A form question can write its answer to a custom field on the file made for each response. That makes responses searchable and filterable by a department, a reference number or a person. A field only appears in the form builder after you allow it.
What you need
- A custom field on the share where responses are filed. See Custom Fields for creating one.
- Forms set up, with responses going to a file or folder on that share. See Choosing where form responses go.
Allow a field
- Open Foldr Settings > Shares and choose the share.
- Open the custom field.
- Under Forms, switch on Let forms save an answer to this field.
A field that is not switched on is not offered in the builder. It is checked again on every response, so switching it off later takes effect at once.
What the builder does
On a question, the builder chooses Save answer to field. The list shows only fields whose type matches the question. A Hidden value can be saved this way too.
| Field type | Questions that can fill it |
|---|---|
| Text | Short text, Paragraph, Email, Phone, Web address, Time, Date and time, Choice, Lookup, Hidden value |
| Number | Number, Rating, Slider, Hidden value |
| Date | Date, Date and time, Hidden value |
| Yes/No | Yes / No, Consent, Choice, Hidden value |
| User or group | Person, Lookup |
| Signature | Signature |
| Location | Short text, Paragraph, Hidden value. A typed address, postcode or lat,lon is placed as if you’d typed it into the field. |
File upload and Choose a file in Foldr can’t be saved to a field. There’s no Choice field type: a choice field is a Text field with allowed values set on the share.
The share’s rules still apply
If the field has allowed values or a validation rule on the share, a form answer has to meet them too. An answer outside the allowed values, or one that breaks the rule, isn’t written to the field. The response is still saved. Foldr records the refusal, but it doesn’t show on the response’s trail.
To avoid it, make the question’s options match the field’s allowed values. Or let a Choice question take its options from the field: on the question, switch on Use the field’s allowed values. The options are then the field’s current allowed values on the share, read each time the form opens, so you don’t need to publish again when the list changes. The builder shows them read-only, labelled From and the field’s name. If the field loses its list, or the question stops saving to it, the question’s own options are used.
If something does not work
- The field is not in the builder’s list. It is not switched on, or its type does not match the question.
- An approval warns that no question saves its answer to a field. An approval checks custom fields on the response file, so at least one question must save to a field. See Form approvals and decision fields.
- An answer wasn’t written to the field, but the response is saved. The answer was outside the field’s allowed values, or broke its validation rule.
- A Choice question says “Choose from the list.” The answer isn’t one of the question’s options. Every Choice answer has to be.
- An answer was not saved after you switched the field off. That is expected. The check runs on every response.