External Submissions

The External Submissions feature allows users outside your organisation to submit forms without requiring access to Microsoft 365 / SharePoint Online.

By enabling this feature, you can generate a public submission link, allowing anyone to fill in and submit a form. The data is then saved directly to a SharePoint list within your environment, but external users do not gain access beyond this submission.

Key Benefits

✔ Collect information from external users without providing SharePoint access.
✔ Simplify data collection for applications, surveys, or requests.
✔ Secure submissions with CAPTCHA and controlled access.

📌 Want external users to edit their submissions? Enable External Collaboration to allow them to update forms they’ve already submitted.

How to Enable External Submissions

1. Enable External Submissions

• Turns the feature on or off.
• If disabled, any previously shared submission links will no longer work.

2. External Submission Link

• This is the public URL that external users will use to submit forms.
• You can share this link via email, website, or portal.

3. Show CAPTCHA for External Submissions

• Adds a CAPTCHA before submission to prevent spam and bot entries.

4. Redirect After Submission

• Allows you to set a custom URL where external users are redirected after submission.
• By default, users are sent to the Sintel Forms submission confirmation page.

5. Confirmation Email (Optional)

• If enabled, external users will receive an email confirmation after submitting a form.
• This helps verify that their submission was received successfully.

Example

 

 

Security Considerations

• External users cannot see, edit, or track their submissions unless External Collaboration is enabled.
• External submission links are public by design, meaning anyone with the link can submit a form.
• CAPTCHA helps prevent spam and bot submissions but does not restrict access to the form link itself.

Common Use Cases

• Job applications – Allow candidates to submit application forms without requiring SharePoint access.
• Customer feedback – Collect responses from clients or external stakeholders.
• Event registrations – Enable guests to register for an event without an account.
• Supplier or contractor forms – Gather necessary details from external vendors.