# Contact forms vs inquiry services

> Should photographers use a contact form or an inquiry service in CoreHue? How they differ, what each creates, and when to use one, the other or both.

Source: https://help.corehue.co/docs/contact-forms/contact-forms-vs-inquiry-services/

Both let new people get in touch without booking anything. The difference is where they start: an inquiry service asks about one specific service on your booking page, while a contact form is a general "get in touch" link you can put anywhere. Plenty of photographers use both.

## At a glance

| | Contact form | Inquiry service |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Where it lives** | Its own link, for your bio, website or email signature | On your booking page, as one of your services |
| **Tied to a service** | No | Yes, the client picks it from your services |
| **What you can ask** | Your own questions, up to 100 fields, with display logic | Name and email, plus optional phone number, notes, referral source, location and a questionnaire |
| **File uploads** | No | Yes, through an attached questionnaire |
| **What it creates** | A contact and a conversation in Messages | A contact and an inquiry under **Bookings → Inquiries** |
| **Tracking** | The conversation, like any other message | **Open**, **Booked** or **Closed**, plus **Needs reply** and **Awaiting reply** |
| **What your client gets** | Your confirmation message on screen | A receipt page and an acknowledgement email |
| **Next step** | Start a booking, proposal or invoice from their contact page | **Create booking**, **Create proposal** and more, right on the inquiry |
| **Plan limits** | Unlimited forms on every plan | Counts toward your published services (1 on Free, 5 on Plus, unlimited on Pro) |

Whichever you use, replying by message needs Plus or Pro. On Free you can still read everything that comes in.

## Choose a contact form when…

- **People don't know what they want yet.** "We're getting married next year, what do you offer?" doesn't fit neatly into one service.
- **You want one link everywhere.** It's the natural thing for an Instagram bio, a website contact page or a QR code at a wedding fair.
- **You want different questions for different audiences.** Make a wedding form and a commercial form, each with its own questions.
- **You're on Free and your one published service is taken.** Contact forms don't count toward your published service limit.

See [Creating a contact form](/docs/contact-forms/creating-a-contact-form).

## Choose an inquiry service when…

- **The inquiry is about a specific offer**, like wedding coverage or a brand shoot, and you want it listed beside your other services.
- **You want to track every inquiry to a result.** The inquiries list shows who needs a reply, and closing asks for a reason, so you learn where your leads go.
- **You'll quote and book from the conversation.** **Create booking** and **Create proposal** sit right on the inquiry, and it moves to **Booked** once a booking exists.
- **You need files or detailed answers up front**, through a questionnaire attached to the service.

See [Setting up an inquiry service](/docs/online-booking/inquiry-services) and [Managing inquiries](/docs/managing-bookings/managing-inquiries).

## Using both

A common setup: your booking page lists an inquiry service for each main offer (weddings, portraits, brand work), and a single contact form in your Instagram bio catches everyone else. Whichever route someone takes, they land in CoreHue as a contact, and you work from there.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does a contact form submission show up in Inquiries?

No. Contact form submissions arrive as conversations in Messages and as new contacts. Only inquiry services create inquiries.

### Can I turn a contact form submission into a booking?

Yes. Open their contact page and choose **Create booking** or **Create proposal** from **More actions**. Their details are filled in for you.

### Can I put both on my website?

Yes. Link your site's "Contact" button to your contact form, and a "Book" or "Services" button to your booking page, so visitors can pick whichever suits them. See [Sharing your booking page](/docs/online-booking/sharing-your-booking-page).

### Does a contact form use up one of my published services?

No. Contact forms are separate from services and you can publish as many as you like on any plan.