This page provides an overview of how data is collected and submitted in CommCare. It covers the lifecycle of form submissions, and how to access and manage submitted data.
Form Submissions
What is a Form?
A form in CommCare is a digital data collection tool used to capture information in the field. Forms are designed using CommCare's application builder and can include various question types, logic, and multimedia elements. Once a form is completed on a mobile device, it is submitted to the CommCare server for processing and storage.
How Are Forms Submitted?
Mobile Submission:
Online Submission: When a device is connected to the internet, the form is submitted directly to CommCareHQ.
Offline Submission: If the device is offline, the form is stored locally and automatically synced when an internet connection is available.
Submissions are encrypted during transmission to ensure data security.
Manual Submission:
If automatic submission fails, mobile workers can manually retry submissions from the device by clicking on “Sync with Server“ button on their home screen.
Forms are stored on the device until they are successfully submitted.
Mobile workers can log into Web Apps on a computer just like they would log into a CommCare mobile application. Web Users can also use Web Apps, but data is treated differently for a web user.
External systems can submit form data programmatically using CommCare's APIs.
How to Find Submitted Forms
Submitted forms can be accessed and managed in several ways:
Forms are included in various reports, such as the Submit History Report.
Case Management:
Forms linked to cases can be viewed under individual case records.
Rate Limiting
CommCare implements rate limiting to ensure fair usage and system stability. If you encounter issues with form submissions due to rate limiting, refer to the Rate Limiting documentation for guidance.