Hiding form question in form builder prevents it from pre-filling

[tff]

Hi,

I've been using the new airtable form builder.

In order to identify different form users, I created a Form Source field to be pre-filled with the user type, and created a custom link. 

When the field Form Source is visible, there is no problem - the right data is pre-filled in the field. But when I hide the field in the form settings, the data is not populated. 

I remember this working great in form view previously, not sure why it is not working using form builder. Any solutions?

[ScottWorld]

This is a tricky one, because it only works under one set of circumstances.

It will work just fine if you use both “prefill_fieldname” and “hide_fieldname=true” as parameters in your form URL.

So it will work if your form URL looks something like this:

https://airtable.com/appXXXXXXXXX/pagXXXXXXXXXXX/form?prefill_fieldname=12345&hide_fieldname=true

However, if you use the conditional visibility rules in the right margin of the form builder to conditionally hide the field, then you are correct because Airtable WILL NOT submit any values from any fields that are CONDITIONALLY hidden.

I normally recommend Fillout’s advanced forms for Airtable to give extra features that Airtable doesn’t offer, but unfortunately, I believe that Fillout acts the exact same way.

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 

[faruk74summy]

Hello,

This issue typically occurs because some form tools (including Airtable’s Form Builder) may not apply pre-filled values to hidden fields. Here’s how to address it:

1. Use URL Parameters Properly
Double-check that the pre-fill parameters in your custom link are correct.

2. Keep the Field Hidden and Use Automations
Instead of relying on the hidden field being populated directly in the form, you can:
Leave the field visible but use conditional logic to make it less noticeable to the user.
Use Airtable automations to fill in the "Form Source" field after submission based on the data source or URL parameter.

3. Check Airtable Form Builder Behavior
Airtable's new Form Builder might handle hidden fields differently from the classic form view. Ensure that:
The field is not marked as "unavailable" or "excluded" in the form settings.
Test using visible fields first to ensure the URL is functioning as expected, then reapply the hidden setting.
4. Workarounds if Pre-fill Doesn’t Work
If pre-fill for hidden fields continues to fail:
Create a duplicate visible field specifically for the form.
Populate the visible field with the pre-filled data and use an Airtable automation to copy the value into your hidden "Form Source" field after form submission.

[ScottWorld]

I reported the @faruk74summy post above to the moderators as robot spam.