Section Submissions allow you to break your form into stages and require contributors to submit individual sections before the next part of the form can be completed. This is perfect for workflows where multiple people need to complete different parts of the same form.
You also set up notifications so specific users or groups are alerted when their section becomes available to complete.
How to Enable Section Submissions
1. Open Section Settings in the Form Builder
Go to Forms → Form Builder.
Select the section you want to enable submissions for.
Click the Submission Settings icon on the section toolbar.
This opens the Submission Settings window.
Just a heads up! At this time, IndyForms doesn’t allow a section to be both submittable and use conditional logic. As a workaround, apply the conditional logic to the sections you need, then add another section afterwards to serve as the submittable section. When a submittable section is submitted, all sections above it are submitted as well.
2. Configure Submission Settings
Inside the Submission Settings pop-up, you can configure:
✔ Require Section Submissions
Enable this option to require contributors to submit this section (and any preceding sections) before they can continue.
✔ Notify Users When the Section Is Submitted (Optional)
Choose who should be notified when this section is submitted:
Select User — choose one or more individual users
Select Group — notify an entire group
These users will receive an email notification when the section is submitted.
✔ Add a Submission Message (Optional)
Provide a custom message shown to contributors after they submit the section (e.g., “Thank you — a manager will now review this section”).
When you’re done, click Save.
3. A Submit Section Button Will Appear
Once Submission Settings are saved:
A Submit Section button will automatically appear at the bottom of that section for contributors.
When clicked, the section above the section button becomes locked for editing unless permissions allow it to be unlocked.
The next user/group you selected will be notified to complete their section.
Section Permissions
Each section has its own Section Permissions, giving you complete control over what Contributors (anyone who isn’t an Administrator) are allowed to do.
Note: Administrators always have full access.
You can control whether Contributors can:
View the section
Edit the section
Submit the section
Unlock Submitted Sections (if they need to return and make changes)
To access Section Permissions:
Click the lock icon on the section toolbar.
Adjust permissions for Contributors and Administrators as needed.
Need to give another group access to a section? First, add the group in your form’s Settings under Access, then enable “Edit All Records” and “View All Records.” See the, How to Change Section Permissions article to learn more.
Click Save.
This flexibility lets you build multi-step, multi-user workflows inside a single form.
Example Workflow
Section 1 is completed by Staff Member A → submitted → notifies HR.
Section 2 becomes editable for HR → HR submits → notifies Manager.
Section 3 becomes available for the Manager to review and finalise.
Every step is controlled through:
Submission Settings, and
Section Permissions
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. Do I need to assign Groups for Section Submissions to work?
Groups are optional, but recommended. They help ensure the right users are notified and have the correct access to their assigned sections. If Groups are not configured, any contributors (respondents) notified about the form will use the default contributor permissions applied to the form.
Q. Can I submit a section on behalf of someone else?
Administrators can always submit sections. Contributors can submit only if the Submit Sections permission is enabled for them.
Q. What happens after a section is submitted?
The section becomes locked, any configured users/groups are notified, and the next section becomes available based on permissions.
Q. Why can’t a contributor see the Submit Section button?
Most commonly because:
Section Submissions are not enabled for that section
The contributor does not have permission to submit
The contributor is trying to access a later section before completing earlier ones
Q. Do all sections require submissions?
No. You can enable Section Submissions on only the sections or after the sections you choose. A helpful approach is to plan your form as a step-by-step workflow — for example, Section 1 is submitted before Section 2 becomes available, Section 2 before Section 3, and so on. This allows you to create a smooth, structured progression through the form. Note: you can have multiple sections before a submission too.
Q. Can Section Submissions be used for approval workflows?
Yes. They are ideal for multi-step workflows where each submitted section unlocks the next set of tasks or approvals.
Q. What if someone submits a section by mistake?
Administrators can unlock the section. Contributors can unlock it only if the Unlock Submitted Sections permission is enabled for them.
Q. What happens if the notified user does not have access to the form?
If a notified user does not have access, they won’t be able to view or complete the section. To ensure they can participate, either enable the default contributor settings in the form’s settings or add them to a Group with the appropriate permissions.
Tips
Map out your workflow first. Identify who needs to complete each section and the order in which they should complete it. This makes it easier to configure permissions and notifications correctly.
Use Groups where possible. Assigning Groups instead of individual users helps prevent access issues when staff change roles or go on leave.
Keep sections focused and manageable. Shorter, well-defined sections make multi-step workflows clearer and easier for contributors to follow.
Add clear instructions inside each section. In section descriptions, explain who should complete the section, what information is needed, and what happens after submission.
Review Section Permissions carefully. Ensure contributors have the correct permissions for each stage — viewing, editing, submitting, or unlocking sections.
Test the workflow before publishing. Walk through the steps as a contributor to confirm that submissions, notifications, and section locking behave as expected.
Use Submission Messages to guide contributors. A simple message like “Thanks — your manager will now complete the next section” helps set expectations.
Label sections clearly. Use descriptive titles (e.g., “Employee Details,” “Manager Review,” “HR Approval”) to indicate who is responsible for each part.
Combine with other IndyForms features for advanced workflows. Features like section permissions, groups, conditional logic and integrations can help you build robust multi-step or approval processes.