Next.js form backend without serverless functions
Formspring is a secure submission workflow layer for nextjs. POST any HTML form to a single URL and get spam-filtered submissions in your inbox, dashboard, integrations, and signed webhooks. No serverless functions, no API keys in front-end code.
You don't need a Next.js API route or Server Action just to receive a contact form. Formspring is a hosted form backend that works with any Next.js setup - App Router, Pages Router, static export, server-rendered. Drop the endpoint URL into your form, ship. The page below shows the patterns for client components, server components, and full server actions if you want to keep submission inside Next.js for type safety while delegating storage to Formspring.
How it works
You sign up at Formspring, create a form, and copy its endpoint URL (https://formspring.io/f/abc123). Drop that URL into your <form action> attribute - that's the entire integration. Submissions go through five spam-protection layers and arrive in your dashboard within seconds. From there, notify the team, send data to Slack, Notion, Airtable, HubSpot, or Sheets, fire signed webhooks, or process via API.
Why this beats custom intake plumbing
A custom contact workflow means parsing form data, validating fields, handling spam, configuring SMTP, storing submissions, routing files, dealing with timeouts, debugging failures, and maintaining all of that. Formspring replaces the routine parts with one endpoint and keeps the technical escape hatches for teams that need them.
Security and privacy
Submissions are encrypted in transit and at rest. Files (if uploaded) sit in private, encrypted object storage and are only accessible via signed URLs from the dashboard. EU hosting by default, in EU data centres. DPA included on every paid plan. Per-form retention rules let you auto-delete after N days for GDPR.
When to build it yourself
Three cases where custom intake is still right: (1) you already run the full workflow inside your application, (2) you need extreme low-latency processing (<10ms p99), or (3) compliance requires absolute zero data egress. For most website intake workflows, Formspring is the simpler answer.
The code.
Questions people ask.
Will this work with my nextjs setup?
Yes. Formspring is host-agnostic and framework-agnostic - it's just an HTTP POST endpoint. Whatever nextjs setup you have, it can submit a form.
Do I need to handle CORS myself?
No. Formspring's CORS is configured per-form. Add your site's origin in the dashboard, save, and the endpoint accepts cross-origin POSTs.
How do I customize the response?
Configure a redirect URL per form (default), return JSON for AJAX submissions (set `Accept: application/json`), or render a thank-you page. All three work without code changes.
What about spam?
Five spam-protection layers run by default: honeypot (free, automatic), hCaptcha (optional, free), custom rules (Pro+), Akismet (built-in), and AI moderation (Pro+). Combined detection is significantly higher than any single layer.
Is it free to start?
Yes. 50 submissions/month, 1 form, no credit card, no time limit. Perfect for personal sites, side projects, and proofs-of-concept.