How to generate a read only link to view submissions?

Otherwise, the "only" way available so far would be to go through the "edit link" which brings you to the web page layout where you can print what is shown on screen.

It would be nice if there could be a "view link" which would be equivalent to a read only version of the "edit link" mode.  Even better if there was a "print link" which would take the form as viewed during submission but directly triggers the browser to print.

Hello CscProvidence,

If I understand your question correctly, you want to generate a link which will allow user to view a specific submission but will not be allowed to edit the data. Read only version of "Edit Link" feature. Is that correct?

I am creating a feature request ticket and forwarding it to our backend team. We will get back to you as soon as we have any update from them.

Thank you!

Exact.  So they could go back to the exact web format of their submission, all conditions and other page layout aspects taken into consideration, with no edit or submit rights.  The person could then print the form as they submitted it even months later.

As a positive side effect, viewing their submission would use the latest page layout of the form ...

A potential issue is when fields are modified, added or deleted and/or logic gets changed...  There might be situations where things could not behave as planned (?)  But that would be the case with 'edit link' as well, no ?  Although the 'edit' mode would give a chance to update the submission ...

Come to think of it, what would happen with multiple page forms ?  One would need to be able to change pages but NOT (re)submit the form.

The goal is to be able to print a submitted form as seen when it was submitted, with all CSS and other aspects (including conditional logic) even much later.  The person could return to confirmation email (notification/autoresponder), click the link, and print the form even months later.

All this could be avoided if the autoresponder could include the PDF AND the PDF could use form's page layout. The first should be "easy" to do given the notification can already do it. The second might be tricky ... but not impossible.  PDF would then be frozen exactly as submitted, the ideal situation.

Nothing is as obvious/easy as we first think, eh ?

I think that it is currently possible to allow only view mode when opening a form using the edit link, you will need to use conditions and add a widget to achieve that, here are the steps to do it. 

First add the Get Page URL widget to your form, this will help you to identify where the form is being loaded, either the direct link, filling it out by first time or editing an existing submission, you will find the widget on the link below: 

Get_form_page_url

This guide will help you to add the widget to your form: 

How-to-Add-a-Widget-to-your-Form

Once this is added you will need to make the condition, it should be like the one below: 

The only thing there is that you will need to have a "Do Disable Field {field}" for each field that you have in your form, for example, if you have 10 fields in your form you will need to add 10 actions, one per field in order to disable all the fields in your form, this does not work with the submit button, this is why you will need to use the hide condition: 

There is a print button that you may add to your form, but if you hide the submit button, the print button will be hidden as well, so if you want to show the print button you will need to show the submit button. 

Also, using the Get form Page URL widget as you are able to use this value in conditions, you may hide the submit button and display some instructions to print the page, in case that this needs to be printed, for example, add a Text field to your form: 

Now, make a change to the existing condition that you have in your form, the one that hides the submit button, add the action to show this text with the keyboard shortcuts to print the page: 

Print a page automatically can be triggered using Javascript code only something that is not possible in JotForm, so your users will have to trigger this action manually. 

Here is the link to my cloned form: https://form.jotform.com/61255196118961. 

You may also clone it if you want.

My colleague has escalated this thread to our second level so we should receive news from our second level if this comes available, this is a workaround that you may apply to your form in the meantime, do note that features may take some time to be developed and this is because this is based in the number of users requesting the same feature, although we can not provide an ETA about when this will be available, we will make sure to let you know if this is developed. 

I knew there was some trick in JotForm to get it done.   Although not very elegant, it would do trick ... for now.

From the single review of the get_form_page_URL widget it doesn't work in the sense it doesn't give a recognizable URL.  It would work for what you suggest as it fills the form once submitted.  Thus an indivudal returning to the submitted form, even in edit mode, with all the condtions needed, could be blocked from editing and resubmitting but allowed to view the form in all of its glory to possibly print it (manually through the browser).  Man, you have your thinking cap on, eh ?  ;)

It would be nice if there was at least the option to "disable all fields"...  It would make the suggested approach rather acceptable since it becomes just adding hidden widget and 2 or 3 conditions.

Doing it one field at a time, for every single forms, is going to be a real PITA as I already have 15+ forms in service, some with ... 30+ fields. Intent is to have a whole lot more forms, asap.  Reason I have so many questions and comments.

I know it would be time consuming doing one field at a time. So far, this is the only option to accomplish what you need.

I see a feature request has been sent to our second level already, so when this gets implemented, you will be updated via this thread.

Thank you.  

As you indicate, at least it can be done.  Which is great.  Time will tell if it's made easier.

For now, I will give it a try with a few key forms.

Again, thanks for the great support and product.