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Overview

Fillout lets you create update forms to update existing records in Airtable, SmartSuite, Notion and other databases. By default, however, Fillout requires you to pass in the record ID to update in the URL. With the approach described below, you can have your respondents choose which record they would like to update.
Only share each update link with people who should see all of that record’s fields. An update link acts as a key to the entire record: anyone who opens it can view every field on the record, even fields that don’t appear as questions on the form. This is what lets update forms use any record field for pre-filling, answer piping, show/hide logic, and calculations.To keep certain fields private, store them in a separate table so they aren’t part of the record being updated, or restrict prefilled data so the form only loads fields mapped to questions.

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How it works

1

Create an “update” form

Follow the steps for your integration — Airtable, SmartSuite or Notion — to create an “update” form. Make sure to select Update record (Update page in Notion) on the integration and to publish the form.
Screenshot of the Form designer tab of a form
2

Create another form to choose the record

Create another form. This is the main form you will send your respondents to so that they can choose the record to update.In the form, add a linked record picker that links to the table or database in your integration that you would like to update. For example, if your first form updates a Product Inventory table, create this form tied to a different table that has a linked relation with Product Inventory. In this form, add a record picker to choose from those products:
Screenshot of the Form designer tab of a form
3

Connect the forms together

Navigate to the ending page of your record chooser form and set your update form as the New form to redirect to.
Screenshot of the Form designer tab of a form
Finally, pass the record ID to update to the update form. Click Set URL parameters to choose the ID parameter of your update form and map it to your record picker field’s Record ID.
Screenshot of the Form designer tab of a form
Tip: If you don’t want to create records in your first form, you can always set a condition for when the integration is run (set a condition that is never true).
That’s it! You can now send respondents to your picker form to choose a record. Once they submit that form, they’ll be automatically redirected to the update form, which will be pre-filled with the record they chose.

Update Database

Pre-fill a form from an existing record, then update it on submission.

Record Pickers

Set pre-fills and reference fields from the record your respondent picks.

Allow Record Editing

Let respondents edit the linked records they choose in your database.