There seem to be two form types: One that you can access from the data layer and one in the Interfaces view. I do not seem to be able to trigger an automation based on the form that I created in the Interface- Am I missing something or do I need to re-make the form as a form?
Context: I need to trigger an automation when the form is filled out. Using the “added a new record” trigger doesn’t work.
Thanks!
Welcome to the community, @LaurenCTCL !
It is best to use the interface forms because those are Airtable’s newest forms, and those are the only ones that Airtable will be enhancing in the future. You can get to those by clicking on the “Forms” tab at the top of your screen.
To trigger an automation after somebody submits a form, you can use either one of these triggers: “When a form is submitted” or “When record created”.
However, the interface form that you are showing in your screenshot is actually a 3rd type of form. I’m not sure if there’s a name for those types of forms, but those are forms that are embedded within an interface. Those are not actual standalone forms, so those can only work with the “When record created” trigger. Those forms won’t work with the “When a form is submitted” trigger.
Also, I should mention that if you need highly-advanced forms for Airtable that go way beyond the capabilities of what Airtable natively offers, you would want to check out Fillout’s advanced forms for Airtable. Fillout is 100% free and it offers hundreds of features that Airtable doesn’t offer, including the ability to update Airtable records with a form.
Hope this helps! If you’d like to hire the best Airtable consultant to help you with anything Airtable-related, please feel free to contact me through my website: Airtable consultant — ScottWorld
I just add that there are some bugs with the New forms (Accessible from Forms tab on top).
As I mentioned earlier, the fully customizable layout can’t be published, only used when logged on. The pre-made layout templates can be also published.
Another issue is with the retention of memory in the forms as I mentioned in the other post here.
The reason I am just adding the comment her is because I wasted another 3 hours today with (turns out) just the same issue. Weird. I didn’t realize.
Still didn’t move to FIllout because lot’s or work to change tables. I’ll use Fill out for new forms.
If the pre-filled form gets manually edited afterwards and not saved, next time it is opened, it will no longer pre pre-filled.
If the form includes linked fields that are pre-filled and if I manually clear that linked field and close the form (without submitting it), it causes the linked field to remain empty on the next attempted submission of the form no matter what. The issue was described but I just didn’t realize it is the same issue with cashing.
That means if I open now the form again, expecting the linked field gets pre-filled, it will not!! It will remain empty, because the form remembers the last state of that linked field.
I couldn’t figure out. Spent ours with this, tried so many things.
I’ll message Airtable about this hope this gets fixed. They should allow me to decide if I want to cash that data or not. It’s even privacy hazard, not only potentially wrong data gets submitted with the form, the data entered into the form should in some cases never be cached if the form is used to collect some confidential information. THIS IS A.MAJOR problem with the New forms.
Thanks! To confirm, since this is what I think I ended up doing yesterday, to use Airtable’s “when a form is submitted” automation, you must create a new form via interfaces (or the data layer).
Then, to let users add a record in an interface, instead of using the default option in the “User actions” set of the interface to allow users to “add records to a form,” which automatically adds the form to the record, you must create a button, and have the action be opening the form you created in step 1?
(I understand there are other softwares we can use for this, but trying to figure out what is doable natively.)
This is also a bit confusing when working with linked records. For example, I have a record review interface that displays linked records. There’s a default, built in, option to let people add records through a form, which is then re-usable across interfaces.
I’m not even sure how you would add a form to the UI for linked records, since it’s a built-in button.
Many bugs in the interface forms. Just realized, Airtable old form allowed me to incorporate in the URL both the prefill_ parameter and the hide_ parameter.
While both work in the interface forms, the hide_ parameter breaks the new interface form.
If I hide just 1-2 fields it’s fine, but the more fields I hide using hide_ parameter, the slower the form gets until it starts freezing, to the point if I am hiding 30-40 fields with this, the form would just choke, typing is delayed etc.
The prefill_ parameter has no issues, I can prefill all 45 fields and form works fine.
I tested the issue with the hide_ parameter on different machines under different OS, so it’s not browser or memory related. The old Airtable forms had no issues and didn’t choke (the old forms were slower to load, but didn’t freeze).
Looks like another reason to move to Fillout. Waste of time with Airtable forms.
UPDATE:
Final nail in the coffin for Airtable Interface forms. A hidden field still doesn’t get updated. This was the issue with old forms too but there I was able to use the hide_ parameter in the URL. Since I can’t use the parameter in the interface forms, I tried hide the fields using configuration settings in the form. But the field can’t be pre-filled if it is hidden using the configuration settings. So some information I want to be attached there, like a record ID from Airtable to be included in the form when it is saved … Forget it. Doesn’t work. The hidden field doesn’t get prefilled, stays empty instead.
The worst of the bugs and limitations.
Anybody who is starting out with forms, unless you need something super simple, do not waste your time with Airtable forms.
Or use the old classic Airtable forms, if you need prefilling and hiding fields.
How much time wasted with this, whole weekend. Should have jumped on Fillout long time ago.
LaurenCTCL - I understand your reticence to learn yet another platform, but if it is forms you want, then ScottWorld is absolutely right. Fillout is the way to go. It brilliantly integrates with Airtable and makes GREAT forms. I just learned how to create a form that allows me to use a form with a table and then create a subform from a related table together together additional data outside the main table. I am using it to collect member info for the demographics table and also get their mailing address info for the address table. In one form. Easy Peasy. Send it out as an email and Bob’s your uncle. Good luck. Scott (not ScottWorld)
Ha, thank you! It’s not quite the learning another platform but the complexity over here of getting it approved as well as onboarding others. I haven’t ruled it out, it’s just not a solution I can use right now.
The biggest hurdle I find it understanding 2 things about fillout,
Again, these two things are a bit confusing at the beginning for new users. But othe than this… Fillout has been like butter.
And they respond to questions within hours. In the chat. Real people. What else to want .. Fillout has been a joy to use with Airtable.
