meeting linked)
`limited_edit`	Boolean	True when the event is not new and its first start date is today or in the past, so certain fields are locked down

Example: Rendering Form Sections Conditionally

{% if visible_sections.basic_info %}
  <fieldset>
    <legend>Event Details</legend>
    <input type="text" name="event[title]" value="{{ event.name }}" />
    <textarea name="event[description]">{{ event.description }}</textarea>
  </fieldset>
{% endif %}

{% if visible_sections.filters %}
  <fieldset>
    <legend>Categories & Tags</legend>
    {% for context in site.event_filters %}
      {% unless filters[context] == empty %}
        {% filter_combobox context on event values:filters[context] selected:selected_tags[context] %}
      {% endunless %}
    {% endfor %}
  </fieldset>
{% endif %}

Example: Rendering Status and Visibility Options

<label>Event Status</label>
<select name="event[status]">
  {% for option in status_options %}
    <option value="{{ option.value }}" {% if event.status == option.value %}selected{% endif %}>
      {{ option.label }}
    </option>
  {% endfor %}
</select>

<label>Visibility</label>
<select name="event[visibility]">
  {% for option in visibility_options %}
    <option value="{{ option.value }}" {% if event.visibility == option.value %}selected{% endif %}>
      {{ option.label }}
    </option>
  {% endfor %}
</select>

Example: Conditional Zoom Integration

{% if has_zoom_integration == 'true' %}
  <fieldset>
    <legend>Zoom Meeting</legend>
    <p>Zoom integration status: {{ zoom_status }}</p>
    <label>
      <input type="checkbox" name="event[zoom_enabled]" {% if event.zoom_enabled %}checked{% endif %} />
      Enable Zoom meeting for this event
    </label>
  </fieldset>
{% endif %}

Rendering Custom Fields on Forms

Custom Field object structure (definitions and the custom_fields value collection) is documented in Article 5 (Shared Object Types). This section focuses on how to render them inside an event submission form.

Iterate over field definitions via site.public_event_custom_fields, then render the appropriate input based on each definition’s field_type. Write values back through the parent object’s custom_fields collection (e.g., event[custom_fields][<key>]).

Example: Iterating Over Custom Field Definitions

{% for field in site.public_event_custom_fields %}
  <div class="form-group">
    <label for="custom_field_{{ field.key }}">
      {{ field.label }}
      {% if field.required %}<span class="required">*</span>{% endif %}
    </label>

    {% if field.field_type == 'text' %}
      <input
        type="text"
        id="custom_field_{{ field.key }}"
        name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]"
        {% if field.required %}required{% endif %}
      />
    {% elsif field.field_type == 'textarea' %}
      <textarea
        id="custom_field_{{ field.key }}"
        name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]"
        {% if field.required %}required{% endif %}
      ></textarea>
    {% endif %}
  </div>
{% endfor %}

Example: Displaying Custom Field Values

{% if event.custom_fields.department %}
  <p>Department: {{ event.custom_fields.department }}</p>
{% endif %}

{% if event.custom_fields.room_capacity %}
  <p>Room Capacity: {{ event.custom_fields.room_capacity }}</p>
{% endif %}

Example: Rendering Dynamic Form Fields Based on Type

{% for field in site.public_event_custom_fields %}
  {% assign field_value = event.custom_fields[field.key] %}

  <div class="form-field">
    <label>{{ field.label }}</label>

    {% case field.field_type %}
      {% when 'text' %}
        <input type="text" name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]" value="{{ field_value }}" />
      {% when 'textarea' %}
        <textarea name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]">{{ field_value }}</textarea>
      {% when 'dropdown' %}
        <select name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]">
          <option value="">-- Select --</option>
          {% for option in field.options %}
            <option value="{{ option }}" {% if field_value == option %}selected{% endif %}>
              {{ option }}
            </option>
          {% endfor %}
        </select>
      {% when 'checkbox' %}
        <label>
          <input type="checkbox" name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]" value="yes" {% if field_value %}checked{% endif %} />
          {{ field.label }}
        </label>
    {% endcase %}
  </div>
{% endfor %}

User Dashboard and Profile Templates

Edit Profile Template

The Edit Profile template (Theme Editor: Users → Edit Profile) allows users to modify their account information.

Template Variables

Variable	Type	Description
`user`	User	The currently logged-in user
`the_user`	User	Alias for the user object

Notification Settings Template

The Notification Settings template (Theme Editor: Users → Notification Settings) enables users to configure how they receive notifications.

Template Variables

Variable	Type	Description
`user`	User	The currently logged-in user
`the_user`	User	Alias for the user object
`sms_notification_options`	Array	SMS notification frequency options formatted as label/value pairs
`sms_notification_setting`	String	The user’s current SMS notification preference

Example: SMS Notification Settings

<fieldset>
  <legend>SMS Notifications</legend>
  {% for option in sms_notification_options %}
    <label>
      <input 
        type="radio" 
        name="user[sms_frequency]" 
        value="{{ option.value }}"
        {% if sms_notification_setting == option.value %}checked{% endif %}
      />
      {{ option.label }}
    </label>
  {% endfor %}
</fieldset>

Privacy Settings Template

The Privacy Settings template (Theme Editor: Users → Privacy Settings) controls visibility of the user’s profile and activities.

Template Variables

Variable	Type	Description
`user`	User	The currently logged-in user
`the_user`	User	Alias for the user object
`privacy_options`	Array	Privacy configuration options (e.g., private, friends-only, public)

Calendar Digests Template

The Calendar Digests template (Theme Editor: Users → Calendar Digests) displays and manages the user’s email digest subscriptions.

Template Variables

Variable	Type	Description
`digest_summaries`	Array of Digest	All calendar digest configurations the user has created

Example: Rendering Digest List

<div class="digests-list">
  {% for digest in digest_summaries %}
    <div class="digest-item">
      <h3>{{ digest.title }}</h3>
      <p>Sent: {{ digest.send_day }}</p>
      <p>Status: {% if digest.enabled %}Active{% else %}Inactive{% endif %}</p>
      <p>Date Range: {{ digest.date_range }}</p>
      <p>Event Limit: {{ digest.limit }}</p>
    </div>
  {% endfor %}
</div>

Manage Friends & Places Template

The Manage Friends & Places template (Theme Editor: Users → Manage Friends & Places) shows a user’s social connections.

Template Variables

Variable	Type	Description
`the_user`	User	The currently logged-in user
`current_tab`	String	Active tab (e.g., “friends”, “places”)
`friends`	Array	UserFriend or business friendable objects (varies by tab)

The Conversation Object

The Conversation object represents a message thread between two users.

Used as: conversation (when viewing a thread), recent_conversations (array of conversation items)

Participants

Variable	Type	Description
`user`	User	The current user in the conversation
`with`	User	The other participant (alias: `along_with`)

Status

Variable	Type	Description
`last_message_at`	DateTime	Timestamp of the most recent message
`read_at`	DateTime	When the current user last read the conversation
`unread`	Boolean	Whether the conversation has unread messages

URLs

Variable	Type	Description
`url`	String	Link to the conversation thread

Example: Displaying a Conversation List

<div class="conversations">
  {% for conv in recent_conversations %}
    <div class="conversation-item {% if conv.unread %}unread{% endif %}">
      <a href="{{ conv.url }}">
        <strong>{{ conv.with.name }}</strong>
        <p>{{ conv.last_message_at | date: "%b %d, %Y" }}</p>
      </a>
    </div>
  {% endfor %}
</div>

The Message Object

The Message object represents an individual message in a conversation thread.

Used as: messages (array of message objects in conversation context)

Properties

Variable	Type	Description
`message`	String	The message content
`from`	User	The sender of the message
`user`	User	Alias for sender
`sender`	User	Alias for sender
`sent_at`	DateTime	Timestamp when the message was sent
`read_at`	DateTime	Timestamp when the message was read (if applicable)
`is_reply`	Boolean	Whether this message is a reply to another message

Status

Variable	Type	Description
`unread`	Boolean	Whether the message is unread by the recipient
`deleted`	Boolean	Whether the message has been deleted
`sent`	Boolean	Whether the message was successfully sent
`received`	Boolean	Whether the message was received by the recipient

Example: Rendering a Message Thread

<div class="conversation-thread">
  {% for msg in messages reversed %}
    <div class="message {% if msg.unread %}unread{% endif %} {% if msg.from.id == user.id %}sent{% else %}received{% endif %}">
      <div class="message-header">
        <strong>{{ msg.from.name }}</strong>
        <span class="timestamp">{{ msg.sent_at | date: "%b %d at %I:%M %p" }}</span>
      </div>
      <div class="message-body">
        {{ msg.message }}
      </div>
      {% if msg.unread %}
        <span class="badge">New</span>
      {% endif %}
    </div>
  {% endfor %}
</div>

The Notification Object

The Notification object represents notifications and feed items in a user’s dashboard.

Used as: messages (array), feed_item (single in dashboard context)

Properties

Variable	Type	Description
`message`	String	The notification text
`sender`	User	The user who triggered the notification
`sender_name`	String	Display name of the sender
`sent_at`	DateTime	When the notification was generated
`sent_date`	Date	Date the notification was sent
`url`	String	Link to the related object or action
`unread`	Boolean	Whether the notification has been read
`notification_type`	Integer	Type code for the notification (e.g., friend request, message, group invite)

Example: Rendering a Notification Feed

<div class="notifications">
  {% for notification in messages %}
    <div class="notification {% if notification.unread %}unread{% endif %}">
      <a href="{{ notification.url }}">
        <div class="notification-icon">
          <img src="{{ notification.sender.photo.square_200 }}" alt="" />
        </div>
        <div class="notification-content">
          <p>{{ notification.message }}</p>
          <time>{{ notification.sent_at | date: "%b %d" }}</time>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div>
  {% endfor %}
</div>

The Request Object

The Request object represents user requests such as invitations, friend requests, and group membership requests.

Used as: requests (array of request objects)

Common Attributes

Variable	Type	Description
`type`	String	Request type (e.g., “invitation”, “friend_request”, “group_membership_request”)
`message`	String	The request message or reason
`sender`	User	The user who initiated the request
`sent_at`	DateTime	When the request was sent
`accept_url`	String	URL to accept the request
`ignore_url`	String	URL to ignore/decline the request
`delete_url`	String	URL to delete the request

Example: Rendering a Requests List

<div class="requests">
  <h2>Pending Requests</h2>
  {% for request in requests %}
    <div class="request-item">
      <div class="request-info">
        <img src="{{ request.sender.photo.square_200 }}" alt="" />
        <div>
          <strong>{{ request.sender.name }}</strong>
          <p>{{ request.type | replace: "_", " " | capitalize }}</p>
          {% if request.message %}
            <p class="message">{{ request.message }}</p>
          {% endif %}
          <small>{{ request.sent_at | date: "%b %d" }}</small>
        </div>
      </div>
      <div class="request-actions">
        <a href="{{ request.accept_url }}" class="btn btn-primary">Accept</a>
        <a href="{{ request.ignore_url }}" class="btn btn-secondary">Decline</a>
      </div>
    </div>
  {% endfor %}
</div>

The Digest Object

The Digest object represents a calendar digest (email subscription) configuration.

Used as: digest (single), digest_summaries (array)

Settings

Variable	Type	Description
`title`	String	Name of the digest
`send_day`	String	Day(s) the digest is sent (e.g., “Monday”, “Daily”)
`enabled`	Boolean	Whether the digest is currently active
`limit`	Integer	Maximum number of events to include in each digest
`date_range`	String	Time span covered (e.g., “1 week”, “2 weeks”)
`match`	String	Filter criteria or matching rules applied to the digest

URLs

Variable	Type	Description
`token_unsubscribe_link`	String	URL to unsubscribe from this digest
`token_destroy_link`	String	URL to delete this digest configuration

Example: Rendering a Digest Configuration Form

<form method="post" action="/digest/update">
  <fieldset>
    <legend>Digest Settings: {{ digest.title }}</legend>

    <label>
      Digest Title
      <input type="text" name="digest[title]" value="{{ digest.title }}" />
    </label>

    <label>
      Send Day
      <input type="text" name="digest[send_day]" value="{{ digest.send_day }}" />
    </label>

    <label>
      Date Range
      <input type="text" name="digest[date_range]" value="{{ digest.date_range }}" />
    </label>

    <label>
      Event Limit
      <input type="number" name="digest[limit]" value="{{ digest.limit }}" min="1" max="50" />
    </label>

    <label>
      <input type="checkbox" name="digest[enabled]" {% if digest.enabled %}checked{% endif %} />
      Enable this digest
    </label>

    <button type="submit">Save Digest</button>
    <a href="{{ digest.token_destroy_link }}">Delete Digest</a>
  </fieldset>
</form>

The Campaign Object

The Campaign object represents a Bulletin campaign — Localist’s email newsletter product. It does not represent generic email campaigns or other announcements.

Used as: campaign (single context)

Details

Variable	Type	Description
`title`	String	Campaign name or title
`subject`	String	Email subject line
`from_name`	String	Display name for the email sender
`from_address`	String	Email address the campaign is sent from
`reply_to`	String	Email address for reply-to header
`publish_target`	String	Target audience or distribution list
`allow_unsubscribe`	Boolean	Whether recipients can unsubscribe

URLs

Variable	Type	Description
`subscribe_url`	String	URL for users to subscribe to the campaign
`unsubscribe_url`	String	URL for users to unsubscribe from the campaign

Common Form Patterns

Building a Custom Event Submission Form

<form method="post" action="/events" class="event-form">
  <fieldset>
    <legend>Event Information</legend>

    <div class="form-group">
      <label for="title">Event Title *</label>
      <input 
        type="text" 
        id="title" 
        name="event[title]" 
        value="{{ event.name }}" 
        required
      />
    </div>

    <div class="form-group">
      <label for="description">Description</label>
      <textarea 
        id="description" 
        name="event[description]"
      >{{ event.description }}</textarea>
    </div>
  </fieldset>

  {% if visible_sections.custom_fields %}
    <fieldset>
      <legend>Additional Details</legend>
      {% for field in site.public_event_custom_fields %}
        {% if field.public_form %}
          <div class="form-group">
            <label for="cf_{{ field.key }}">
              {{ field.label }}
              {% if field.required %}<span class="required">*</span>{% endif %}
            </label>

            {% if field.field_type == 'text' %}
              <input 
                type="text" 
                id="cf_{{ field.key }}" 
                name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]"
                value="{{ event.custom_fields[field.key] }}"
                {% if field.required %}required{% endif %}
              />
            {% elsif field.field_type == 'textarea' %}
              <textarea 
                id="cf_{{ field.key }}" 
                name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]"
                {% if field.required %}required{% endif %}
              >{{ event.custom_fields[field.key] }}</textarea>
            {% endif %}
          </div>
        {% endif %}
      {% endfor %}
    </fieldset>
  {% endif %}

  <fieldset>
    <legend>Settings</legend>

    <div class="form-group">
      <label for="status">Status</label>
      <select id="status" name="event[status]">
        {% for option in status_options %}
          <option 
            value="{{ option.value }}" 
            {% if event.status == option.value %}selected{% endif %}
          >
            {{ option.label }}
          </option>
        {% endfor %}
      </select>
    </div>

    <div class="form-group">
      <label for="visibility">Visibility</label>
      <select id="visibility" name="event[visibility]">
        {% for option in visibility_options %}
          <option 
            value="{{ option.value }}" 
            {% if event.visibility == option.value %}selected{% endif %}
          >
            {{ option.label }}
          </option>
        {% endfor %}
      </select>
    </div>
  </fieldset>

  <button type="submit">Save Event</button>
</form>

Rendering Custom Fields Dynamically

{% assign all_fields = site.public_event_custom_fields %}
<div class="custom-fields-section">
  {% for field in all_fields %}
    {% assign value = event.custom_fields[field.key] %}
    {% assign is_required = field.required %}
    {% assign is_visible = field.public_form %}

    {% if is_visible %}
      <div class="field-wrapper field-type-{{ field.field_type }}" data-field-id="{{ field.id }}">
        <label for="field_{{ field.key }}">
          {{ field.label }}
          {% if is_required %}<span class="field-required" title="Required">*</span>{% endif %}
        </label>

        {% case field.field_type %}
          {% when 'text' %}
            <input 
              type="text" 
              id="field_{{ field.key }}" 
              class="text-input"
              name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]" 
              value="{{ value }}"
              {% if is_required %}required aria-required="true"{% endif %}
            />

          {% when 'textarea' %}
            <textarea 
              id="field_{{ field.key }}" 
              class="textarea-input"
              name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]"
              {% if is_required %}required aria-required="true"{% endif %}
            >{{ value }}</textarea>

          {% when 'checkbox' %}
            <label class="checkbox-label">
              <input 
                type="checkbox" 
                name="event[custom_fields][{{ field.key }}]" 
                value="true"
                {% if value %}checked{% endif %}
              />
              {{ field.label }}
            </label>
        {% endcase %}

        {% if field.html %}
          <small>HTML allowed in this field</small>
        {% endif %}
      </div>
    {% endif %}
  {% endfor %}
</div>

Handling Form Visibility States

<form class="event-form" data-limited-edit="{{ limited_edit }}">
  {% if limited_edit %}
    <div class="alert alert-info">
      Some fields are read-only because this event has already been published.
    </div>
  {% endif %}

  <fieldset {% if limited_edit %}disabled{% endif %}>
    <legend>Basic Event Information</legend>
    <input type="text" name="event[title]" value="{{ event.name }}" />
  </fieldset>

  {% if visible_sections.description %}
    <fieldset>
      <legend>Description</legend>
      <textarea name="event[description]">{{ event.description }}</textarea>
    </fieldset>
  {% endif %}

  {% if visible_sections.zoom %}
    {% if has_zoom_integration == 'true' %}
      <fieldset>
        <legend>Zoom Integration</legend>
        <p>Current status: <strong>{{ zoom_status }}</strong></p>
      </fieldset>
    {% endif %}
  {% endif %}
</form>

This article is part of a 9-part series on Localist developer theming:

Introduction to Localist Developer Theming
Site Configuration and Global Objects
Events, Instances, and Related Objects
Places, Groups, Departments, and Channels
Shared Object Types
Custom Liquid Tags Reference
Custom Liquid Filters Reference
Template Variable Reference
Forms and User Management

More Information

For additional guidance on Liquid syntax, filters, and template tags, refer to the Liquid documentation and Article 6 (Custom Liquid Tags Reference).

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Overview

Event Submission Forms

Public Event Submission Form

Template Variables

Example: Rendering Form Sections Conditionally

Example: Rendering Status and Visibility Options

Example: Conditional Zoom Integration

Rendering Custom Fields on Forms

Example: Iterating Over Custom Field Definitions

Example: Displaying Custom Field Values

Example: Rendering Dynamic Form Fields Based on Type

User Dashboard and Profile Templates

Edit Profile Template

Template Variables

Notification Settings Template

Template Variables

Example: SMS Notification Settings

Privacy Settings Template

Template Variables

Calendar Digests Template

Template Variables

Example: Rendering Digest List

Manage Friends & Places Template

Template Variables

The Conversation Object

Participants

Status

URLs

Example: Displaying a Conversation List

The Message Object

Properties

Status

Example: Rendering a Message Thread

The Notification Object

Properties

Example: Rendering a Notification Feed

The Request Object

Common Attributes

Example: Rendering a Requests List

The Digest Object

Settings

URLs

Example: Rendering a Digest Configuration Form

The Campaign Object

Details

URLs

Common Form Patterns

Building a Custom Event Submission Form

Rendering Custom Fields Dynamically

Handling Form Visibility States

Related Articles

More Information