Quick Reference Guide
Set Default Form Answers
DEFAULT ANSWER SETTINGS
First, add a new question or click on the question you’d like to edit. Click the Settings icon and select SET DEFAULT OPTION. From here, you’ll select from the following types of default answers:
Pro Tip: Changes you make to your forms are automatically saved, but remember to click SAVE to make them live.
Provide Custom Text as Value
Use a specific value that you manually define as the default response. This option is ideal when a field should always begin with the same value, such as a department name, status, category, or standard response.
Select Default Option from List
Choose the option that should be automatically selected when the form is opened or when a matching default value is found. Only one option can be selected as the default answer.
For fields that allow multiple selections, all matching default values will be selected. For fields that allow only a single selection, the first matching default value will be used.
Reorder Default as First Option
Enable this setting to move the default answer to the top of the list when the form is displayed. This makes the default selection more visible and easier to identify, while disabling it preserves the original option order.
Pro Tip: Enable REORDER DEFAULT AS FIRST OPTION when a particular answer is selected most often. This can reduce form completion time and help guide respondents toward the most common choice.
Use a URL Variable to Set Value
Populate a field using information passed through a URL parameter. This allows forms to automatically select answers based on information contained in a link, making it easy to personalize forms, streamline workflows, and reduce manual data entry.
Enter the name of the URL parameter that contains the value you want to use as the default answer. When the form loads, Mapline will look for that parameter in the URL and automatically select the matching option.
For example, a URL containing ?service=Repair could automatically select the Repair option in a service-type field.
Pro Tip: URL variables are especially useful when linking to forms from emails, QR codes, websites, scheduling systems, or automated workflows. Pre-populating answers can reduce form completion time and improve data accuracy.
Use Device Info as Value
Automatically populate fields using information available from the device being used to complete the form. Device metadata can help automate data collection, improve reporting, and provide additional context without requiring manual input.
Select the device or submission information that should be used as the default value for the field.
- Begin Time: Records the date and time when the form was opened.
- Browser: Captures the web browser used to complete the form, such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.
- Device: Identifies the type of device used to access the form, such as a desktop computer, tablet, or mobile device.
- Browser User Agent: Captures the browser’s user agent string, which contains detailed information about the browser, operating system, and device configuration.
- Local Begin Time: Records the date and time when the form was opened based on the device’s local time zone.
- Local Time of Submission: Records the date and time when the form was submitted based on the device’s local time zone.
Pro Tip: Device metadata is particularly useful for audits, troubleshooting, compliance tracking, and operational reporting because it automatically captures contextual information without requiring additional form fields.
Use Profile Info as Value
Populate a field using information from the profile of the person completing the form. This helps reduce repetitive data entry, improves accuracy, and ensures consistent information across form submissions.
Select the profile information that should be used as the default value for the field.
- Email: Automatically populates the field with the email address associated with the respondent’s Mapline account.
- Name: Automatically populates the field with the respondent’s name as it appears in their Mapline profile.
Pro Tip: Profile information is especially useful for internal forms, inspections, service reports, and field operations where you need to automatically identify who completed each submission without requiring them to enter their information manually.
EDIT DEFAULT SETTINGS
Need to adjust your default settings? No problem! Simply click on the question you want to edit, then click the Settings icon and choose SET DEFAULT OPTION. From there, you can tweak your default response settings or remove the default option altogether by clicking the red REMOVE button.
MAPLINE FORMS ARE POWERFUL
But wait, there’s more! Here’s how other brands harness the full potential of Mapline forms:
- Create dynamic forms customized to each individual user
- Add dynamic options to questions and responses, directly pulling from existing Mapline datasets.
- Automate workflows and trigger actions when new data is submitted.
