Form Submissions: Handling Multiple Simultaneous Entries

Also, how good is this site in dealing with simultaneous submissions?

Hi Robert,

Thanks for reaching out to Jotform Support. Jotform is well-equipped to handle simultaneous submissions efficiently. When multiple users submit forms at the same time, Jotform processes each submission independently, ensuring that no data is lost or overwritten.

Reach out again if you have any other questions.

Good morning Jason,

Thank you for repling to my inquiry. Another question related to this topic: How does jotform inform the user that their submission was unsuccessful due to their selection becoming full? Will they be able to make another selection?

Here's the scenario: 35 students attempt to sign up for Basketball. They all attemp to sign up at the same time. I only have 30 available slots. Would the 5 extra student get a message on the current form? this way they can make a different selection at that time? or would the submission go through, then recieve a notification afterwards?

Hi Robert,

Based on your explanation, you can use the Inventory widget. If you set Basketball to a maximum of 30 slots, Jotform will track submissions against that limit. Once the 30th slot is filled, the option is automatically disabled on the form. Let me show you how:

1. In Form Builder, click on the Add Element button in the upper left side of the panel to open the Form Elements Menu.
2. Now, go to the Widgets tab, search for the Inventory widget and add it to your form.
3. Next, enter Basketball in the Description input box and add 30 in the Available Quantity input box.
4. Then, set the Quantity Range to 0, click on the Downward Arrow icon of the Quantity Input Type field, select the Number Input option, and click on the Update button.

If multiple students submit at the same time, Jotform processes the submissions in the order they are received. Once the first 30 submissions are accepted, the next 5 students will find the Basketball option marked as unavailable when they reload the form.

Take note that Jotform does not allow an overcapacity submission to go through and then reject it afterward. Instead, once the limit is reached, the option is automatically disabled from the form. As a result, those 5 extra students will not be able to submit Basketball at all, they will need to select another available option before completing the form.

Let us know if you have any other questions.

Good morning Joeni,

Thank you for responding to my inquiry. I was prevously using the ticket widget for this form. For the scenario above, are you saying that the inventory widget is better suited for that scenario? or am I able to use this in conjuction with the ticket widget?

Hi Robert,

Take note that our Ticket Purchases widget and Inventory widget have different features. The Ticket Purchases widget allows multiple items and has a checkbox field for each item, while the Inventory widget has one item only, but it has a dropdown or input field for that item. You can continue using your Ticket Purchases widget or switch to the Inventory widget according to your preference. Do you have further questions about our widgets?

As soon as we hear back from you, we can work on getting you a solution for this.

Thank you for the clarification. The Ticket Purchase widget better suits my needs, as I have multiple activities on this form, as well as different number of alloted slots for each activity.

I would like to make sure that absolutely no overcapacity submissions are allowed. I also want to ensure that the options you mentioned above: having the capped selection disabled, as well as allowing students to select an available activity witout having to re-do the form.

Hi Robert,

The Ticket Purchase widget is indeed a better option when you have multiple activities with different slot limits, as it allows precise control over capacity per activity. Here’s how to ensure everything works as you described:

1. Prevent overcapacity submissions

• In the Ticket Purchase widget settings, make sure to set the maximum number of tickets/slots for each activity.
• Once the limit is reached, the widget automatically disables that option, preventing overbooking.
• This ensures that no submissions can exceed the allotted slots.

2. Keep capped selections visible/disabled but selectable

• If you want students to see that an activity is full but not allow selection, enable the, Show sold out options setting or similar, depending on your widget version.
• This keeps the option visible but un-selectable, so users know it’s full.

3. Allow selecting another activity without redoing the form

• The widget allows users to adjust their selection before submission.
• If a student selects a full activity and sees it’s unavailable, they can choose another without having to reload or start the form over.

After configuring the widget, submit a few test entries for different activities to confirm that limits are enforced correctly and that students can switch selections when an option is full. This ensures your form will handle multiple activities and varying slot limits exactly as needed.

If you want, I can provide a step-by-step setup guide for the Ticket Purchase widget that locks capacities, shows sold-out activities, and allows easy switching for students. This ensures no overbooking and smooth user experience.

Let us know if you need any more help.

Mark,

Thank you for the detailed explanation. Yes, I would like a step by step setup guide for the ticket purchase widget that outline how to ensure all of those conditions are set up and enforced.

I was wondering if you can also answer this question for me: If, for example, a student decides to select an activity that initially says its available, but upon submission, it turns out that it has been filled, would the student get a notification right away?

I ask all these question is because I plan to deploy this in a primary school environment. It would be a one day event where students would be able to select those activities at the same time. The number of students would be about 300 or so--more than likely I would have to upgrade plan to accomodate such a high volume of students.

Given those conditions, would the Jotform platform be able to enforce the desired contraints, as well as ensure the outcomes I have layed in this thread out have been met?

Hi Robert,

Jotform processes submissions in real time and in the order they are received. When you use the Ticket Purchase widget, capacity is enforced at the moment of submission. This means that overcapacity submissions are not allowed to go through. As soon as the maximum number of tickets for an activity is reached, that option is immediately marked as sold out and becomes unavailable.

If a student selects an activity that initially appears available, but the remaining slot is taken before their submission is completed, the form will not submit with that activity. Instead, the widget will indicate that the activity is no longer available, and the student will be prompted to choose another available option on the same form, without needing to reload the page or start over. Jotform does not allow the submission to go through and then notify the user afterward.

For your use case with approximately 300 students submitting at the same time, the Ticket Purchase widget is well suited to enforce the constraints you described. It prevents overbooking entirely, updates availability dynamically as submissions come in, and allows students to change their selection immediately if an option becomes full. Can you explain a little more what conditionals are you expecting?

Reach out again if there’s anything else we can help you with.

Thank you for taking the time and answering my questions. It all sounds good.

These are the conditions I am expecting:
--Handle a high volume of submissions: approx. 300 students
--Prevent at all costs overbooking due to high volume of submissions: students selecting the same activity and submitting at nearly or at the same time.
--Student able to select another activity if, before submitting, activity becomes unavailable
--Bieng able to see in real time the submissions, as well a keeping count of the number of slots per activity available, as well as knoeing which activities are at capacity.

Good Morning,

Whenever possible, would I be able to get confirmation that this platform is able to meet the demands as I explained them above (The response posted yesterday, 07 January, at 3:30 EST)?

I thank everyone for taking the time in answering my questions. I look forward to your response.

Hi Robert,

Thanks for clarifying the conditions you're expecting. I'll answer your questions to avoid confusion.

1. Handle a high volume of submissions (approx. 300 students).

Take note that Jotform processes submissions in real time and in the order they are received. The Ticket Purchases widget is designed to handle simultaneous submissions by enforcing limits at the moment of submission.

   2. Prevent overbooking even with simultaneous submissions.

Overcapacity submissions are blocked automatically. If multiple students select the same activity at nearly the same time, only the first submission that reaches the server is accepted. Any subsequent submissions beyond the limit are rejected, ensuring no overbooking occurs.

   3. Allow students to select another activity if their choice becomes unavailable before submission.

If a slot is taken while a student is still filling out the form, the widget will display that the activity is already unavailable when they submit. Take a look at the screenshot below:

Regarding your last question, you can monitor your form submissions and slot usage live through Jotform Tables. Each submission is recorded instantly, and the Ticket Purchases widget automatically updates the remaining slot count. Let me show you how:

1. On your Workspace page, check the box next to the form you want to view submissions for.
2. Then, in the menu on the upper-left side of the page, click on Submissions to see all the submissions for that form in your Tables.

Reach out again if you have any other questions.