Reporting

I have made an update to a form template but the changes are not showing on the live report

What is a form template?

Let's address this by first explaining what a template is. A form template is a starting point that is there to:

• Eliminate Repetition
  Instead of designing or drafting a form from scratch every time, templates provide a pre-made structure that can be reused. This minimizes repetitive tasks and reduces manual effort.
• Streamline Customization
  Templates include placeholders or pre-filled sections that can be easily adapted for specific purposes. For example, changing the title or adding a date is much faster than creating a new form.
• Ensure Consistency
  Templates standardize formatting, layout, and content, ensuring uniformity across all forms. This consistency reduces errors, improves clarity, and saves the time spent rechecking or redesigning forms.
• Simplify Collaboration
  Teams can work more efficiently by using shared templates, eliminating the need to repeatedly explain or create forms for others. Templates also ensure everyone is working with the same format and expectations.
• Reduce Errors
  A well-designed template already includes essential elements (e.g., required fields or instructions), decreasing the likelihood of missing information or mistakes. This reduces the time spent fixing errors later.
• Scalability
  When multiple forms need to be created, templates make the process scalable. Whether producing 10 or 1,000 forms, the initial setup time remains minimal.

How can I create form templates?

A form template can be created under Reporting > Form templates

Why doesn't my live report update when I update the template it was created from?

Once a template is assigned to a live report, any changes made to the original template will not reflect on the live report. This is because templates are designed as starting points to streamline the creation process and save time and therefore do not remain linked to the template survey it was created from.

Imagine you have 20 live reports that were created using a single template. If the template remained linked to these reports, any changes made to the template would automatically update all 20 reports. This could cause unintended disruptions or inconsistencies, as each live report might have been customized to fit specific needs.

For example, suppose the template initially included a question asking, "How satisfied are you with our service?" If you later edit the template to replace this question with "How likely are you to recommend our service?" all 20 live reports would inherit this change, even though some reports might require the original question to remain for consistency or data comparison.

By breaking the link between the template and the live reports, each report remains independent. This ensures that changes to the template only affect new reports created afterward, preserving the integrity and customizations of existing reports.

How then can I make changes to my live report survey?

Changes to the live report will need to be made by going to the live report.

Go to Reporting > View reporting > Options > Form builder to edit and update the live survey

I want to use my updated live report survey as a template for future live reports

You can indeed do this by going to the live report and saving the updated survey as a template.

Go to Reporting > View reporting > Options > Save as template to save your live report survey as a new template.

This survey will now be available as a template under Reporting > Form templates