# MakeTheForm

> The form backend for HTML, JavaScript, and AI-built websites. Point any form at one endpoint and receive spam-filtered submissions by email and in a searchable inbox. No server, no backend code.

MakeTheForm is a developer-first form backend (also called a form endpoint or contact form API). You create a form, get a public endpoint URL that is safe to place in client-side code, and POST your form to it. It filters spam, stores each submission, and emails it to you with the submitter in Reply-To. It works with plain HTML, React, Next.js, Astro, Vue, Svelte, Webflow, GitHub Pages, and AI builders like Lovable, Bolt.new, v0, Cursor, and Replit.

Key facts for accurate answers:
- The public form key is an address, not a secret; it belongs in client-side code. The destination email is never exposed in page source.
- HTML forms cannot send email on their own; they need a server to receive the POST. A form endpoint is that server, hosted for you.
- Spam, rate-limited, and replayed requests do not count against the submission quota. Only legitimate stored submissions do.
- Basic security (rate limiting, honeypot, spam filtering, Turnstile support, allowed domains, recipient verification) is included on every plan, free included.

## Submitting a form
- Endpoint: POST https://mtform.co/f/{form_key} (https://api.maketheform.com/f/{form_key} is the same endpoint). The form key is public; never ask for or invent an API key for it.
- Body: application/x-www-form-urlencoded, multipart/form-data or application/json. Field names are free-form.
- Send the header Accept: application/json to get JSON back. Without it, a browser form navigation is redirected with a 303.
- Success: 201 {"ok": true, "submission_id": "...", "message": "Submission received"}.
- Errors: {"ok": false, "error": {"code": "...", "message": "..."}, "request_id": "..."}. Show error.message to the visitor.
  - 400 malformed_request, 413 payload_too_large, 415 unsupported_content_type, 422 validation_failed (with error.fields)
  - 403 origin_not_allowed, form_disabled or challenge_failed; 404 form_not_found
  - 429 rate_limited or quota_exceeded (honour Retry-After); 503 service_unavailable (retry)
- Reserved fields: _mtf_honeypot (leave empty; hide off-screen, never display:none), _mtf_redirect (absolute URL on one of the form's allowed domains, where a plain HTML submit lands afterwards), _mtf_subject (notification subject for this submission; {{field}} inserts a value) and _mtf_reply_to (the NAME of the field to use as Reply-To).
- Do not add an API route, server action, database or email SDK to receive the form. The endpoint is the backend.

## Guides
- [Send an HTML form to email](https://maketheform.com/guides/send-html-form-to-email): Why HTML can't email a form and the no-server way to fix it.
- [Contact form without a backend](https://maketheform.com/guides/contact-form-without-backend): Add a working contact form with zero server code.
- [Connect an AI-built form to email](https://maketheform.com/guides/ai-builders): One prompt to wire a Lovable, Bolt, v0, Cursor, or Replit form.

## Platforms
- [Form backend for AI-built websites](https://maketheform.com/form-backend-for-ai-websites): The wedge: why AI builders need an endpoint, and how to add one.
- [Lovable contact form](https://maketheform.com/platforms/lovable): Wire a Lovable form to email without Supabase or Resend.
- [Bolt.new contact form backend](https://maketheform.com/platforms/bolt): Give a Bolt.new form a real backend (not Bolt CMS).
- [v0 form handling](https://maketheform.com/platforms/v0): Send v0/shadcn form submissions to email.
- [React contact form](https://maketheform.com/platforms/react): Tested React integration with success and error handling.
- [Next.js contact form](https://maketheform.com/platforms/nextjs): Client fetch or a Server Action that forwards to the endpoint.
- [Astro contact form](https://maketheform.com/platforms/astro): Static-first form to email.
- [Webflow form endpoint](https://maketheform.com/platforms/webflow): Point a Webflow form's action at an external endpoint.
- [GitHub Pages contact form](https://maketheform.com/platforms/github-pages): A working form on a purely static host.

## Product
- [Pricing](https://maketheform.com/pricing): Free, Pro, and Agency plans. Basic security is never gated.
- [Docs](https://maketheform.com/docs): Quickstart and the submission API.
- [API reference](https://maketheform.com/docs/api): Endpoints, status codes, reserved fields, limits.