Setting up a form database (e.g. for a competition)

Webhooks can be used to automatically evaluate entries in forms or forward them to third-party systems. You can find out what webhooks are and how they can be set up here.

💡 For this function you need:

  • The "Form and page builder" add-on. You can find more information about the "Form and page builder" add-on in this article.
  • Webhooks activated for this add-on during configuration (included in the add-on).
  • A service that can receive and process data from the webhook (e.g. Microsoft Power Automate or Zapier)

1. What is a webhook?

A webhook enables automatic communication and reaction between web servers and services in the event of specific events. It allows the direct exchange of data between servers via a provided URL without requiring special interfaces or integrations. This means that different systems can be linked with each other regardless of the platform in order to trigger notifications or actions in the event of certain events.

Webhooks can also be used for your company's employee app to transfer information seamlessly. All you need is another process automation service such as Power Automate Premium or Zapier.

You can find out more about webhooks here, for example.

2. Set up a webhook

  1. If you have already created a form in WPForms, you can continue directly here. Otherwise, create your form first → How do I create a form?
  2. In WPForms, you can activate webhooks under the "Settings" tab. If you do not have this option, please contact your Customer Success contact person. Webhooks must also be activated by Flip for your account.
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  3. Now fill in the corresponding fields. The request URL corresponds to the destination address. The "Secret" field is filled in automatically after you have saved the webhook and refreshed the page.
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  4. The webhook now automatically sends the form data. Now you need a suitable service that can process this data (e.g. Power Automate Premium or Zapier. This service accepts this data, transforms it into a suitable format and saves it in a structured format. You can then use this to read out the data.

3. Setting up a webhook using Power Automate as an example

You can implement such a service in Power Automate, for example, which converts the form data into a readable format in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. In the following illustration, you will find three exemplary steps that you can implement in Power Automate or a similar service for your use case.

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  1. First, the data arriving via the HTTP request must be processed by transforming it into the appropriate JSON format. You can enter the HTTP POST URL as the request URL in the webhook settings above so that the appropriate data can be accepted first.
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  2. Now you can add another variable so that the date and time of the entry is also recorded. This can be used for further evaluations.
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  3. In the last step, the transformed data enriched by the time variable is transferred to the readable and usable format of an Excel. Here, you can assign the form fields in JSON format to the columns of a prepared Excel table.
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  4. In the associated Excel table, you can collect the people who took part in the survey and their data and select the winner at random using a suitable procedure. For other application examples, such as an order list, you can use the Excel table to evaluate what has already been ordered and in what size.

4. Use cases for webhooks

Here you will find a list of possible use cases for webhooks

  • Evaluation of competition entries: Employees can take part in competitions by filling out a form, which then forwards the data to an Excel file.
  • Meal orders: Larger meal orders can be processed and evaluated using a form.
  • Evaluation of event participants: The participants of an event can be queried via a form.
  • Customer service tickets: Employees can use the form to enter customer inquiries or support tickets and forward them directly to the corresponding ticket system.
  • Order and procurement requests: For internal orders or requests for resources, employees can use the form to send orders directly to the procurement system.
  • Reporting incidents or problems: If incidents or problems occur (e.g. technical problems, security incidents), employees can use the form to quickly report relevant details, which are then automatically forwarded to the incident management system.
  • Leave and absence requests: Employees could submit leave requests via the form, which are automatically sent to the HR system to start the approval process.
  • Feedback and surveys: To collect employee opinions or conduct internal surveys, the form could be used to submit the results directly to the survey system.
  • Requests for training courses or events: Employees can submit requests for training courses, workshops or internal events, which are then automatically forwarded to the corresponding event management system.
  • Expense Report Submission: Employees can submit expense reports directly through the form, which automatically sends them to the payroll system to initiate the expense reimbursement process.
  • Change requests for data or information: If employees need to make changes to their personal data or information (e.g. contact information, working hours), they can use the form to send these changes to the relevant system (e.g. the employee management system).
  • Error reports and suggestions for improvement: For reporting defects in products or processes and submitting suggestions for improvement, the form could be used to forward this information directly to the appropriate system for defect management or idea collection.
  • Submission of applications or personnel requests: If the company has vacancies or accepts internal personnel requests, employees can use the form to submit applications or personnel requests, which are then automatically sent to the applicant management system.
  • Submission of compliance reports: To ensure compliance with guidelines and regulations, employees could submit compliance reports via the form, which are forwarded directly to the relevant compliance management system.
  • Requests for technical support: If technical support or IT help is required, employees can submit support requests via the form, which are automatically forwarded to the IT support ticket system.

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