How can I set up my form so my respondents can download a file once they fill out the form?

  • lrogers_ariaconsulting
    Asked on May 8, 2019 at 12:14 PM

    Posted this on the forum, but seems I may need more direct and intensive help.

    I have a SquareSpace website.  On the site is a 'resources' page where I want to present visitors with the ability to view (that's handled already) but also download the files with a "download" button in the jotform that allows them to actually download the file once they have filled out the form that will send the data (name, email) over to Zoho CRM for lead generation.

    The files are currently stored on SquareSpace, though that isn't 'required' as I can also store the files in any of:

    - OneDrive (consumer or OneDrive for Business)

    - Azure blob storage

    - Zoho.com documents

    - Dropbox (though I prefer OneDrive or Azure as I'm a MS partner)

    My site dev is telling me that, based upon the response I got on the forum, I would have to create a separate jotform for EVERY file.  That is obviously not sustainable.  So, I'm asking to see if there is another way.  Maybe using MS Flow from O365 (since I get that as part of my MS partner benefits) or something else.  Bottom line is that I help.

    Thanks.

  • Support_Management Jotform Support
    Replied on May 8, 2019 at 2:17 PM

    Are the files hosted in your Squarespace website unique and different for each respondent (meaning, different files will be served depending on how the form was filled out)? If that's the case, there's no need to create multiple forms for each file.

    Since your goal is to only allow them to download after filling out the form, you can place the download link to these files either in your form's AUTORESPONDER or THANK YOU PAGE. The idea is to conditionally send a different autoresponder or show a different the thank you message based on their answers.

    Related guides:

    How-to-Send-Email-Based-on-Selection

    How-to-Change-Thank-You-Message-Using-Conditional-Logic

    Otherwise, if the files are the same regardless, then you can place the download link on either of the two. Please refer to sections B and C in the article below.

    Complete guide: How-to-Add-a-Downloadable-File-to-Your-Form

  • lrogers_ariaconsulting
    Replied on May 8, 2019 at 5:47 PM

    Hi Jim,

    Thanks for the reply! There will ultimately be many files and any visitor could choose any file.  From the links you provided the one How-to-Change-Thank-You-Message-Using-Conditional-Logic seems like it MIGHT help but each file obviously has a different URI.  Whether I store them in SQS or in Zoho or in Azure doesn't really matter.  It seems like that is where the problem is: how to be able to synchronously serve the content back to the visitor through the browser so they can choose to download it.  Or view with the appropriate application like Office of PDF reader, etc.

  • Kevin Support Team Lead
    Replied on May 8, 2019 at 7:36 PM

    To implement the guide you referenced to (changing the thank you page URL based on condition), you would need to ask the user which file they would like to download (add a field like a check box, drop down or radio button with the files name so the user can select the one to download). 

    Now, if your purpose is to only provide the users the library of files so they can download the desired file, I think you may add the links to the thank you page, this would not require conditional logic. 

    If you decide to set up on this way, you may refer to the first method on this guide: https://www.jotform.com/help/211-Setting-up-the-Thank-You-Page 

    I hope this helps. 

  • lrogers_ariaconsulting
    Replied on May 8, 2019 at 7:49 PM

    Unfortunately, people being what they are, there is a VERY low chance that people will do that extra step.  Which means I lose them at that crucial point.  I can specify a "source link" for each file on the page whether that is within SQS itself or just an HTML link to the file stored outside SQS.  Is there a way to set a variable on the form to pick up the URI of the file they clicked on and pass that to the 2nd/thank you page in such a way that the correct file would be invoked from the URI and be able to be downloaded synchronously?

  • Kevin Support Team Lead
    Replied on May 8, 2019 at 9:32 PM

    Yes, you can indeed pre-populate a hidden field where you can fill in which file the user would download, then conditionally redirect the user to that file's URL. 

    You may still implement the logic explained above, the difference would be that instead of the user selecting the option you will pre-populate it. 

    This guide will help you pre-populating the field through the form URL: https://www.jotform.com/help/71-Prepopulating-Fields-to-Your-JotForm-via-URL-Parameters 

    I hope this helps. 

  • lrogers_ariaconsulting
    Replied on May 8, 2019 at 10:33 PM

    Hi Kevin,

    Thanks very much for your reply.  Perhaps I'm missing something, but i don't see where that would help.  At least from the perspective of the article being just to prepopulate text fields or check boxes or similar.  That approach would, I think, still require me to have a separate jotform for each downloadable file.  Which will eventually number in the hundreds.  And that article didn't address anything about an http value.

    What I'm asking is if there is a way for a single jotform to dynamically pickup the http link associated with what file the visitor clicked on and pass that to the submit (or download or whatever I call it) button in the form so that when the visitor has successfully filled in the fields, the button has the correct http value to go call the right file from whatever the storage repository is and synchronously serve the file up.

    It's that dynamic read and dynamic populating of the link (probably an HTTP GET) behind that button in the single popup jotform that I need.

  • Kevin Support Team Lead
    Replied on May 9, 2019 at 12:28 AM

    Thanks for the additional details. 

    I do understand what you're trying to achieve and I think it's indeed possible to do pre-populating a field with the file's URL through the form's URL. 

    Here's the idea: 

    1. You add a hidden field to your form where you will capture the file's link. 

    2. Pre-populate that field with the file URL, example: 

    https://form.jotform.com/82326882234964?typea12=https://www.google.com/

    Where "typea12" is the field's name and "https://www.google.com/" is the file's link for the user to download. 

    You can do this with the guide shared above. 

    3. Then use the hidden pre-populated field as custom thank you page, this guide will help you redirecting the user's to a different page: https://www.jotform.com/help/38-Redirecting-Users-to-a-Different-Page 

    You will use the field's name as custom thank you page, example: 

    1557375967screenshot 01 Screenshot 10

    This guide will help you finding the field's name: https://www.jotform.com/help/146-How-to-Find-Field-IDs-and-Names 

    Now, note that on the page you have the file's links you will need to modify each hyperlink in order to pre-populate the field with the correct URL. 

    You may test the example given above to see how it would work. 

    If this still does not work for you, please let us know if you have access to the page where the file's URLs are stored on or share us the link to the page where we can find the files, this will helps us to understand how you files are stored currently. 


  • Ashwin JotForm Support
    Replied on May 5, 2020 at 5:26 AM

    I did check your form and it seems you are pre-populating form field based on URL parameter. When the form is submitted, the value of hidden field you are printing in thank you page URL. Is that correct?

    Can you please check the the URL you have added in the webpage to populate form field is correct? Here are the URL of your files which you have added in webpage:

    https%3A%2F%2Fariawebfiles.blob.core.windows.net%2Fwebfiles%2FIntranet%20and%20Digital%20Workplace%20ROI%20Metrics.pdf

    https%3A%2F%2Fariawebfiles.blob.core.windows.net%2Fwebfiles%2FAIIM_Webinar%20Video.mp4

    https://ariawebfiles.blob.core.windows.net/webfiles/Naming-Conventions-Guidance.pdf

    https://ariawebfiles.blob.core.windows.net/webfiles/HowWinDigitalAge.docx

    https://ariawebfiles.blob.core.windows.net/webfiles/FluidFramework.pdf

    https://ariawebfiles.blob.core.windows.net/webfiles/RMOffice365SharePointOnline.pptx

    https://ariawebfiles.blob.core.windows.net/webfiles/RequirementsTemplate.xlsx

    https://ariawebfiles.blob.core.windows.net/webfiles/MicrosoftContentServices.pptx

    https://ariawebfiles.blob.core.windows.net/webfiles/CapabailityMap.png

    https://ariawebfiles.blob.core.windows.net/webfiles/5Hazards

    https://ariawebfiles.blob.core.windows.net/webfiles/AIIM2019FebWebinar.pptx

    I did try to access the above URLs and none of them appears to work and shows not found error. Please check the screenshot below:

    How can I set up my form so my respondents can download a file once they fill out the form? Image 10

    I would suggest you to please check the above URLs and see if they are valid and files can be downloaded or not. 

    We will wait for your response.