Power-up your XbyK Forms with a React Front-end Build

When it comes to creating complex forms in Xperience by Kentico (XbyK), the built-in form builder easily covers simple use cases. However, business needs often go beyond basic field collection.

When you need real-time calculations, dynamic content loading, conditional logic, or a more user-friendly form layout then you need to consider a custom option. One of the best solutions is to combine React's front-end capabilities with XbyK's powerful content management system and API.

The Challenge with Traditional Form Approaches

Standard XbyK forms work well for straightforward data collection, but they can become limiting when you need:

• Complex user interactions like multi-step forms or real-time calculations

• Dynamic content or form fields that change based on user selections

• Advanced UI customization beyond the form builder's capabilities

• Conditional logic that shows/hides fields based on complex business rules

The React-Powered Solution

By building a React front-end that communicates with XbyK through custom API controllers, you unlock a world of possibilities while maintaining all the benefits of Kentico's content management system.

Architecture Overview

This architecture creates a clean separation between presentation and data management:

Project Structure:
├── Front-end Layer (React)
│   ├── Interactive form components
│   ├── Dynamic content to display or use in the form
│   └── Real-time validation & calculations
│
├── API Layer (XbyK Controllers)
│   ├── Form submission endpoints
│   └── Dynamic content retrieval & delivery
│
├── Content Management (XbyK Admin)
│   ├── Form field definitions
│   ├── Dynamic content (Content Hub) 
│   └── Consent agreements
│
└── Processing Layer
    ├── Business logic handlers
    └── Event-driven workflows
    └── Email notifications

Key Benefits for Business Users

1. Content Manager Autonomy 

Content managers can update form instructions, help text, and legal agreements directly in the XbyK admin interface—no developer required. With the ability to add rich text content into forms we can greatly improve the user experience by providing more information and even references to different content in the channel.

2. Enhanced User Experience

Users get immediate feedback with real-time calculations, dynamic field visibility, and professional styling that matches your brand perfectly.

3. Event-driven workflows for automated follow-up 

Within the processing layer we can automate complex business logic that should be processed after the form is submitted, including email notifications, third-party API integrations or additional form data processing.

4. Compliance & Consent Tracking

Leverage XbyK's built-in consent management to track which specific agreement versions users accepted.

Technical Implementation Highlights

Dynamic Content Loading

Content blocks in XbyK can be loaded dynamically into your React form:

// Load dynamic help text from XbyK content blocks
const [helpText, setHelpText] = useState('');

useEffect(() => {
    fetch('/api/content/content-block/membership-info')
        .then(response => response.json())
        .then(data => setHelpText(data.content));
}, []);

Real-time Calculations

React handles complex business logic instantly:

// Calculate totals as users make selections
const calculateTotal = () => {
    const baseAmount = parseFloat(selectedMembership?.cost) || 0;
    const additionalFees = optionalServices.reduce((sum, service) => 
        sum + (service.selected ? service.cost : 0), 0);
    return baseAmount + additionalFees;
};

API Integration

Clean REST endpoints bridge React and XbyK:

[HttpPost("submit-application")]
public IActionResult SubmitForm([FromBody] FormData model)
{
    // Map React data to XbyK BizForm
    BizFormItem formItem = BizFormItem.New("CustomApplication");
    formItem.SetValue("UserName", model.Name);
    formItem.SetValue("CalculatedTotal", model.Total);
    
    formItem.Insert();
    return Ok(new { success = true });
}

Business Value Delivered

Time Savings

• Form content updates: 90% faster (no development cycles)

• Faster deployment of UX and UI improvements to forms with React (compared to building custom XbyK form components)

Improved User Engagement

• Real-time feedback reduces form abandonment

• Professional design builds trust

• Mobile-responsive design works on all devices

Operational Efficiency

• Integrated data storage maintains compliance

• Event-driven workflows for automated follow-up 

• Improved UX allows users to complete forms faster 

Development Considerations

Performance Optimization

Load dynamic content efficiently using modern JavaScript patterns and optimize API calls for minimal server impact.

Security & Validation

Server-side validation ensures data integrity while XbyK's built-in security features protect against common vulnerabilities.

Maintainability

Clear separation between UI components, API controllers, and business logic makes the solution easy to maintain and extend.

When to Consider This Approach

This solution is ideal when you need:

✅ Complex conditional logic based on user selections
✅ Real-time calculations and dynamic pricing
✅ Frequent content updates by non-technical staff
✅ Advanced UI customization beyond standard form builders
✅ Integration with third-party services or APIs

Getting Started

Phase 1: Planning

• Identify complex form requirements

• Map content that changes frequently

• Define user experience goals

Phase 2: Setup

• Create XbyK content types for dynamic content

• Create XbyK Form for managing data from user input fields 

• Build React components for user interface

Phase 3: Integration

• Develop API controllers for data flow

• Connect React form to XbyK BizForms via API calls 

• Set up content management workflows

Conclusion

By combining React's front-end capabilities with Xperience by Kentico’s content management strength, development teams can deliver interactive, high-performing forms that still empower business users to manage content independently. 

This architecture balances flexibility, maintainability and scalability, giving developers and marketers what they need to deliver high-level digital experiences. 

Ready to transform your XbyK forms? This approach opens up endless possibilities for creating engaging, dynamic user experiences while leveraging Kentico's powerful content management capabilities. Contact us today to explore how this solution can address your specific form requirements.