Fill in repeat form submissions more easily

Previously, when a form was submitted the user could click a link on the thank you page I'd created to take them back to the form which would appear with all the submitted data still visible. This made it much easier to book rooms for repeat or similar meetings / events.  In the past few months however something has changed (at JotForm??) and now a user has to fill in the booking form from scratch, making it unnecessarily time-consuming.  As I am receiving complaints about this I would like to understand what has changed and whether it can be reversed?

Thank you.

Hello ictfiona,

Please note that you can enable "Auto Fill" preferences setting of your form which will save the input data of form in browser cookies. The following guide should help you how to enable auto fill setting of form:  https://www.jotform.com/help/227-How-to-Enable-Auto-Fill-Feature 

Please note that once the form is submitted, the auto fill data will be cleared automatically. 

Alternatively, you can use "URL parameter" feature to pre-populate the form field by adding the URL in the thank you message. I would suggest you to please use the following URL in your form's thank you message and then test your form to see if this is what you wanted to acheive:

http://form.jotformpro.com/form/60324146243951?additionalIct={additionalIct}&doYou={doYou}&howMany4={howMany4}&howMany={howMany}&typeOf19={typeOf19}&meeting21={meeting21}&date22[month]={date22[month]}&date22[day]={date22[day]}&date22[year]={date22[year]}&startTime[hourSelect]={startTime[hourSelect]}&startTime[minuteSelect]={startTime[minuteSelect]}&endTime[hourSelect]={endTime[hourSelect]}&endTime[minuteSelect]={endTime[minuteSelect]}&isLunch={isLunch}&time[hourSelect]={time[hourSelect]}&time[minuteSelect]={time[minuteSelect]}&howMany51={howMany51}&openSpace110={openSpace110}&openSpace={openSpace}&learningSpace112={learningSpace112}&learningSpace114={learningSpace114}&learningSpace={learningSpace}&company157={company157}&leadPerson159[first]={leadPerson159[first]}&leadPerson159[last]={leadPerson159[last]}&emailAddress160={emailAddress160}&dietaryRequirements167={dietaryRequirements167}&accessRequirements={accessRequirements}&attendees={attendees}&projectCode171={projectCode171}&iNeed={iNeed}&chooseRooms185={chooseRooms185}&administratorEmail={administratorEmail}&typeOf={typeOf}&anyOther={anyOther}

Do try it out and get back to us if you have any questions.

Thank you!

Hi Ashwin

The form already has 'Continue Forms Later' set to enabled.  

I'm not sure that you've understood my enquiry.  Let's say that someone was booking an event on a particular day and filled out all the requirements and submitted the form.  They then had another event to book, which was pretty much an exact replica of the one they'd just submitted except it was on a different day.  When they returned to the form their previously submitted data was still there so it was a really simple task to change the date and then submit the next booking.  However, at some point this lovely little feature has been removed, so now they have to retype the whole form, sometimes many times if there are a number of repeat meetings. As you have said yourself "Please note that once the form is submitted, the auto fill data will be cleared automatically."  My whole point is that this didn't use to be the case.  It's changed, and changed for the worse - I presume by JotForm and I would like to know why they changed it and if it can be reinstated (and if not, why not!).  

I'm not sure what the massive URL you provided was supposed to do (I've uploaded a screenshot of the result) but hopefully you now understand better what I want it to do.  

Thanks,
Fiona

The feature is actually there and yes, it is enabled in your form. I think the issue is not within the form, but to the user's browser. Please note that the data is saved in the user's browser storage. And our apologies for the confusion, as far as I know, the data will be kept for some time. If I'm not mistaken, we have set it to 30 days. 

Now, I have tested your form and autofill is working for me. The data is saved in my browser. Here's a short clip for my test: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-wpNko_WElFYjBNZHZ5cmFjMVU/view

I can only think that the person who reported this to you have cleared his/her browsing preferences including the browser cookies. Doing this would delete the saved data. Can you ask to confirm? Can you also let us know if were you able to replicate this problem? 

Lastly, the URL parameters given by my colleague is to pass the submitted data to the form after submission. That is also a good method of getting the same data on the form.

Hi Welvin

Thanks for your response.  I looked at your little video, though what I couldn't see is you clicking submit, then clicking the link in the thank you page and then seeing the form reopen with the previously submitted data.  Did you perform these steps?  Our browsers are not set to clear cookies / preferences; I've even tested it out of the office and using different browsers.  Always, however, the result is the same, namely that after submitting and clicking the link in the thank you window the form reopens totally blank.  I wish this could get resolved.  As nothing has changed at our end I can only assume that the change took place at the JotForm end.  I so wish this could be resolved as it was so helpful to reopen the form and see the already submitted data.

Regarding your colleagues URL parameters, my previous post has the screenshot which shows the result of using the URL in the thank you page ie it doesn't show the submitted data.

Autofill is something else and this isn't actually part of my enquiry; it only became part of it when the first responder told me to check the settings.  It is not autofill I am after, we simply don't want the form to be wiped once it's been submitted - i.e. as used to be the case.

Hope you or someone can help.

Thanks,
Fiona

Hello Fiona,

I tested your form and I'm assuming that the problem is in submitting, when the form is submitted I guess cookies are cleared and that's why your fields are not prefilled. Continue later option will work only if you accidentally(or in purpose) close the window where the form is opened.

I tested this several times and it is just how it works. I'm afraid that my colleagues are right, you will have to use URL parameter and custom URL that my colleague suggested.

If you need any assistance in resolving that please let us know.

Thank you!

Hi Nik_C

Thanks, and yes, I guess it is how it is, but my point is that it wasn't always this way.  Previously it was possible to see previous data entries so what I really wanted to know was why it was changed and why it can't be reinstated as it was such a useful facility.

Thanks anyway.

I'm sorry Fiona, but I tried to make it work in that way, didn't have luck.

If I find any possible workaround I'll let you know. Or if my colleagues have some better idea.

Thank you!