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Hiding a field with a defaulted value?

  • December 22, 2023
  • 5 replies
  • 172 views
K
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Hello all, I created a form, and one of the field values needs to be "1" as the default value. However, I need that hidden so that when someone goes to submit data, they don't have to fill that field in as "1".

Now this is what I have:

I tried hiding this field from the form options listed, but when I go to submit this form - it doesn't display a "1" in the field value on the table view. 

I also tried this method on the table view:

When I go to create a record on the table view - it does default the value to "1", but on form submission - it does not. Any idea what it is that I'm doing wrong?

Thanks. 

Best answer by krtphr

I actually did something simple. 

Created a formula with nested IF statements to input the correct value, based on another field's entry. I also removed the input box on the form. 

Thanks all!

5 replies

ScottWorld
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  • ScottWorld
  • Genius
  • December 22, 2023

Unfortunately, default values in Airtable aren’t really what you would expect. They only work under a few unique situations. The only bulletproof way to get a true default value in Airtable (that works under all circumstances) is to create an automation that will set the values that you want.

2024 update: Default values in Airtable now seem to work under all circumstances... even if the record is created through a form or through the API!

Also, for even more control over default values, you may want to explore Fillout’s advanced forms for Airtable.

Fillout offers hundreds of features that Airtable’s native forms don’t offer, including the ability to set default values conditionally, the ability to update existing Airtable records from a form, display Airtable lookup fields & Airtable rollup fields & Airtable attachments & formulas on forms, dynamically & conditionally filter linked record fields by any values that you would like, perform math or other live calculations on your forms, accept payments on forms, create multi-page forms with conditional paths, create new linked records on a form, and so much more.

Hope this helps! If you’d like to hire an expert Airtable consultant to help you with anything Airtable-related, please feel free to contact me through my website: Airtable consultant — ScottWorld

C
kuovonne
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  • kuovonne
  • Brainy
  • December 22, 2023

If this is a form view (and not an interface form) you could try using a hidden prefill and send people the url with the hidden prefill. You can use the Prefilled Forms extension to build a formula for the url, or just build the prefill yourself since it doesn't involve existing field values. People will still be able to remove the prefill from the url, but it might be close enough for your use case.

S
Forum|alt.badge.img+21
  • Sho
  • Inspiring
  • December 23, 2023

Prefilling and hiding is also possible in the interface form.

The usage is exactly the same.
Prefilling a form via encoded URL | Airtable Support

K
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  • krtphr
  • Author
  • Inspiring
  • Answer
  • December 26, 2023

I actually did something simple. 

Created a formula with nested IF statements to input the correct value, based on another field's entry. I also removed the input box on the form. 

Thanks all!

CristianCG
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  • CristianCG
  • Participating Frequently
  • November 13, 2024

Hi there! I'm glad you achieved the behavior you wanted. At miniExtensions, we've created a third-party form that integrates seamlessly with Airtable and supports default values and some advanced prefilling capabilities, such as prefilling hidden fields (the fields don't have to be part of the form's structure or its URL) or automatically submitting the form after prefilling, which is ideal when you need to add extra information to your existing workflow (e.g., capture IP address or location data):

 

 

Feel free to explore these features and many more with a free account on our site.

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