---
title: "Caching Application Data Upon Submission"
slug: "caching-application-data-upon-submission"
description: "Freeze Slate application data upon submission for archiving, capturing all details as they were, excluding replicate blocks and widgets."
tags: ["Applications"]
updated: 2026-02-26T16:05:58Z
published: 2026-02-26T16:05:58Z
stale: true
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.technolutions.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Caching Application Data Upon Submission

> [!NOTE]
> 📚 Part of the series **Application Building Phase I:**[**Core components**](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/application-building-checklist#phase-1-core-components)

You can freeze Slate-hosted application data as it existed at the time of submission for historical archiving and auditing purposes.

Following the submission of an application, staff or the applicant may end up making any number of changes to application data, including changes to address, degree or program of study, biographical changes, etc. While these changes often are intended to correct clerical errors or minor changes of heart, the changes may be more substantive and may be worthy of recording.

Slate provides a built-in mechanism to freeze the application data at the moment of submission to a "Slate Application Upon Submission" material type, which uses the auto-app PDF template to provide a document representation of the application at the time of submission. This material/document will appear within the Materials tab on the record.

## Enabling the cached application

1. Select **Database** on the top navigation bar and select **Materials**.
2. Select **Insert**.
3. Enter the following configurations:
  - **Status:**Inactive
  - **Key:** Enter `sys:application_cached`
  - **Name:**Give this material a name like *Cached application.*
4. Select **Save.**

## Important considerations

1. Only applications submitted *after* this material is created will generate a cached application material.
2. The cached application material will not be created if the application was imported.
3. Un-submitting and then re-submitting the application administratively from the right navigation panel on the details tab of the student record will not generate a cached application.
4. The cached application PDF will not display data captured within [replicate blocks](/v1/docs/replicate-blocks) or [custom application widgets](/v1/docs/custom-application-widgets) (Schools, Jobs, Relationships, Sports, and Activities).

## ➡️ Up next: Importing applications and test scores

We’ve completed nearly every basic data structure with which we will process applications.

Now we dip our toe briefly into the waters of **data import**to configure Slate to process the external applications and test scores of your choice.

> [!NOTE]
> 📚 **Next article in this series:**[Importing applications and test scores](/v1/docs/importing-applications-test-scores)