Review, filter, correct, and export the responses collected through your portal forms, and merge a submission into a client record.

### Overview

- **What it is:** The **Submissions** page collects every response sent through your portal forms and lays them out as a spreadsheet, one row per submission.
- **Why it matters:** Centralizing form data eliminates manual data entry, speeds up intake workflows, and ensures no submission falls through the cracks.
- **Who uses it:** Administrators, clerks, and case managers who process incoming form data from clients or the public.
- **Expected outcomes:** Faster intake processing, fewer data-entry errors, and a clear record of which responses have been dealt with.

### Prerequisites

- An active eCourtDate account with access to the Portals section
- At least one published form linked to a portal
- Clients or public visitors who have submitted responses

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Open the Submissions Page

1. Click **Admin** > **Portals** in the main navigation.
2. Click the **Submissions** tab.

The page opens showing submissions from every form. Pick a single form when you want that form's own questions as columns.

#### Step 2: Choose a Form

1. Use the **Form** picker at the top of the page. It filters as you type.
2. The table reloads with that form's fields as columns, and the address bar updates so the view can be bookmarked or shared.
3. Click **View Form** under the picker to open the form itself.
4. To go back to every form at once, clear the picker. Across forms the table shows only the fields every submission shares, plus a **Form** column saying where each row came from.

#### Step 3: Search and Filter

1. The **Search** box matches the answers inside a submission. Type and click **Search**.
2. Click **Filters** for the rest: **Status**, **Created From**, **Created To**, **Portal**, **Email**, **Phone**, and a client search. The button shows how many filters are active.
3. **Email** and **Phone** match the whole value, so enter a complete address or number rather than part of one.
4. **Created To** includes everything submitted on the day you pick, right up to midnight.
5. Tick **Archived** or **Trashed** to review submissions that have been set aside.
6. Click **Clear filters** to start over.

Filters live in the address bar, so a filtered queue survives a reload and can be sent to a colleague as a link.

#### Step 4: Review a Submission

1. Click anywhere on a row to open the full submission.
2. Review each field and its response value.
3. Attached files are listed under **Files** with their size and type. Click one to open or download it.
4. Use **Previous** and **Next** to move through recent submissions on the same form without going back to the table.

#### Step 5: Track What Has Been Dealt With

Every submission carries a review status. New responses start at **New**.

1. In the table, turn on **Edit mode** and pick a value from the **Status** column, or set **Review Status** in the submission itself and click **Save**.
2. Filter by **Status** to pull up everything still waiting on someone.
3. To set a status on several at once, tick the rows and use **Mark In Review**, **Mark Needs Info**, or **Mark Processed**.

The default statuses are New, In Review, Needs Info, and Processed. To use your own instead, go to **Admin** > **Settings** > **Statuses** and create statuses of type **submission**.

#### Step 6: Correct a Value

Submissions can be corrected in place when a client mistypes something.

1. Turn on **Edit mode**.
2. Click a cell and type. Enter saves and moves down, Tab saves and moves across, Esc cancels.
3. An undo bar appears after each save. Click **Undo** to put the previous value back.
4. Name, review status, default language, and internal notes are edited from the submission itself, then saved with **Save**.

While Edit mode is on, responses arriving in the background are held back and announced in a banner rather than shifting rows under your cursor. Click **Show** to fold them in.

#### Step 7: Work on Several Submissions at Once

1. Tick the checkbox at the start of each row, or the one in the header to take everything loaded.
2. Choose **Archive**, **Trash**, or one of the **Mark** actions.
3. Confirm when prompted.

Archived and trashed submissions leave the list. Tick **Archived** or **Trashed** in the filters to find them again and **Restore** them.

#### Step 8: Export Submissions

1. Apply the form and filters you want the export to cover.
2. Click **Export** at the top right and choose **CSV** or **PDF**. The menu says how many records it is about to write.
3. CSV downloads a file stamped with today's date, named after the form when one is selected. PDF opens your browser's print dialog.

Exports cover every record matching the current filters, not only the rows loaded into the table, so a large form takes a moment to gather before the download starts. Columns you have hidden are still included. Across forms the file gains a column naming the form each row came from.

To export one response on its own, open it and use the **PDF** or **CSV** buttons there.

#### Step 9: Merge a Submission into a Client Record

1. Open the submission and click **Merge to Client**.
2. Search for the client by name, reference, phone, or email, then pick them from the results. To start a new record instead, click **Create a new client instead**.
3. Check the mapping. Each submitted value sits beside the client field it will be written to. Answers whose labels match a client field are mapped for you; set the rest yourself, or leave them on **Do not merge**.
4. Click **Merge to client**, or **Create client and merge** for a new record.

Email and phone values become contact methods on the client. Everything else is written to the client's own fields, replacing what is there now. If two answers point at the same client field the merge is blocked until you choose between them, so nothing is overwritten by accident.

Once merged, the submission is linked to that client and the client appears on the submission. Use **Change Client** to point it somewhere else.

#### Step 10: Set Up Staff Notifications

1. Go to **Admin** > **Portals** > **Forms** and open the form you want to monitor.
2. Under **Submission Settings**, enter a comma-separated list of email addresses in **Notify on Submission**.
3. Click **Save**. Those addresses are emailed whenever a new response arrives.

### What to Expect

New submissions appear in the table within moments of being sent. Exports reflect the form and filters applied at the time, and include every matching record. Merged values reach the client record immediately, and anything that depends on client fields, such as auto messages, uses the updated information from then on.

### Best Practices

- Work the queue by status rather than by memory: filter to **New**, and mark each one as you go.
- Hide columns you never read so the fields that matter stay on screen.
- Turn Edit mode off when you are only reading, so a stray click cannot change a value.
- Archive submissions once they are processed to keep the active list to what still needs attention.
- Bookmark the filters you use daily. The address bar holds the whole view.
- Enable notifications on high-priority forms so nothing waits unseen.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Can I edit a submission after it has been submitted?**

A: Yes. Use **Edit mode** in the table to correct a cell, or open the submission to change its name, status, language, or internal notes. Corrections are for fixing data-entry errors, not for rewriting what a client reported.

**Q: Why does the CSV have more rows than the table shows?**

A: The table loads rows as you scroll, while an export always gathers every record matching the current form and filters. The confirmation message tells you how many went into the file.

**Q: Can I export submissions from more than one form at once?**

A: Yes. Clear the **Form** picker and the export covers every form, with a column naming the source form. Because forms ask different questions, that file holds only the fields all submissions share.

**Q: What file types can clients attach to form submissions?**

A: Clients can attach PDFs, images (PNG, JPG), and common document formats (DOCX, XLSX). Maximum file size is determined by your portal settings.

**Q: What happens to the old value when I merge?**

A: Any client field you map is replaced with the submitted value. Fields left on **Do not merge** are untouched, and email and phone are added as contact methods rather than replacing existing ones.

**Q: How do I know when a new submission comes in?**

A: Add email addresses to **Notify on Submission** in the form's settings.

### Troubleshooting

| Issue | Symptoms | Solution |
|-------|----------|----------|
| Submissions not appearing | Form is published but no responses show | Check the **Form** picker and clear any active filters, then verify the form is linked to an active portal and that the portal URL is reachable. |
| Nothing matches an email or phone filter | Results are empty for an address you know exists | Those two filters match the whole value. Enter the complete address or number, or use the **Search** box instead. |
| Export buttons are greyed out | **Export** opens but CSV and PDF cannot be clicked | The current filters match no records. Clear them and try again. |
| Clicking a row does nothing | The submission will not open | Edit mode is on, which turns clicks into cell edits. Switch it off to open rows again. |
| A column is missing from the export | A field you expected is not in the file | Hidden columns are still exported. Check the field exists on the form and that at least one submission answered it. |
| Merge button is not shown | No **Merge to Client** on the submission | The submission is archived or trashed. Restore it first. |
| Attachments will not download | Download link returns an error | The file may have been removed or the storage connection may be temporarily unavailable. Contact your administrator. |

### Related Articles

- [How to Create Forms](/how-to-create-forms)
- [How to Create Web Portals](/how-to-create-web-portals)
- [How to Manage Clients](/how-to-manage-clients)
- [How to Review Form Submissions](/how-to-review-form-submissions)