Automate Form Workflows
Most FormSmarts functions customers rely upon on a daily basis can be automated using APIs and webhooks.
Mapping FormSmarts Functions to Automated Processes
We've listed in this table some of the core FormSmarts features you probably already use, and mapped them to a solution to automate the corresponding process.
| Online Form Function | Manual Process | Automated Solution |
|---|---|---|
Get a Push Notification for Individual Form Submissions | Set up FormSmarts to email to one or more team members when a form is submitted | Set up a form submission webhook |
Find a Form Submission | Look up the form response with the Data Search tool | Write code to find the form entry with the Search API |
Access an Individual Form Submission | View the form entry online or download it as a PDF document | Write simple code to retrieve the form submission or get a PDF document with the Form Response API |
View or Download Form Attachments | View or download uploaded documents online or via the link in the email notification | Download form attachments with the Form Response API or a webhook |
Export Form Entries Submitted Between Two Dates | Create an Excel report with the Report Generator | Write code to get form responses submitted between two dates with the Form Responses by Dates API |
Submit a Form | Allow individuals to submit the form online | Write code to submit the form automatically with the Form Submission API |
Check Data Against Your Own Records | Review each form response after the fact and contact the person if something doesn't add up | Accept or reject the entry as it is submitted with a form validation webhook |
Webhooks: Acting the Moment a Form Is Submitted
APIs and webhooks solve two halves of the same problem, and most automations use both:
- With an API, your code asks FormSmarts for data when it needs it. You decide when it runs — on a schedule, or when someone clicks a button in your application.
- With a webhook, FormSmarts calls your code as soon as something happens on a form. You don't poll and you don't wait: the automation runs within seconds of the form being submitted.
A webhook is an HTTP POST request FormSmarts sends to a URL you control, with the form response as structured JSON, so you can handle it in any programming language. FormSmarts supports two webhooks:
| Webhook | When It Runs | What It's For |
|---|---|---|
| Form Submission Webhook | After a form is submitted | Push the form response somewhere else: a CRM or database, a Slack or Microsoft Teams channel, an SMS, a generated Word or PDF document, a mailing list. |
| Form Validation Webhook | While the form is being submitted | Check the data against rules only your organization knows — a serial number that must exist, a voter who may only vote once — and accept or reject the submission. |
Worked Examples
- Send urgent form responses to Slack or to Microsoft Teams
- Send an SMS confirmation when someone submits a form
The FormSmarts API & Webhook Client
The FormSmarts API & Webhook client lets you quickly automate your form workflows with a simple and intuitive Python interface. Here is a short code example:
from formsmarts import APIAuthenticator, FormEntry
auth = APIAuthenticator('my_acc_id', 'my_api_key')
entries = FormEntry.search_by_dates(auth, form_id='lqh', start_date='2025-05-05')
for e in entries:
if e.fields_by_name('Contact me to discuss my needs')[0].value:
e.add_tag('review')
e.share('manager@example.com')
if e.fields_by_name('Subscribe to the monthly newsletter')[0].value:
mailing_list.add(e.fields_by_type('email')[0].value)
We also maintain a basic Node.js client that currently only covers API and webhook authentication.