# Form handlers, Web-to-Lead and kiosk mode

*Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist Study Guide · Account Engagement Forms, Form Handlers and Landing Pages · Last updated November 3, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-account-engagement-specialist/forms-form-handlers-and-landing-pages/form-handlers-web-to-lead-and-kiosk-mode*

When to use a form handler instead of a hosted form, how to map external fields and integrate a Salesforce Web-to-Lead form, how kiosk mode, the honeypot and activity throttling behave, what breaks a form handler post, and how to read form handler statistics.

- Certification: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist
- Exam section: Account Engagement Forms, Form Handlers and Landing Pages
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-account-engagement-specialist

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a scenario, identify the capabilities, use cases and interpret metrics of Account Engagement forms.

## What the exam expects

- Choose a form handler or a hosted form from a requirement, knowing what each supports.
- Create a form handler: success and error locations, data forwarding, and case-sensitive external field mapping.
- Integrate a Salesforce Web-to-Lead form with a form handler and avoid the duplicate-record trap.
- Use Kiosk/Data Entry Mode, the honeypot field and the activity throttling setting for the right problem, and troubleshoot failed posts.
- Read the Form Handler Statistics table and single form handler report.

Key terms:
- **Form handler**: an Account Engagement endpoint that receives posts from your own or a third-party form.
- **External Field Name**: the `name` attribute of the external input, mapped to a prospect field.
- **Data forwarding**: passing the same post on to the success location, such as another database.
- **Kiosk/Data Entry Mode**: submissions that don't cookie the visitor.
- **Activity throttling**: suppressing duplicate visitor activities and autoresponders from rapid resubmissions.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Create a form handler | Account Engagement Administrator or Marketing role | [Create a Form Handler](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_create_form_handler.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| External Field Name | The input's `name` attribute; case-sensitive | [Create a Form Handler](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_create_form_handler.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Conditional fields | Not available on form handlers | [Form Handler Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_considerations_for_using_form_handlers.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Accepted encodings | Empty enctype or `application/x-www-form-urlencoded` | [Form Handler Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_considerations_for_using_form_handlers.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Server-side posts | Enable Kiosk/Data Entry Mode on the handler | [Form Handler Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_considerations_for_using_form_handlers.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Kiosk Mode on a hosted form | Per form, Advanced tab of Look and Feel | [Kiosk Mode](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_forms_kiosk_mode.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Honeypot field name | `pardot_extra_field`, hidden off-screen | [Honeypot Field](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_forms_add_honeypot.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Autoresponder throttle | 4 hours on most assets; none on a handler with throttling disabled | [Completion Action Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_completion_actions_considerations.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Web-to-Lead with assigning completion actions | Not recommended: duplicate records | [Web-to-Lead Integration](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_forms_integrate_web_to_lead.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Handler table metrics | Total Submissions, Unique Submissions, Conversions | [Handler Statistics Table](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_form_handler_table_metrics.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |

## Check yourself

- Why does a form posting to a deleted form handler show prospects an error?
- When does a `success_location` POST parameter fall back to the referring page?
- What happens when a cookied prospect submits a form handler with a new email address in an account that allows duplicate emails?
- Which button gives you the URL to paste into an external form's post action?

## Sources

- [Form Handlers](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_form_handlers.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Hosted Forms Versus Form Handlers](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_forms_versus_form_handlers.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Considerations for Using Form Handlers](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_considerations_for_using_form_handlers.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Create a Form Handler](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_create_form_handler.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Integrate a Form Handler with a Form](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_form_handlers_integrate_form_handler.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Integrate Form Handlers with Web-to-Lead Forms](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_forms_integrate_web_to_lead.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [What Is Kiosk / Data Entry Mode?](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_forms_kiosk_mode.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Add a Honeypot Field to External Forms](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_forms_add_honeypot.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Disable Activity Throttling for Form Handler Submissions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_forms_disable_throttling.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Considerations for Completion Actions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_completion_actions_considerations.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Form Handler Statistics Table Metrics](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_form_handler_table_metrics.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Single Form Handler Metrics](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_form_handler_report_individual.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [What Is the Difference Between Form Submissions and Conversions?](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_forms_submission_vs_conversion.htm&type=5&language=en_US)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 11 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams