Automating Workflows with Smart Forms Across 5 Continents
How Church Media Squad uses Fillout by Zite to power automated project intake and client onboarding for churches worldwide.
Background: Graphic design services for churches worldwide
Church Media Squad provides graphic design services for churches nationwide and beyond — operating across 5 continents, 9 countries, and 20 US states. At the heart of their operations is a project request system that connects clients to designers and manages the full lifecycle of creative work.
As the organization scaled, their form-based intake system became a bottleneck. The tools they relied on couldn't keep pace with their need for dynamic, database-connected forms.
The Challenge
Over the years, Church Media Squad tried multiple form builders — Paperform, Tally, Typeform, and four or five others. Each had the same fundamental limitation:
- One-way data flow — forms could push data to tools like Airtable, but couldn't read live data back. Any data they needed had to be fed through URL parameters, requiring manual updates whenever information changed
- Siloed from existing systems — forms acted as triggers without the ability to extend the system's capabilities
- Messy data output — data fed into automation tools like Make.com was untidy, creating downstream cleanup work
“We found that our previous forms were quite siloed from the rest of our systems. They could push data, but didn’t effectively extend our system’s capabilities.”
Deciding on Fillout by Zite
Josh initially discovered Fillout through a post on Twitter, though the team didn't start using it regularly until about six months later. The standout capability was clear immediately:
Fillout by Zite could read and write to Airtable — not just push data in one direction. This meant forms could pull in live account information using just a single ID, transforming their request form system into a fully automated process.
- Two-way Airtable sync — forms read live data and write structured responses back
- Real-time adaptability — forms change based on user input or organizational needs
- Clean data output — structured responses that integrate cleanly with automation tools
“The standout feature of Fillout has been the ability to pull in information from our database using just a single ID, transforming our request form system into an automated process.”
Implementation: Smooth with exceptional support
The implementation was smooth. Whenever there was something Josh didn't fully understand, the Zite team was there to provide support.
The primary users of Fillout by Zite within the organization are the clients themselves. Church Media Squad caters to media production needs of clients of varying sizes in the church space. In the first six months alone, they received over 20,000 submissions through their forms.
“Their team has become like an extension of our team, enabling us to achieve things with forms I wouldn’t have dreamed of a year ago.”
Automated project request system
The team built a project request form that reads data from Airtable to provide updated plan information, streamlining the submission process for clients. Internally, they use embedded Fillout forms in their dashboard, automating certain inputs and saving time for the team.
The advanced features have allowed Church Media Squad to build systems within Fillout itself, reducing the need for additional tools like Make or Zapier.
Stripe integration for subscriptions
Church Media Squad uses the integration between Fillout by Zite and Stripe for processing subscription purchases. The integration improved the user experience for clients and has been cost-effective due to lower transaction rates compared to other providers.
The setup was straightforward — just a login and adding a page to the form. This enabled a streamlined onboarding process, providing a quicker transition for users from signing up to using the product.
Results
Since implementing Fillout by Zite, Church Media Squad has seen:
- 20,000+ submissions in the first six months
- 2\u20133 hours saved per week through automated user management in ClickUp
- Reduced tool sprawl — advanced form features replaced the need for separate automation tools
- Improved data accuracy — elimination of duplicate data entry and cleaner data output
- Enhanced client satisfaction — clients feel like forms were tailor-made for them
“I would highly recommend Zite to other organizations facing similar challenges. The product, coupled with exceptional support, provides a level of customization and logic in form-building that is unparalleled.”