Can Jotform Validate Input by Comparing It to Spreadsheet Data?

Hello,

I am looking to see if Jot form has the following capability. Say, you are creating a form, and there id a file of student names. You have the student to confirm the spelling of their initials. The student is able to put in their initials into the form and the form is able to compare this information a spread sheet. Does Jot form have this capability ?? to look up information and see if the information is there?ed

Hi ucsfdxradsched,

Thanks for reaching out to Jotform Support. Jotform offers a feature called the Spreadsheet to Form Widget that you can use to import your data. Let me show you how to use it:

1. Create a spreadsheet with your data structured like you see below. Make sure that the column names in the spreadsheet match the field names on the form, and include a unique column, like an ID, so the data can be distinguished.

2. In Form Builder, click on the Add Element menu on the left side of the page.

3. Click on the Widgets tab, search for the Spreadsheet to Form widget and add it to your form.

4. In the menu on the right side of the page, upload your data file. (You can simply drag & drop your excel file to the Upload File area.) 

5. Then, click on the Downward Arrow icon in the Access Code Column option and select the unique column.

6. You can also customize texts used in the widget. After you complete everything, click on the Update Widget button at the bottom right of the menu.

Now, when people fill out your form and enter the unique code from the spreadsheet, the corresponding fields will automatically populate when they click Auto Complete Fields. Check out my screencast below to see how it works:

This widget allows you to upload an Excel spreadsheet (XLS or XLSX) containing your student names and initials. When a student enters their initials in the form, the widget looks up the spreadsheet to verify the information and can autofill or confirm the spelling based on the data.

Give it a try and let us know if you need any help.

Hello,

I have two issues:

What can I do with students that have the same last names?

Second issue: The widget won't autofill the last corresponding field? The widget is able to autofill two of the 3 columns. I can't get it to fill the last column. What am I doing wrong ? I tried and tried.

Hi ucsfdxradsched,

For effective use of Spreadsheet to form widget, it's better if each students have their own unique access code like student ID on a separate column in the spreadsheet, to prefill form fields with their information.

As for your second issue, I assume this is the form 252188997217068 you're working on, right? Make sure that the column names in the spreadsheet match the field names on the form. If the issue still persists, perhaps you can share with us the excel file you're using in the Spreadsheet to form widget so we can check? You can upload it to google drive and share with us the download link, and we'll run some tests on our end.

Now, if it's not possible, you can take a screenshot of your excel sheet, mask important details, but make sure the column headers are visible so we can check. Let me show you how to post a screenshot to our Help Center:

1. On the Help Center page, scroll down to the Your Answer section and click on the Image icon.

2. Drag and drop your image into the Upload box, or click on it and select your file.

3. Then, click on the Add button in the bottom-right corner of the window.

4. To resize it, click on your screenshot and then click on one of the boxes in the corners, and drag it inward.

5. Once you're finished, click on the Post Answer button at the bottom right of the Your Answer section.

That's it. Once we hear back from you, we'll be able to help you with this.