Portal Forms
Pre-filling parent and student data
Quick answer: Every form field can pre-fill from data we already know — parent name, student name, today's date, health profile values — so parents only fill in what's actually new.
How it works
When you build a form, every input field can have a pre-fill source — a small dropdown on the field that says "fill this with the parent's first name" or "fill this with the selected student's date of birth."
When a parent opens the form, those fields show up already filled in. Parents can still change the value — pre-fill is a default, not a lock.
Available pre-fill sources
Parent (the logged-in user)
| Source | What it fills |
|---|---|
parent.first_name | The logged-in parent's first name. |
parent.last_name | Their last name. |
parent.full_name | First and last combined. Great for signature fields. |
parent.email | Their email address on file. |
parent.phone | Their phone number on file. |
Student (per-student forms only)
| Source | What it fills |
|---|---|
student.first_name | Selected student's first name. |
student.last_name | Selected student's last name. |
student.full_name | Preferred name (or first) and last name. |
student.date_of_birth | Their date of birth in YYYY-MM-DD format. |
Health profile (per-student forms only)
These pull from the student's saved Health Profile. The first time a parent fills out one of these fields, the value is also saved back to the Health Profile — so the next form pre-fills with the latest answer.
| Source | What it fills |
|---|---|
health.emergency_contact_name | Saved emergency contact name. |
health.emergency_contact_phone | Saved emergency contact phone. |
health.emergency_contact_relationship | Their relationship to the student. |
health.primary_doctor_name | Pediatrician or primary care doctor. |
health.primary_doctor_phone | Doctor's office phone number. |
health.preferred_hospital | Hospital the family prefers in an emergency. |
health.health_insurance_provider | Insurance company name. |
health.health_insurance_policy_number | Policy number. |
health.allergies | Free-form allergy list. |
health.current_medications | Current medications and dosages. |
health.medical_conditions | Other relevant medical conditions. |
System
| Source | What it fills |
|---|---|
today | Today's date in YYYY-MM-DD format. Use this for "Date signed" fields. |
How to use pre-fill effectively
Always pre-fill what we know
On every form, the "Date signed" should pre-fill with today. The "Parent name" should pre-fill with parent.full_name. The student fields should pre-fill from the selected student. There's no reason to make parents type these.
Use the same field key across forms
If two different forms ask for the "Emergency contact name", give them the same field key and pre-fill from the same Health Profile source. That way:
- The first form populates the Health Profile.
- Every subsequent form shows the latest answer pre-filled.
- Parents only update what's changed.
Don't pre-fill things that should require active confirmation
Don't pre-fill checkboxes for liability acknowledgements. The whole point of those is that the parent makes a fresh decision each time.
Note on missing data
Pre-fill is a convenience, not a guarantee. If the parent doesn't have an email on file (rare), the parent.email pre-fill source produces an empty field — not an error.
Related articles
- The Student Health Profile
- Field types in the form builder
- Signatures: typed vs drawn
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