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.
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 and 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.
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.