What is better to use for modeling UI forms in Camunda 7 CE using Camunda Forms or custom UI?

Camunda 7 Topics Discussion & Questions
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Hello Camunda Community ))

I’ve recently started learning process orchestration and BPMN using Camunda 7 Community Edition with Spring Boot.​

I’m currently exploring the best approach for implementing user task forms. I’ve come across discussions suggesting that it’s best practice to use the BPM engine in a headless manner—focusing on process orchestration, system integration, task assignments, and escalations—while handling user interfaces externally. This approach is said to reduce computation within the process engine.​

Additionally, I’ve seen recommendations from Camunda experts advocating for custom UI implementations using frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular, instead of relying on embedded Camunda Forms.​

In my experience, while attempting to add functionalities such as dynamic dropdown lists and file upload/download features using Camunda Forms, I encountered limitations due to the lack of JavaScript support.​ Probably we give me answer for that problems as well ))

Given these considerations, I’m seeking advice on whether it’s more effective to continue with Camunda Forms or to invest in developing a custom UI for user task forms.​

Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.​

Best regards.

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@Artur_Luckyanenko For Camunda 7 CE, choosing between Camunda Forms and a Custom UI depends on your project needs, team skills, and flexibility requirements.

Here’s a detailed breakdown to help you decide:

Option 1: Camunda Forms (Embedded Forms or Generated Forms)

Pros:

  • Quick to get started: Built into the Modeler and Tasklist.
  • No custom front-end needed.
  • Great for simple use cases (basic input forms, dropdowns, etc.).
  • Maintained by Camunda.

Cons:

  • Limited UI flexibility: Hard to customize look & feel beyond the basics.
  • No advanced components: Charts, file uploads, multi-step wizards, etc., are hard or impossible.
  • Tied to Tasklist: If you need to integrate with another app or build your own front end, this won’t help much.

Option 2: Custom UI (e.g., Angular, React, Vue, etc.)

Pros:

  • Full control over UI/UX: You can build anything.
  • Can be integrated with your existing web app.
  • Better for complex logic, dynamic behavior, styling, validations, etc.
  • API-based integration: Use Camunda REST API to drive task interaction.

Cons:

  • Takes longer to develop: You need a front-end dev team.
  • You need to manage task form lifecycle manually (fetch tasks, complete, claim, etc.).
  • More moving parts: You need to host and maintain the front-end separately.

Recommendation

Use Case Recommendation
Simple forms with standard fields Camunda Forms
PoC or quick prototype Camunda Forms
Custom styling or branding needed Custom UI
Complex business logic in UI Custom UI
Already have a frontend app Custom UI
Need to integrate with external systems or custom task handling Custom UI
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Can you clear me about, can i create dynamic dropdowns in Camunda Forms 7 CE, i tried used value input in datasouce section, and the set using variables using ServiceTask but there is no success i see, and thinks is also limitation of the Embedded Forms or Generated Forms as well, i think input souce is using for usually adding new option, and follow json convention ?

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