How form submissions connect to your CRM

A submission can attach to one or more records in your CRM so the information lands where you need it. How that happens depends on whether the form is public or internal.

A single submission can link to more than one record at once. For example, it can attach to both a contact and the project it is about.

Internal forms: lookup fields

On an internal form, add one or more lookup fields (Contact, Opportunity, Project, Vendor, Contractor, or Team member). When a workspace member fills out the form, they search for and pick the record each lookup field should point to.

Every record picked in a lookup field is linked to the submission. If your form has both a Contact lookup and a Project lookup, the submission links to both. You can add several lookup fields, and each one links its own record.

Lookup fields are turned off on public forms, because someone who is not signed in cannot search your CRM.

Public forms: matching by email or phone

On a public form, a submission is matched to an existing contact using the email or phone number the person entered. You choose how strict that matching is under Match strategy:

• Either email or phone matches (recommended). Links to an existing contact when either identifier matches.
• Both email and phone must match. The most conservative option.
• Email only or Phone only. Match on a single identifier.
• Never auto-match. Skip matching entirely.

When no existing contact matches, the submission can create a new one. See Automatically creating contacts and opportunities from submissions.

Requiring a link

The Link submissions to a record setting controls how strict linking is:

• Off. Submissions are stored on their own and not attached to any record.
• Optional. Attach when possible, but never block a submission.
• Required. On an internal form, the member must attach at least one record before they can submit. On a public form, an unmatched submission is handled by record creation instead, so a lead is never turned away.

When nothing matches

A public submission that matches no contact, and is not set up to create one, is still saved and flagged for review. You will find it in the form's submissions list, where you can attach it to the right record by hand. Submissions are never discarded.

The PDF snapshot

If Attach a PDF snapshot is on, every submission produces a PDF copy that is filed into the Documents tab of each record the submission is linked to. A submission linked to a contact and a project appears in both records' Documents.