Form Mule adding new row after second response

[IT Consultant IT Consultant]

Hi,

I have used Form Mule for a long time but I have a problem that I have not encountered before.

I created a new form, spreadsheet and Google doc. I use Copy Down to copy the formulas. I use Autocrat to generate a .pdf/Google doc with data populated from the form and I then use Form Mule to create an approval process.

The way that I want the flow to work is:

1.  A submitter completes a form that generates a request document (via autocrat)

2.  Form Mule should then send an email of the request to a manager for approval.

3.  If the manager approves the request, then Form Mule should send an email to a VP for approval.

4.  If the VP approves the request then, Form Mule should create an email informing other people of the approval.

Step 1 works and creates a new row (call it row 3)

Step 2 also works and the email contains all information that is on the template.  When the manager responds, the response is also on row 3.  

Step 3 generates the email and sends it to the correct person, but all of the variable data (the tags) are missing.  When I look at the spreadsheet, a new row is created (row 4) when step 3 occurs.  Since it is a new row, none of the data are carried over from the previous row (row 3).

Step 4 also sends an email, but because it is a response to row 4, it also is missing the variable data (the tags). 

I have another form that I created that works the same way as this form, and it has no issues.  I believe that there are 3 levels of response in that form and all responses are captured on the same row.

I don't understand why one form works and the other does not.  I have been comparing the settings in both and the only difference I see is that I use Autocrat to send the first email on the form that is working and I am using Form Mule to send the first email on the form that is not working.

Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.  I am currently recreating the entire form to see if that makes a difference, but I would rather avoid doing that.

Is there some limit to how many responses you can have per line?  Is there a setting that I am unaware of that I need to change. 

Thanks,

Tim

[Joseph Schmidt]

Tim,

I suspect when you share the data for approval, you are using the Edit URL.  That allows the approver to edit to form.  

All is good as long as the approver sees all of the questions in the form.  If the first Question on the form asks if they are an approver and that bypasses the other questions, the data will be blank in the response sheet for the questions that were skipped.  

That was a change that was made by Google in 2019.  You might want to look at Request / approve process.  It allows for as many levels of approval as needed.  It provides a track record of the data.

The Edit URL is very powerful but also contains some dangers.  I'm guessing you found one of them.  Another danger is that if you don't ask the approver for a passcode, anyone can act as the approver.  The requestor can save the URL and after the approval, edit the requests.  

I'm sure I know more now than I did in 2019 so there is room for improvement.  There always is.  

I'm not a fan of more than one person having access to the data when you use the Edit URL.

Joe Schmidt

 GLUA...@gmail.com

New Visions Blog Entry - Joe Schmidt

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[IT Consultant IT Consultant]

Recreating the form, spreadsheet etc. gave me the same result.  It is still creating a new row after the first approval, and all tags are blank as a result.  

Why is it creating a new row, instead of going back to the original row?  Is it the Google form triggering this or Form Mule?  

I included a link to the live URL <<Form Edit URL>>, in the email template and the form is set to allow changes to responses.  I think this means that the approver is basically modifying the existing form response, not creating a new one (i.e. a new row), but it is behaving as if the response is creating an entirely new response.

I can work around the missing tags/data by adding something like " =if(row(C2)>2,C1,"")" in row 2. This will copy the information from the first row that the Google form creates on the spreadsheet, down to the next row it creates. This does allow the email notifications to be populated, but it will require a little more work to differentiate between a second row that is created in response to a form and a new form submission; otherwise all the rows will end up with the same information in them.

[Joseph Schmidt]

Are you using CopyDown?

If you start with a fresh destination response from the Google Form,  you should be OK.

Just make sure you have at least one submission before you insert a row after the title row to hold your formulas.

I prefer Arrayformulas.

. 

Joe Schmidt

 GLUA...@gmail.com

New Visions Blog Entry - Joe Schmidt

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