Syncing Form Submissions to All Contacts

  • Updated

When you configure a Form to submit to All Contacts, Act-On stores new submissions in your master All Contacts list and creates a Form Submission list that captures Form-specific details like submission date, URL source, and any custom fields you’ve added. This setup keeps profile data clean, ensures Form reporting stays accurate, and supports downstream workflows like segmentation, CRM sync, and automated programs. This article walks through how to set up a new Form, map fields correctly, manage contact record updates, and upgrade older Forms - including Classic Forms - to submit to All Contacts.

Quick Reference (Advanced Users) - Click to Expand
  • Send to Act-On Contacts creates a Form Submission list and adds new contacts to All Contacts.
  • Form Data Fields store temporary Form-specific information. Contact Fields store profile data in All Contacts.
  • Contact Record Update Policies control whether submissions overwrite fields, write only to blanks, or update specific records in duplicate situations.
  • CRM push behavior follows Data Management rules unless you override them in the Form’s CRM settings.
  • Upgrading older Forms requires the Form Upgrade Assistant; Classic Forms must be converted first.
Try it like this: Set your Form to Send to Act-On Contacts, map only fields you want stored long-term as Contact fields, keep event-specific or one-time questions as Form Data Fields, and set your update policy to Update only blank fields to preserve existing contact data.

Selecting Your Form Submission Destination

In the Form Composer, open the Properties tab to choose how submissions should be stored.

Phase 3 Forms list selection.jpg

  • Send to Act-On Contacts adds new submissions to the All Contacts database and creates a connected Form Submission list.
  • Enter a Form Submission list name. This list captures:
    • submission date
    • Form URL
    • referral information
    • any Form Data fields you add

Form Submission in Audience Center.jpg

  • Optionally create a segment inside All Contacts to identify all submitters of this Form.
  • Send to Form Submission List (the legacy option) creates a standalone list under Lists → Other Lists → Form Submissions and does not add contacts to All Contacts.

Setting Contact Record Update Properties

Forms that submit to All Contacts must define how the submission should update existing records. These settings appear under Properties → Response.

Act-On provides several update controls:

For Existing Contacts (Same Email)

Choose whether the new Form data:

  • Overwrites existing values, or
  • Populates only blank fields (ideal for preserving CRM-aligned fields)
Be sure to confirm your default policy. Some accounts have different defaults than shown in the example.

For Multiple Contacts (Same Email)

Choose whether the update should apply to:

  • all contact records sharing the email address,
  • only the newest record, or
  • only the oldest record.

For Duplicate Form Submissions

Decide whether to:

  • show only the most recent submission in the Form Submission list, or
  • show all submissions.
If you need to create separate contacts for each submission (rare), contact Act-On Support to enable the feature flag.

Mapping Fields in the Form Composer

In Design → Settings → Field Mappings, choose how each Form field should be stored.

Field mapping example

Contact Fields

Use a Contact Field when the information should appear in the All Contacts database. The dropdown includes all standard and custom contact fields you’ve defined.

If a field doesn’t appear, it may be an incompatible data type, for example, a date field can’t populate a boolean or numeric field.

Form Data Fields

Use Form Data Fields for information you don’t want stored in All Contacts. These fields appear only on that Form’s submission table.

Great examples include:

  • event feedback
  • temporary registration questions
  • one-time campaign-specific data

The Column name becomes the field name stored in the Form Submission list. If you use CRM mappings or external posts, set the correct Field name so it matches the system you’re syncing to.

Email is required for All Contacts so Act-On can match and deduplicate records.

CRM Settings for All Contacts Forms

If your account has a CRM connected, the Form’s CRM Settings let you send profile fields to the CRM or create tasks, notes, or campaigns on submission.

Any Form field mapped to a Contact Field that is enabled for CRM push in Settings → Data Management will sync according to your push rules.

Form Data Fields do not push to CRM directly. To sync those, use an Automated Program with a “Create in CRM” step.

How CRM push decisions are made

  • Form update policy affects how data updates the contact in All Contacts.
  • Data Management push settings decide whether a field can sync to the CRM.
  • The Form’s CRM settings default to “Use sign-up list’s push settings,” enforcing Data Management rules.

Example: If a CRM field like Original Lead Source should never be overwritten, disable its push setting in Data Management. Then set the Form’s Contact Update policy to “Update only blank fields” so new contacts can still populate this field without overwriting existing records.

Updating an Existing Form to Submit to All Contacts

Existing Forms can be converted with the Form Upgrade Assistant, which updates multiple Forms at once and applies consistent mapping.

To manually upgrade a Form:

  • Select Send to Act-On Contacts in the Form’s Properties tab.
  • Enter a new Form Submission list name.
  • Convert fields intended for long-term storage into Contact Fields.
  • Leave one-off or temporary questions as Form Data Fields.
  • Set your Contact Record Update properties.
Before upgrading, Classic Forms must be converted to the new Forms Composer using these steps.

Was this article helpful?

Have more questions? Submit a request