Use this article to troubleshoot common form configuration issues, including prompt values, custom fields, conditional logic, formatting, form rules, and form scopes.
Prompt values are not saving on a form
If you overwrote system prompts and modified the prompt list, check for extra spaces after the prompt values. Extra spaces can prevent values from appearing correctly on the form. The submitted data is still stored in Slate, but the value might not appear on the form response as expected.
Custom fields are not available to map
Refresh the fields and prompts cache
If you recently created a custom field, refresh the fields cache before adding the field to a form. Cached values refresh approximately every five minutes in production. After the cache refreshes, new fields and prompts are available throughout forms and queries.
To force-refresh the cache, go to Database → Fields and select the force-refresh link. A message that reads OK confirms that the field is available. If the field uses new prompts, repeat the process in Database → Prompts.
Use a compatible form field type
If refreshing the cache does not fix the issue, select a different content type from the form builder palette. For example, if the field uses a prompt list, it is not selectable with a Text Box content type. Use a prompt-compatible content type, such as Check Boxes, Option Buttons, Rating Scale, Select List, or Multi-select List.
A form field is not available as a merge field in form communications
If a form field is unmapped and does not have an export key, the field does not appear as a merge field option. Add an export key using lowercase letters and no spaces.
Capture related contact email addresses
Do not map a related contact email address directly to a relationship system field unless the form also collects the related relationship details that Slate needs. Those details can include relationship type, first name, and last name.
If the form only needs to collect the email address for follow-up or communications, leave the field unmapped and add an export key. You can query on the field and use it as a merge field in mailings.
Map relationship data when the process collects enough information to create or update the relationship record.
Use Internal Only or Hidden fields
Internal Only: Use this option when an administrative user should enter information that the respondent should not see. Internal-only fields exist only on form responses submitted administratively.
Hidden: Use this option when a field should exist on both public and administrative form responses but should not appear to the respondent. Hidden fields can default to specific values or support calculations.
Understand GUIDs
A GUID is a globally unique identifier, such as 148715dc-918e-48b3-b2eb-a1bd00f357ff. Slate uses GUIDs to associate fields and values with the correct system objects. Do not modify GUIDs.
A form value appears as a GUID
Check the field formatting. In many cases, the field is set to Store Value instead of Store Prompt ID.
A form value still appears as a GUID after fixing the field
After the field formatting is corrected, update the field value on the record so the value appears correctly. You can update values individually or in a batch.
Update individual records by selecting Edit and then Save on the tab where the field appears. Confirm that the value appears correctly after saving.
Use an export/import process to update values in a batch. Export the values from the form response with a unique identifier, such as Slate ID. Import the values back into Slate, match on the unique identifier, and update the field. If the field is application-scoped, use an application-scoped unique ID so the import updates the correct application.
Conditional logic and form conditions
A live form only says Loading...
If a form never loads, check each field that uses conditional logic. Conditional logic errors typically appear in red text.
Conditional logic cannot be added to a field
Conditional logic options do not appear until a form has been saved. Save the form properties, and then add the conditional logic.
An entire section needs conditional logic
To display an entire section conditionally, group the fields together and place section breaks at the beginning and end of the section. Apply the conditional logic to the first section break only.
Access Conditions are not available
On the form, open Edit Conditions and confirm that the form is application-scoped, or that the form is person-scoped and requires login. Access Conditions are available only when Slate can identify the respondent before the form loads.
Understand form conditions
The Edit Conditions interface includes Access Conditions and Submission Conditions.
Access Conditions control who can open the form. They are available only when the respondent is known before the form loads, such as on an application-scoped form or a person-scoped form that requires login.
Submission Conditions control who can submit the form. They are available for all forms.
Merge fields are not currently supported in condition messages.
Available filters are contextually aware of the form scope.
For access and submission conditions, the message appears when the registrant does not meet the filter criteria.
Formatting tools
There is no space between columns
Add space between columns by inserting a blank Instructions box with a defined width. For example, use a 48 percent width for the first field, a 4 percent width for the blank instructions box, and a 48 percent width for the second field.
Fields do not appear with selected formatting options
Make sure the selected formatting option is compatible with the field configuration. For example, if a field uses a prompt list, use a prompt-compatible field type instead of a text box.
Other common questions
Make changes to a form for a new cycle
Do not delete old fields from an existing form. Deleting fields removes the data from past submissions of that form.
Instead, copy the current form and make changes to the copied form. Rename the old form to identify the cycle or archive context, and set the old form status to Inactive.
A rule did not fire when a form was resubmitted
Form Submission rules fire one time upon form submission. If the same form is submitted again by or on behalf of the same registrant, the rule does not fire again.
To test a rule again, cancel the initial form registration and delete that registration from the form's Cancellation section. Then submit the form again.
Repeated school fields automatically populate each other
If a form has repeated school fields, add section breaks between each school section. Without section breaks, Slate can treat the schools as the same set of fields and automatically fill both sections.
Use mapped or unmapped fields
Use a mapped field when the response should save to a record field. Use an unmapped field when the response should stay with the form submission instead of updating a record field.
For example, an event form might use an unmapped field to collect a lunch preference. That response can stay with the event registration instead of saving to the person record.
Understand form scopes
Forms have multiple scopes, and each scope controls the context in which the form is used. If a public form unexpectedly requires login, check the form scope in the form properties.