What you'll build
By the end of this guide, you'll know how to search millions of free Unsplash photos directly inside Formaloo and apply them anywhere an image is supported — form covers, field banners, background images, content blocks, and app covers. No downloading, no uploading, no external tools. Search, click, done.
When to use this
Your form or app looks bare and you want a professional image without sourcing stock photos yourself
You're building a branded experience and need a high-quality visual to match the tone of your content
You want to set a cover or background quickly without leaving Formaloo
You're creating a public-facing app or portal and the default blank canvas doesn't reflect your brand
Part 1 — The Unsplash workflow
The steps to find and apply an Unsplash photo are the same regardless of where you're placing it. Learn this once and it works everywhere.
1. Open any image upload area: Click on the area where you want to add an image — a form cover, a background image slot, a content field, or an app cover. An image upload panel will appear.
2. Switch to the Unsplash tab: In the image panel, click the Unsplash tab. This switches from file upload to the Unsplash photo search.
3. Search for a photo: Type a keyword into the search bar — for example, "office", "nature", "healthcare", or "team". Matching photos from Unsplash appear in a grid.
4. Click the photo you want: Browse the results and click any photo to select it.
5. Click "Use this photo": A preview appears with a Use this photo button. Click it. The photo is applied immediately to your form or app.
Part 2 — Where Unsplash is supported
1. Form cover: The cover image sits at the top of your form — it's the first thing respondents see when they open it. Click the cover area in the form editor to set or replace it.
2. Background image: This fills the entire background of the form page behind your questions and fields. You'll find the background image option in the Design settings of your form.
📖 See How to customize your form app layout and design for more design options.
3. Content field: When you add a content block to your form and use the /image command, it opens the image inserter. Switch to the Unsplash tab there to search and insert a photo inline between your fields.
4. Page cover in project: Every project in Formaloo is made up of pages, and each page has its own cover image. Open your project, navigate to the page you want, and click the cover area at the top to set an Unsplash photo for that page.
What you now have
Any image slot in Formaloo is now connected to Unsplash's library of millions of free, high-quality photos. You can set a polished visual for your form cover, give your app a professional look, or add inline imagery to content fields — all from inside the builder with no external tools. Every image is applied instantly and can be swapped out the same way at any time.
What's next
Customize the full design of your form Once your cover and background images are set, use Formaloo's design panel to match colors, fonts, and layout to your brand. → How to customize your form app layout and design
Create a portal with a branded look If you're building a client-facing portal, setting a cover image is one step — this article covers the full portal setup including user access, pages, and branding. → How to create a portal and manage users' access
Turn your form into a polished branded document Combine Unsplash images in your form with a custom PDF template to generate branded documents from every form submission. → How to create PDF templates to turn responses into documents
Ready-to-use templates
Don't build this from scratch — we've already put it together for you.
Scholarship & grant application with scoring and approval — A fully structured application workflow with multi-reviewer scoring. Add an Unsplash cover image to make it feel polished and on-brand for your organization.
Patient intake & consent workflow for healthcare — Two-page intake and consent form with conditional logic and PDF generation. Set a calm, professional Unsplash background to put patients at ease before they start filling it out.
Job applicant tracking workflow — Track candidates across hiring stages with status updates and reviewer assignments. A cover image makes the applicant-facing form feel intentional and branded.
Don't have a form yet? Create one in seconds with Magic Create — describe what you need and Formaloo builds the form for you.
Learn more how-tos
Build a patient intake workflow with a fully branded experience See how design, images, and conditional logic come together in a real-world healthcare intake form — a good reference for any public-facing form that needs to look professional. → How to build a patient intake and consent workflow for healthcare clinics
Create a scoring and approval workflow for applications If you're building a grant or scholarship application, this article walks through the full workflow — cover images set the tone right from the first page. → Scholarship & grant application with scoring and approval workflow
Turn form responses into branded proposals and contracts Pair your Unsplash-branded form with a custom PDF template to deliver polished output automatically on every submission. → How to turn form responses into proposals and contracts