Manage form submission data

Misty Flowers

September 30, 2020 16:52

Form submissions are accessed in the Submissions tab of each form and can be sorted, filtered, exported as CSV, deleted, and (for select field types) edited directly. Access requires at least View or Admin Global Level Forms permissions, with optional Folder Level permissions for more granular control.

💡Quick answers

Where are form submission results found? In the Submissions tab of the form; a bar chart icon also appears in the form list when submissions exist for quick access.
What permission level is required to view and manage form submissions? At minimum, View or Admin Global Level permission in the Forms module, granted by the main site admin. Folder Level permissions further restrict access to specific form folders.
Exporting form submission data? Click the Export button on the Submissions tab to download a CSV; the export runs automatically and you'll receive an email when it's ready.
Which form field types can be edited after submission? Name, Email Address, Phone Number, Short Answer, Long Answer, and Date. Field types like File Upload and Checkbox cannot be edited after submission.
Can submission edits be tracked and reviewed later? Yes; when saving an edit you confirm the reason for the change, which is recorded in an Edit Log visible to all admins who access that submission.

After displaying and sharing your forms, it's helpful to know that you and your team have a streamlined and easy way to manage the results you receive via form submissions.

This article will show you how to collect and manage the results that come in from your community via forms.

This article refers to our newest product, Forms, which is available to you in your modules list. You may be a Legacy Forms Manager user which has a different set of help documentation.

Not sure? Please review "Which forms module do I have: New Forms or Legacy Forms Manager?"

Confirm permission level

While it's true that anyone with an email address can be set to receive notifications, in order to assist with the task of collecting and managing form results, a person needs to be an admin user and be granted the following permission levels by the main site admin:

Global Level: In order to view submissions, manage results, and edit form submissions, a person must be an admin user with at least View or Admin Global Level permissions to the Forms module.
Folder Level: more granular permissions can be set to limit an admin user to specific, designated folders by setting Folder Level permissions. Many districts will set View for the Global Level and then grant Folder Level access.

There is an important distinction to understand with regard to viewing, managing, and editing submissions at the Folder Level:
- View, Edit, & Delete (All Forms) provides the following abilities:
  - Receive and click the link in form notification emails to be able to view submissions and open up file attachment links.
  - Edit the form submissions for any forms, even those that an admin user didn't create.
- View, Edit & Delete (Own Forms Only) is a bit more limited than "All Forms" because it limits the admin user to the following abilities:
  - Click on the link in form notification emails to view submissions and open file attachment links, but only on the forms the particular admin user has created.
  - Edit form submissions only for those forms that this user created.

Learn more about the Forms module breakdown of permissions in the article, "Forms permissions."

Find form submissions

After your form is active, results from the form will be available on the Submissions tab of the form. Each field in the form will be shown as a column header in the submissions table.

form submission window.png

When your form has at least one submission, you can also jump directly to the form submission using the bar chart icon.

form reporting tab.png

To limit the number of form submissions allowed, check out our article, "Limit total form submissions."

Important Note

By default, the header will be the field’s Label. To change this, go to the Advanced Settings section of the field’s settings and add text to the Results Label field.

advanced settings results label.png

Sort and analyze form data

There are lots of actions you can choose within the Submissions tab:

Sort the table by a field by clicking on a header.
Filter the results with the funnel icon.
- Choose one or more of the options given in the field from the first dropdown, then select Apply to show only those results.
Click on a row to see the full form results.

Manage form results

Here are some ways you can manage the results you get from recipients:

Delete form submission data

Delete results by clicking on the trashcan icon to the right of the row.

Instead of deleting all submissions one by one when reusing a form, Clone a form to start fresh with no submissions.

Export form submission data

Export submissions as a .CSV file by clicking the Export button.

export form submissions.png

The process will start automatically, and you will be notified by email when it is completed.

Troubleshoot errors with exporting form submission data

If you are experiencing issues or receiving errors while attempting to export your form results, the cause is often related to a device-specific setting or browser cache rather than a system-wide failure.

Please follow these troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue:

Clear your browser’s cache and cookies: Accumulated data can sometimes interfere with the export process. You can quickly open the clearing menu by using the keyboard shortcut Shift + Command + Delete (⇧⌘⌫) on a Mac or Ctrl + Shift + Delete on a PC.
Test in an Incognito/Private window: Open a new incognito window (Command + Shift + N / ⌘⇧N) and attempt the export again. This ensures that no browser extensions or saved data are impacting the site's performance.
Try an alternate browser: If you are using Chrome, try Safari, Firefox, or Edge. This helps determine if the issue is specific to one browser's configuration.
Switch networks: Occasionally, local network security or firewall settings can block file downloads. Try exporting while connected to a different network, such as a cellular hotspot or a public network, to see if the error persists.

If you have completed these steps and are still unable to export your data, please contact Finalsite Support with details on which browsers and networks you have tested.

Access files submitted via the File Upload form field (learn more in the article "Form fields" > File Upload section).

⚠️ Important Note on accessing file attachments

If your form includes a File Upload field, you will see a link to that file in the submission notification email.

However, to protect student and user privacy:

Authentication is required: You cannot download attachments directly from your email client. Clicking the link will prompt you to log in to Finalsite.
Module access: You must view and download file attachments from within the Submissions tab of the Forms module.
Permissions: You must have the appropriate permission level (View or Admin) to access these files. If you can see the submission but cannot click the file link, check your Folder Level permissions.
File overwrite warning: If a user resubmits a form, any new file uploaded to the same field will overwrite the previous file. The system does not keep a history of multiple versions for the same submission; only the most recent file will be available for download.

Click the Get Your File button link in the email to download your file. This link will be valid for 24 hours.

get your file button.png

Pop-up blockers

Manually download your file by selecting Click Here. Pop-up or ad blockers may prevent your file from downloading automatically from the emailed link. You may have to click "Always allow..." to allow the file to be downloaded.

click here.png

pop-ups blocked.png

Edit form submissions and track changes

In addition to viewing and exporting results, admins can now edit existing submissions directly within the Submissions tab. This makes it easier to correct errors, add context, or maintain accurate records without requiring a new form entry. All edits are tracked, so you can see what was changed and why.

Important Note on fields that can be edited

Not all form fields are currently editable. The ability to modify existing submissions is limited to the following field types:

Name (including First and Last Name sub-fields)
Email Address
Phone Number
Short Answer
Long Answer
Date

You will not be able to edit submissions for any other field types (e.g., File Upload, Checkbox, etc).

Step 1: Select an existing form

Select a form that has had submissions sent in that are displaying as a number in the Submissions column.

submissions column.png

Step 2: Open Submissions window

Once you click on a form's Submissions number, the Submissions window will open up.
Now you can click on a row to view that particular form's submissions.

Step 3: Edit a submission

Click on a selected submission row
Click the Edit Submission button in the Submission Details panel that opens

edit submission button.png

A wider panel will open up with each field now turning into an editable field

editable fields.png

Common reasons to edit submissions

District staff may occasionally need to adjust form submissions to keep records accurate and aligned with school processes. Editing ensures that information is complete, consistent, and useful across systems without requiring families to resubmit forms.

Correct or update details: fix typos, formatting issues, or update outdated information like grade level or contact info.
Add missing context: fill in blank fields, clarify “Other” responses, or document notes from phone/email follow‑ups.
Ensure compliance and consistency: standardize responses, redact sensitive content, or align data with SIS/HR records.
Track administrative changes: add comments explaining edits and maintain a history of revisions for accountability.

Step 4: Make edits, track reason(s), then click Save

Once you have made any edits to a selected submission, click Save.
You will then Confirm Submission Changes to track what type of changes were entered. This helps you and your team to be efficient and communicate so that everyone can be on the same page.

confirm submission changes.png

Step 5: View Edit Log

Once you Confirm Submission Changes, you will see an Edit Log box in your Edit Submission panel displaying the reason for the editing of the submission.

edit log window.png

Continue to view the Edit Log

Now, you and your team can collaborate and view any changes made to a form's submissions in the Edit Log.