11 Questions to Ask in an Order Form
An order form for a small business needs 8 to 11 questions: who is ordering, what and how many, any details such as flavour or text, the date, pickup or delivery, an address for delivery and how they will pay. Food orders should always ask about allergies.
Get this form readyUpdated
Why the right questions matter
Orders taken by message are where mistakes happen: the text on a cake written one way in the chat and another way in your notes, an allergy mentioned once on Tuesday, a delivery address that never arrived. An order form puts every detail of an order in one response, in writing, in the customer's own words.
A good order form also saves you questions. If the form asks for the date, the size and the delivery method, your first reply can confirm the order and the price. The questions below are written for home bakers, food businesses and small shops that sell without an online store.
The 11 questions, by section
Customer
1Full name
Why ask it: For the order list and the label on the box or bag.
Example wording: What is your full name?
Field type: Short text · Required
2Phone number
Why ask it: To confirm the order, agree on a pickup time or reach the customer on the delivery day.
Example wording: What phone number can we reach you on?
Field type: Phone · Required
The order
3Products
Why ask it: List what you sell, with prices if you like. Checkboxes let customers order several products in one form.
Example wording: What would you like to order?
Field type: Checkboxes · Required
4Quantity or size
Why ask it: Quantity decides the price and the work. For cakes, ask for the number of servings as ranges instead of a size in centimetres.
Example wording: How many servings do you need? / How many of each item?
Field type: Dropdown · Required
5Flavour, colour or variant
Why ask it: The choice customers change their minds about most. Asking it in the form keeps the final choice in writing.
Example wording: Which flavour would you like?
Field type: Dropdown · Optional
6Personal text or design
Why ask it: Text on a cake or a gift is where most order mistakes happen. Ask for it exactly as it should appear.
Example wording: What text should appear, exactly as written?
Field type: Short text · Optional
7Allergies and dietary needs
Why ask it: For any food order this is a safety question. Offer common options and an open field for anything else.
Example wording: Does anyone have allergies or dietary needs?
Field type: Checkboxes · Optional
Delivery and payment
8Date needed
Why ask it: The date tells you if you can take the order and when it must be ready. Add your minimum notice to the form's description.
Example wording: When do you need the order?
Field type: Date · Required
9Pickup or delivery
Why ask it: Decides whether you plan a pickup time or a delivery route, and whether a delivery fee applies.
Example wording: Will you pick up the order or should we deliver it?
Field type: Single choice · Required
10Delivery address
Why ask it: Only needed for delivery. Keep it optional and say so in the question.
Example wording: Delivery address (for delivery only)
Field type: Short text · Optional
11Payment method
Why ask it: The form does not take payments, so ask how the customer will pay and confirm it when you accept the order.
Example wording: How would you like to pay?
Field type: Single choice · Optional
What not to ask
- Card numbers or bank details. Never collect payment details in a form. Ask for the payment method and send payment instructions yourself.
- An email address if you only use the phone. If you confirm orders by message, a second contact field is one more reason to stop filling in the form.
- The order details twice. If the product list already has quantities and options, a long "order notes" field invites customers to rewrite the whole order. Keep notes for exceptions.
The ready form
Most of these questions are already in this template. Open it in the chat and ask the AI to add the rest, or to change anything for your business.
Cake Order FormOpens the ready template in the chat, so you can fit it to your business.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions should an order form have?
Between 8 and 11. Ask for everything needed to make and deliver the order, and nothing you will not use.
Can the order form take payment?
Pinkit forms do not take payments yet. Ask for the preferred payment method, and arrange payment with the customer.
How far in advance should customers order?
That depends on your work. Write your minimum notice, such as one week for custom cakes, in the form's description so customers see it first.
Can I show prices in the order form?
Yes. Put the price next to each product or size, so customers know the total before they send the order.
How do I keep track of orders by date?
Download your responses as a CSV file and sort them by the date needed, or ask the AI to list the orders for a given week.