How to build an AI-powered job application pipeline with candidate screening in Formaloo

By the end of this guide, you'll have a complete job application pipeline built in Formaloo. Candidates submit through a smart form with conditional fields that adapt based on their answers — portfolio links appear only when relevant, and an instant notice fires when a candidate doesn't meet authorization requirements. Your team gets an AI-generated screening summary on every submission, a Kanban board to move candidates through stages, and a formatted PDF application record created automatically. Recruiters each get their own filtered view of assigned candidates, and candidates get a portal to track their own application status in real time.

This is where candidates share their details, work history, skills, and motivation. Use Magic Create to generate the full form from a prompt in seconds — then verify each field matches the approved list below.

1. Open Magic Create: From your Formaloo homepage, click Magic Create. You can describe your form in text, or upload an image or PDF to generate it.

2. Paste the following prompt:

Build a job application form for a hiring pipeline. Include these public fields: role applied for (short text), full name (short text), email (email), work authorization — "Are you authorized to work in this country?" (single choice: Yes / No), authorization notice — a description block shown when authorization is No, years of experience (single choice: Less than 1 year / 1–3 years / 3–5 years / 5+ years), experience notice — a description block shown when experience is less than 1 year, returning applicant — "Have you applied with us before?" (single choice: Yes / No), previous application date — "When did you last apply?" (short text), portfolio/LinkedIn — "Do you have a portfolio or LinkedIn profile?" (single choice: Yes / No), portfolio link (short text), key skills (long text), most relevant experience (long text), motivation — "Why this role?" (long text), preferred work arrangement (single choice: Remote / Hybrid / On-site / Flexible), available start date (date), salary expectation (short text). Also add these admin-only fields: application stage (dropdown: Applied / Screened / Interview / Offer / Rejected), assigned recruiter (assignee), recruiter notes (long text).

3. Click Create: Formaloo generates the full form. Review it against the table below — Magic Create will have generated most of it. Verify each field and field ID matches exactly.

4. Publish the form: Click Publish in the island bar at the top of the editor to make the form live.

Four logic rules control which fields candidates see based on their answers: the portfolio link appears only when relevant, the previous application date only for returning applicants, and two notice blocks appear automatically when a candidate doesn't meet a base requirement. Use Magic Logic to set all four rules at once.

1. Open Advanced logic: In the form editor, click on the settings panel on the right side → navigate to Advanced logic → Logic tab.

2. Open Magic Logic: Click Magic Logic in the top right corner of the Logic panel.

3. Paste the following prompt:

Add these conditional logic rules:

4. Click Generate Rules: The AI previews all four rules. Review each one and approve, redo, or cancel individually.

5. Click Save: Once all four rules are approved, click Save in the top right corner to apply them.

Three email templates power the communications in this pipeline. Each one uses an AI Box prompt in the body — so instead of static text, the AI generates a formatted HTML email based on the candidate's actual answers every time.

1. Open email templates: Click your profile icon in the top right → Apps & integrations → Email templates → Add new template.

2. Create the first template — application received (to candidate):

You are writing a warm, professional confirmation email to a job candidate named @full_name who just applied for the role of @role_applied. Acknowledge their application and let them know the team will review it soon. Include: a friendly opening using their name, confirmation of the role they applied for, a brief note that someone from the team will be in touch, and a clean closing. Design the email in beautiful minimal HTML: white background, max-width 600px, centered layout, Inter font, #111 text, a subtle top accent bar in #4F46E5 (indigo), generous padding, and a muted footer.

3. Create the second template — AI screening summary (to HR admin):

You are writing a structured screening summary email to an HR team that just received a new job application. The candidate is @full_name, applying for @role_applied. Their experience level is @years_experience. Their work authorization status is @work_authorization. Their key skills: @key_skills. Their most relevant experience: @relevant_experience. Their motivation: @motivation. Their preferred work arrangement: @work_arrangement. Their available start date: @start_date. Their salary expectation: @salary_expectation. Write a concise screening summary: a one-paragraph candidate overview, a bulleted fit assessment covering experience, skills, and motivation, a clear recommendation (Strong fit / Potential fit / Does not meet requirements), and any flags to investigate. Format in clean minimal HTML: white background, max-width 600px, Inter font, #111 text, section headers in 10px uppercase #999, subtle horizontal rules between sections, a muted footer.

4. Create the third template — status update (to candidate):

You are writing a professional status update email to a job candidate named @full_name who applied for @role_applied. Their application stage has just been updated to: @application_stage. Write a clear, warm, appropriately-toned email that reflects the new stage: if Screened or Interview, convey enthusiasm and next steps; if Offer, convey excitement and ask them to watch for follow-up details; if Rejected, convey gratitude for their time and encourage future applications. Do not fabricate specific dates or contact names. Format in clean minimal HTML: white background, max-width 600px, Inter font, #111 text, top accent bar in #4F46E5, generous padding, muted footer.

With the templates ready, connect them to your form logic. Two emails fire on submission, and one fires every time a recruiter updates a candidate's stage.

1. Open Advanced logic: In the form editor, go to Advanced logic in the right settings panel → On Submit tab.

2. Add rule — confirmation to candidate: Click Add Rule → Action: Send email → Template: Application received — candidate confirmation → Recipient: the email field on the form. This fires the moment a candidate submits.

3. Add rule — AI screening summary to admin: Click Add Rule → Action: Send email → Template: New application — AI screening summary → Recipient: your team's HR email address.

4. Click Save: Click Save in the top right corner to apply the On Submit rules.

5. Switch to the On Update tab: Click the On Update tab in Advanced logic.

6. Add rule — status update to candidate: Click Add Rule → Condition: application_stage is changed to any value → Action: Send email → Template: Application status update — candidate → Recipient: the email field. This fires every time a recruiter moves the candidate to a new stage.

7. Click Save: Click Save to apply the On Update rule.

https://app.arcade.software/share/iXM0ZBXviGLrKvoXsumu

Every submitted application automatically generates a formatted PDF record — useful for sharing with hiring managers and keeping a structured archive. Build the template from HTML, then wire it to your form.

1. Open PDF templates: Click your profile icon → Apps & integrations → PDF templates → Add new template.

2. Switch to HTML view: In the template editor, switch to HTML mode.

3. Paste your HTML: Use the job-application-pipeline-pdf.html file from Stage 4 of this build. It includes all @field_id variables and a clean two-column layout with sections for applicant overview, additional details, application responses, and recruiter notes.

4. Name and save: Give the template a name (e.g., Job application record) and click Save.

5. Add the Generate PDF rule: In Advanced logic → On Submit → click Add Rule → Action: Generate PDF → select Job application record. The PDF appears on each response row automatically on every new submission.

Candidates get their own portal where they can submit applications and track their own status in real time — without being able to see anyone else's records.

1. Open project settings: In your project, click the gear icon in the top right corner.

2. Activate the portal: Click Activate client portal → Manage users → Setup wizard.

3. Connect a user directory: In Step 1 of the wizard, create a new user directory for candidates. This stores everyone who signs up to the portal.

4. Configure portal settings: In Step 2, enable sign-up so candidates can register with their email. Enable login-code (passwordless) login for a frictionless application experience.

5. Link the user directory to your form: In Step 3, connect the user directory to the application form so logged-in candidates see only their own submissions in data blocks.

6. Add the Submit your application page: Add your application form to the portal as a page. This is where candidates apply.

7. Add the My applications page: Add a table data block showing submissions. In Edit Mode → Options → Manage Access, select the profile field and toggle Allow users to view only their data. Candidates now see only their own records.

Recruiters get a dedicated portal view with the full pipeline Kanban, their own assigned candidate queue, and filtered rejection buckets — all pulling from the same form data.

1. Add the Full pipeline page: Add a Kanban data block to the project. Group it by application_stage. Recruiters drag cards between columns to move candidates through Applied → Screened → Interview → Offer → Rejected, which triggers the status-update email to the candidate automatically.

2. Add the My assigned candidates page: Add another Kanban data block. In Edit Mode → Options → Manage Access, select the assigned_recruiter field and toggle Allow assignees to view only their data. Each recruiter sees only the candidates assigned to them.

3. Add the Rejected — location or authorization page: Add a table data block filtered to application_stage = Rejected and work_authorization = No. Keeps these records accessible if authorization requirements change later.

4. Add the Rejected — insufficient experience page: Add a table data block filtered to application_stage = Rejected and years_experience = Less than 1 year. Use over time to benchmark rejected profiles against your job description.

5. Add the All candidates page: Add a table data block showing all submissions across all stages. Sort by start_date or salary_expectation to surface fast-to-hire, budget-fit candidates.

6. Set page access: For each admin page, switch to Edit Mode → click the three-dot menu next to the page name → Access → set to Logged-in users or a specific recruiter role so candidates can't reach these pages.

Your application pipeline is fully operational. Candidates submit through a smart form that adapts in real time — no portfolio field cluttering the page for candidates who don't have one, no date field appearing for first-time applicants. Every submission triggers two emails: a warm confirmation to the candidate and an AI-generated screening summary to your team. When a recruiter moves a candidate to a new stage on the Kanban board, a personalized status email goes out automatically. Each application also generates a formatted PDF record — ready to share with a hiring manager without any manual formatting. Candidates track their own progress through their portal; recruiters work their own filtered queue through theirs.

AI-powered job application pipeline with candidate screening — A complete hiring pipeline with conditional screening logic, AI email templates, a PDF application record, and recruiter and candidate portals. Ready to customize for any role or industry.