Forms in Action: What Happens After a Form Is Submitted?
📄 Forms in Action: What Happens After a Form Is Submitted?
Once a form is submitted in Ontraccr, it doesn’t just sit there—it becomes an active workflow object that can drive approvals, notifications, document storage, costing, and more.
This article explains what happens after a form is submitted, what actions it can trigger, and how you can use Ontraccr’s workflows to automate operational steps.
🔄 What a Form Can Do After Submission
Depending on how the workflow is configured in Step 3: Workflow, a submitted form can:
| Action Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| ✅ Notify users | In-app push + email alerts (e.g., “Form submitted by John on Project X”) |
| ✅ Route to an approver | Approval Block assigns to Safety Officer, PM, or Finance |
| ✅ Request edits | If rejected, the form can be sent back for revision via Edit Block |
| ✅ Update project costs | Labor, materials, or equipment tables push values into the cost tracking module |
| ✅ Create time entries | A Time Entry Table + Create Time Entry Block logs hours automatically |
| ✅ Trigger another form | E.g., Yes/No → Launch investigation or incident form |
| ✅ Create a board card | A new card is added to a project board (e.g., “Deficiency Report”) |
| ✅ Send automated emails | PDFs & form data sent to client or internal users |
| ✅ Collect a payment | A Stripe link is generated and emailed to the payer |
| ✅ Store a PDF in project files | Final form exported and saved into the Files tab of that project |
| ✅ Update Equipment and Inventory | Data collected using Material and Equipment tables can update databases accordingly. |
🧠 Key Workflow Building Blocks (Step 3)
| Block | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Approval Block | Assigns the form for review and decision (approve or reject) |
| Edit Block | Sends the form back to the submitter for revision |
| Status Update Block | Adds a visible label to show where the form is in the process |
| Form Trigger Block | Launches another form automatically |
| Send Email / Notify In-App Blocks | Sends alerts or confirmations |
| Create Profile Block | Triggers the creation of a new project profile. Avoids having to manually create a Project profile |
| Create Board Card / Task Block | Converts form into an action item |
| PDF Export Block | Stores a downloadable copy of the form |
| Update Cost / Time / Contract Blocks | Pushes data into cost, time, or contract systems |
| Collect External Signature Block | Sends the form to an external user to sign securely |
| Update Equipment Block | Used to update an equipment’s location |
| Update Materials Block | Used to update inventory counts in Material database |
🗂️ Where the Form Goes (and Who Sees It)
Once submitted, the form is visible in:
| View | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Approvals tab (Documents → Forms → Approve) | For reviewers to take action |
| Project > Forms | For team-wide project-level visibility |
| Boards (if card was created) | To action follow-ups or tickets |
| Tasks | If tasks were generated from the form |
| Files > Designated folder | If the form PDF was exported there automatically |
🧩 Use Cases That Rely on Post-Submission Workflows
| Use Case | Form Triggers |
|---|---|
| Daily log → safety review | Status update + board card creation |
| Quote → client approval → payment | Approval + email + Stripe block |
| Field safety report → internal investigation | Trigger form → assign + approval |
| Time & material log → costing | Time entry + Update Cost Block |
| Incident report → shared signature | External Signature Block + PDF Export |
🧠 Best Practices
- Always preview a form + test its workflow before assigning it to users
- Use status blocks to visually track progress
- Notify users at key steps to keep things moving
- Archive completed forms automatically via PDF export
- Use approval blocks to validate the form data and reduce errors
📌 Summary
A submitted form is the start of a process—not the end. Ontraccr’s form system lets you design workflows that:
- Route information to the right people
- Capture approvals and revisions
- Trigger follow-up steps and form chains
- Push data into time, cost tracking, and project systems
- Store and organize critical documentation
When used correctly, forms power everything from job costing and time tracking to safety management, approvals, and client billing.