# Forms and availability (/help-desks/forms-and-availability) Each channel can do more than pass along a message. You can collect the exact details your team needs, attach useful context from the conversation, and control when the channel is available. These options live in the tabs of the channel editor. ## Build the form [#build-the-form] The form is what a visitor fills in when they use the channel. It starts with sensible defaults and you shape it with a builder. 1. Open a channel and go to its form tab. 2. Add a field with **Add field**. 3. Choose the **field type**. Types cover free text, longer text, contact details, a phone number, a dropdown of options, and role or identity fields that can be filled in from a visitor's profile when available. 4. Set the field **name**, an optional **placeholder**, and flags such as whether the field is **required** and whether it should appear in the form. You can also set the message a visitor sees after they submit, so they know their request was received and what happens next. ## Attach conversation data [#attach-conversation-data] For channels such as email and API endpoints, you can attach context from the conversation to the request your team receives. This can include a summary of the chat, the full history, information about the visitor, and metadata about the session. Attaching context saves your team from asking the visitor to repeat themselves. ## Set availability [#set-availability] A channel can be available at all times, or limited to specific hours. 1. Open a channel and go to its availability tab. 2. Choose **always available**, or set **limited hours** for each day of the week. 3. Add special dates when the schedule differs, such as holidays. When a channel is outside its hours, it is not offered, which keeps visitors from reaching a channel no one is watching. Every extra field is friction for the visitor. Ask for the minimum that lets your team act, and rely on attached conversation data for the rest.