Setting Up Form Submissions to All Contacts

Updating a Form so it submits to All Contacts changes how Act-On stores new submissions, how past data is interpreted, and how behavior segments pull information going forward. If the Form previously saved entries to a Marketing List or a legacy Form list, those older submissions won’t automatically appear in All Contacts. This article explains what changes immediately after the switch, what stays tied to legacy lists, and how to migrate past submissions so your reporting remains accurate.

What Changes When a Form Submits to All Contacts

When you choose Send to Act-On Contacts (Learn more), all new submissions go directly into the All Contacts list in the Audience Center. Act-On also creates a new Form Submission list where submission date, referral details, page URL, and any Form Data fields are stored. This centralizes new entries but does not automatically bring historical submissions with it.

Behavior Segments

You can create a behavior segment during setup to identify everyone who submits the Form inside All Contacts. This is often the quickest way to work with submitters in automations or message targeting.

Why Behavior Segments and Form Submission Lists Don’t Match

A mismatch between these two datasets is expected when upgrading a Form. Each one reflects a different subset of submission history.

Behavior segments

Behavior segments in Audience Center > All Contacts can show:

• Legacy submitters (if their historical list was imported into All Contacts)
• New submitters captured after the Form started sending to All Contacts

If some older submitters appear only in the legacy Form list, you’ll need to import that list so All Contacts can unify the history.

Form Submission lists

The Form Submission list found under Audience Center → All Contacts → Form Submissions reflects only the submissions made after the update. It cannot display historic data unless you import it.

This creates a predictable mismatch for upgraded Forms: behavior segments may show all-time submitters, while the Form Submission list shows only new ones. For Forms created in All Contacts from the start, these views should match.

If a brand-new Form shows differences, contact Support.

Migrating Legacy Form Submissions (If Needed)

If the original Form saved data into its own list (or any Marketing List that’s not already imported), bring that data into All Contacts to unify reporting.

1. Go to Audience Center → All Contacts and open the menu → Import Contacts.
2. Select Import an existing list.
3. Choose Form Submissions from the left-hand dropdown.
4. Select the legacy Form list and click Map Fields.
5. Map only the profile fields you want stored long-term in All Contacts.
6. Click Next → Import Contacts.

Once imported, behavior segments in All Contacts can reflect both old and new submissions.

Working with Classic Forms

If you’re using Classic Forms, upgrade them before switching to All Contacts.

• Migrate the Form to the current Forms Composer (instructions).
• Use the Forms Upgrade Assistant to complete the transition.
• Review the Properties tab and Design → Settings → Field Mappings.
• Replace any embedded Form code or URLs with the updated version.

Using the Forms Upgrade Assistant (Recommended)

The Forms Upgrade Assistant helps you update multiple Forms at once. Keep these considerations in mind:

• Field Mapping: Only Standard and Custom Contact fields can be mapped during the upgrade. Create any missing fields beforehand.
• List Naming: You can’t rename lists during bulk upgrades and rename them later in the Form’s Properties tab.
• Post-Migration Review: After upgrading, review Contact Update Settings, CRM Sync Settings, and Field Mappings.
• Legacy Lists: The upgrader does not migrate old Form lists. Import those manually if you need a complete history.

Update a Form to All Contacts Manually

1. Go to Content → Forms and open the Form.
2. In Properties, under Form Submission Data, select Send to Act-On Contacts.
3. Name your new Form Submission list.
4. Under Response, define how:
   • Existing contacts are updated
   • Duplicate emails are handled
   • Duplicate submissions are displayed
5. If you sync with a CRM, review CRM Settings:
   • Whether to push new submissions
   • Overwrite rules
   • Push settings for scheduled sync
   • Optional actions like adding notes or campaign assignments
   • Lead vs. Contact creation
6. Under Design → Settings → Field Mappings, map fields to:
   • Contact fields for long-term storage and CRM sync
   • Form Data fields for Form-specific or temporary information