# CiviForm Docs CiviForm is free, open-source software that helps governments bring benefit and service program applications online, making it easier for residents to find and apply for services, and easier for government staff to build and manage them. Because CiviForm is open source, there are no fees to use the base software. Governments own their deployment and their data, with no dependency on a single vendor. The core CiviForm team at [Exygy](https://www.exygy.com), a certified B Corp, serves as product steward and can provide support with questions, deployment, managed hosting, and custom feature development. If you're new here, start with [What is CiviForm?](https://docs.civiform.us/overview/what-is-civiform). Government staff building and managing forms should head to the [User Manual](https://docs.civiform.us/user-manual/civiform-admin-guide). IT and infrastructure teams should start with the [IT Manual](https://docs.civiform.us/it-manual/sre-playbook). Governments planning to set up programs using CiviForm should start with the [Onboarding Guide](https://docs.civiform.us/user-manual/onboarding-guide). --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.civiform.us/readme.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.