How to keep time zone of submissions correctly?

More than 20 submissions have been sent (for the course).

The form I have integrated with Google spreadsheets is where I process this data. I saw that the date 'Submission Date' is not in my time zone.

I've now changed my time zone settings for my location. New entries have a valid date, but previous requests still have a bad time zone. Data records do not have information about which time zone is the date.

Can I now know the time zone to which this date belongs?

And what is the value of the 'Submission ID' field, is it somehow associated with date and time? If so how and with what time zone?

I'm not sure what was the time zone set, but if you have an issue with how the data showed in Google Spreadsheet, you can re-integrate with Google Spreadsheet so all data will be shown in new Google Sheet. https://www.jotform.com/help/228-How-to-Integrate-Form-with-Google-Spreadsheet

That should solve the issue with previous entries as well.

Regarding the Submission ID, submission ID is a unique number that represents each submission. It is not related to date and time, just to submission itself.

If you need any further assistance please get back to us.

Thank you!

1. The user clicked submit at 15:35 my time (time zone Poland - Warsaw), but in the row in the Google sheet I got 9:35 that your server has a time of 6 hours earlier. I would like to get time consistent with my time zone. So I set up my JotForm account in my time zone and now when I click on submit at 15:40 it's in the sheet I also have 15:40. This is ok, but earlier records still have a time of 6 hours earlier.

I would like to know which records have bad timing and which are good.

2. What is the algorithm for the 'Submission ID' field value?

1. I checked your form but there are only 4 submissions. I don't have a way to check the time zone of your submissions, but I see that the time is correct now since you changed the time zone (I did a test submission):

So submissions from this point will be correct, but I'm not sure for the previous ones since they are not showing on the submissions page.

You could share the Google Spreadsheet so we can try to do some additional checking.

2. I'm sorry, but we don't have that information, ID is, anyhow, used only for submission uniqueness.

Let us know if you have any further questions.

Thank you!

Rows 2 and 3 belong to the first version of the form, I'm referring to rows 4 and 5 (6 is yours), row 4 arrived before the time zone change in my account settings, row 5 is after.

The problem is in my wife's (where I help) form, where there are already more than 20 lines in two days, and when I change its settings it will be difficult in the future to know the real date and time of sending data from the form.

There would be no problem if one of three solutions were used:

 - 'Submission Date' would always be GMT (UTC + 0), then I could add my time offset;

 - in addition to 'Submission Date', there could also be information about the timezone of this datetime;

 - changing the time zone in my account settings would modify the date in 'Submission Date' in all records: what are already and what will be.

2. Does the developer of your server software know how to build 'Submission ID', maybe it is not a secret, maybe I know it too, I assume that this value also includes the exact datetime of sending data from the form :)

You can try using the Date Picker field and set it as current/custom or let the user choose.

After that, you can hide the default submission date and show the Date Picker field on the Submission page. 

Here's the clone/demo form that you can check: https://form.jotform.com/73295214128960

You can also clone it by following this guide.

2. Does the developer of your server software know how to build 'Submission ID', maybe it is not a secret, maybe I know it too, I assume that this value also includes the exact datetime of sending data from the form

I believe the submission IDs are generated randomly. You can try using the Unique ID widget if you need an ID like on your submissions. Here's a guide: https://www.jotform.com/help/79-How-to-Add-Custom-Unique-IDs-to-your-Form-Submissions

1.1. It's a misunderstanding. Date submission should be the date of the submission and not the date the user fills!

1.2 I will have to remember when I have a changed time zone in my account settings and thus I will interpret 'Submission Date' in two ways.

2. These 'Submission ID' numbers are increasing, not by 1, but increasing. If they are random, it is only in part.

Ok, let's leave the subject of this ID, you will not know until the end.

1.1. It's a misunderstanding. Date submission should be the date of the submission and not the date the user fills!

You can set the Date Picker field to Current and enable the Read-only option in the Properties page.

1.2 I will have to remember when I have a changed time zone in my account settings and thus I will interpret 'Submission Date' in two ways.

If you do not want to use the Date Picker field, the best way to do this is via Account Settings and change the Time Zone.

2. No answer?

The submission IDs are generated randomly. You can try using the Unique ID widget if you need an ID like on your submissions. Here's a guide: https://www.jotform.com/help/79-How-to-Add-Custom-Unique-IDs-to-your-Form-Submissions

I hope this helps. Contact us again if you have questions.

1. Datetime picker has a resolution of 1 minute, I would prefer a resolution of 1 second ('Submission Date' yes) and even 1 millisecond, because the next person filling in the form is giving the next number and I would always know the order even if it happens that two people will send Data in the same second (this is possible).

The time that is in the 'Submission Date' is exactly 1 second, but the float (internal representation of that date), which can be seen in LibreOffice Calc (formatting a cell with a date as a number), provides a resolution of 1 millisecond or even better ( because to pass the milliseconds is enough 8 digits after the decimal, and here we have 10).

2. Random value does not guarantee uniqueness, it could happen (it's a haphazard) that this number will happen again, so 'Submission ID' may be a random part, but surely in the decisive part is generated according to some algorithm - I am currently investigating in the sheet dependency of the above dates and id.

1. Unfortunately, we do not have an option for 1 second or millisecond. However, I can forward this to our developers for a feature request if you want.

2. For the submission ID, each submission is unique. For example, if multiple users submit the form at the same exact date/time/seconds, it will not be the same ID. You're also correct that the submission IDs are increasing. As far as I know, it is also related to the total submission made here in JotForm. (I hope this help on your investigation)

If you need more clarification or have questions, feel free to contact us again. Thank you.