---
key: publish-an-intake-form
title: Publish an intake form
audience: staff
section: intake
routes: ["/intake/forms", "/intake/forms/:formUid"]
permissions: ["intake.versions.publish"]
features: ["intake.forms"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Publish an intake form's draft so it goes live, create a new draft from the live version when you need changes, and retire a version you no longer want.
keywords: [go live, make form public, new version, edit live form, retire form, form versions, republish]
related: [create-an-intake-form, work-the-intake-inbox, read-intake-analytics]
---

In the sidebar, open **Intake**, then **Forms**. The page address is `/intake/forms/` followed by the form. The workspace keeps a draft you can edit and a live version customers see. Publishing freezes the draft into the next live version; the live version never changes underneath you.

## Before you start

- Saving a draft needs permission to manage intake versions. Publishing needs a separate permission to publish intake versions; without it the **Publish draft** button stays off.
- Check the draft first. Press **Save draft** so the version you publish is the one on screen.

## Steps

1. Open the form from the **Forms** list. The header shows the form name with chips for its status, the draft version and the live version.
2. Press **Publish draft** at the top right. A confirmation opens with **Draft notes** and **Release notes** boxes where you can write what changed for your team.
3. Press **Publish version**. The draft becomes the live version, its chip changes to show the new version number, and the **Live version** card updates.

To change a form that is already live:

1. If the header shows **Create draft** instead of **Publish draft**, there is no editable draft. Press **Create draft** (or **Create editable draft** in the main panel). Nova copies the live version into a new draft.
2. Make your changes in the **Draft Version Editor** and press **Save draft**.
3. Press **Publish draft**, then **Publish version**, as above.

To take a version out of service, find it under **Version History** on the right, press **Retire** on that version, then confirm with **Retire version**. Retiring needs the same permission as publishing.

## What you see

- The four cards under the header show **Form key**, **Versions**, **Live version** and **Updated**.
- **Version History** on the right lists every version with its state and when it was published, so you can see what was live when. A draft there has its own **Publish** button. Above it, **Version Lifecycle** offers **Create new draft** when there is no draft.
- **All forms** in the header returns you to the list.
- Where a form is shown to customers (a hosted page, an embed on your website) is set in **Settings**, under **Website & Forms**, then **Form Publishing**; publishing a version does not change where it appears.

## If something looks different

- **Publish draft** is off: your role can edit drafts but not publish them. Ask your admin.
- The header reads **Create draft** and the main panel says the form has no editable draft: this is normal for a form that was just published. Create a draft to keep editing.
- Customers are still seeing old questions after you published: they may have the old page open. A fresh visit shows the new version.
- Submissions from the form are not arriving: see [[work-the-intake-inbox]] to check filters and moderation.

[[route:/intake/forms|Open Forms]]