The Mysterious Case of the Prefill Conundrum: Solving the Enigma of Prefilling Multiple Cognito Forms Using URL Params

Are you stuck in the vortex of despair, trying to prefill not one, but two Cognito forms using URL parameters, only to find that only one form is cooperating? Fear not, dear developer, for you are not alone in this struggle. In this article, we will embark on a thrilling adventure to unravel the mystery of prefilling multiple Cognito forms using URL params, and emerge victorious in the end.

Theoretical Background: Understanding Cognito Forms and URL Parameters

Before we dive into the solution, it’s essential to grasp the basics of Cognito forms and URL parameters. Cognito forms are a powerful tool for building custom forms and integrating them into your website. URL parameters, on the other hand, allow you to pass data from one page to another, making it an ideal way to prefill form fields.

Cognito Forms: A Brief Overview

Cognito forms are built using Amazon Cognito, a suite of cloud services that provides user identity and access management. These forms can be embedded into your website, and they offer a range of features, including custom fields, validation, and integration with AWS services.

URL Parameters: The Key to Prefilling Forms

URL parameters are a way to pass data from one page to another by appending key-value pairs to the URL. For example, if you want to pass the name “John” to a form, you can use the following URL:

https://example.com/form?name=John

In this case, “name” is the key, and “John” is the value. You can pass multiple parameters by separating them with an ampersand (&).

The Problem: Only One Form Prefills Using URL Params

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive into the problem at hand. You’ve embedded two Cognito forms into your website, and you’re trying to prefill them using URL parameters. However, only one form is prefilled, leaving the other form blank.

The usual suspects in this scenario are:

• Incorrect URL parameter syntax
• Inconsistent form field names
• Form embedding issues

The Solution: A Step-by-Step Guide to Prefilling Multiple Cognito Forms Using URL Params

Don’t worry; we’re about to crack the code and prefill both forms using URL parameters. Follow these steps carefully, and you’ll be enjoying a cup of celebratory coffee in no time:

Step 1: Embed Both Forms Correctly

First, ensure that both forms are embedded correctly into your website. Make sure you’ve copied the correct embed code from the Cognito dashboard and pasted it into your website’s HTML.

<script>
  var cognito Forms = cognito.Forms.create({
    formId: 'Form-1-ID',
    container: 'form-container-1',
    region: 'your-region'
  });
</script>

<script>
  var cognito Forms = cognito.Forms.create({
    formId: 'Form-2-ID',
    container: 'form-container-2',
    region: 'your-region'
  });
</script>

Step 2: Use Consistent Form Field Names

Make sure that the field names in both forms are identical and match the URL parameter keys. For example, if you’re passing the “name” parameter in the URL, ensure that both forms have a field named “name”.

Here’s an example of how the form fields might look:

Form Field Name	Form 1	Form 2
name	<input type=”text” name=”name”>	<input type=”text” name=”name”>
email	<input type=”email” name=”email”>	<input type=”email” name=”email”>

Step 3: Pass URL Parameters Correctly

Now, let’s construct the URL parameters to prefill both forms. Use the following syntax:

https://example.com/form?form1_name=John&[email protected]&form2_name=Jane&[email protected]

In this example, we’re passing four URL parameters:

• form1_name: John
• form1_email: [email protected]
• form2_name: Jane
• form2_email: [email protected]

Step 4: Use JavaScript to Prefill Forms

Create a JavaScript function to prefill the forms using the URL parameters. You can use the following code as a starting point:

<script>
  function getParameterByName(name) {
    var url = window.location.href;
    name = name.replace(/[\[\]]/g, '\\$&');
    var regex = new RegExp('[?&]' + name + '(=([^&#]*)|&|#|$)'),
        results = regex.exec(url);
    if (!results) return null;
    if (!results[2]) return '';
    return decodeURIComponent(results[2].replace(/\+/g, ' '));
  }

  var form1Name = getParameterByName('form1_name');
  var form1Email = getParameterByName('form1_email');
  var form2Name = getParameterByName('form2_name');
  var form2Email = getParameterByName('form2_email');

  document.getElementsByName('name')[0].value = form1Name;
  document.getElementsByName('email')[0].value = form1Email;

  document.getElementsByName('name')[1].value = form2Name;
  document.getElementsByName('email')[1].value = form2Email;
</script>

This code uses the `getParameterByName` function to extract the URL parameters and then assigns the values to the corresponding form fields.

Conclusion: The Prefill Conundrum Solved!

Voilà! You’ve successfully prefilled both Cognito forms using URL parameters. Pat yourself on the back, and take a moment to bask in the glory of your triumph.

In this article, we’ve covered the theoretical background of Cognito forms and URL parameters, identified the potential pitfalls, and provided a step-by-step guide to prefilling multiple Cognito forms using URL params. By following these instructions, you should be able to overcome the enigma of prefilling multiple forms and create a seamless user experience for your website visitors.

Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Use your newfound knowledge wisely, and may the prefilling force be with you!

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