Pass field entries from non formidable form to a formidable form

If your first form is not too complicated and you are able to pass field values from your first form as URL parameters, you can use the "get param" shortcode to initialize fields in your Formidable form. For example, URL for page with Formidable form:

http://www.mydomain.com/formidableformpage?firstname=Tom&lastname=Smith

Initialize Formidable field for first name using: [get param=firstname]
Initialize Formidable field for last name using: [get param=lastname]

Yes, using query string parameters is the way to accomplish this, but there is one caveat of which you need to be aware. Microsoft limits query strings to a length of 2083 characters. If you have a lot of data to pass that could exceed this limit, it won't work. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/208427/maximum-url-length-is-2-083-characters-in-internet-explorer

Oh, thank you very much for your answers. It’s helpful because it’s light at the end of the tunnel to know that there might be a solution.

@Victor: Thx Victor for the hint but the length of characters is not a problem

@Rojaco: Yes I know about the get param thing, but my data are not static. They come from 2 form fields outside Wordpress, but same domain. They are different, depending on what user has filled in these fields.

When I have a normal follow up of two php pages I can use PHPsessions, but in this case (Dynamic form data from an php page outside WP to a Formidable form) I still don’t see the start to get it working. But I’m convinced there is solution, because I’m not the only one who has this problem.

So further help is needed. Thx in Advance

Godie

Formidable Setup:

Formdable Pro

Addons: Stripe, PayPal, Bootstrap

Another approach you can possible use is local browser storage. I use browser storage to pass variables between disparate sources or for data persistence.

The URL parameter suggestion supports dynamic data. When your user submits the first form, you are redirecting them to the page with the formidable form on it. You need to figure out how to get the field values your user entered in the first form and add them as URL parameters on the page you are redirecting to. Is there a reason you are not able to use Formidable for the first form? That would make life easier since you can pass field values without using URL params.

Hello Victor and Rojaco,

@ Victor: I think local storage can only be done, when a browser supports it and Javascript is on. Both can not be guaranteed 100%. I have to care for older people with very old browsers and no understanding what JS means. I have to keep it very very simple for them.

@ Rojaco: Thanks for your ideas. The reason why I cannot use Formidable for the first form is a little bit complicate. Because there is a procedure before to check whether a user (mostly not WP users) is allowed to call the form. The page order roughly is: (A staff member make insurance confirmation checks and if a confirmation is ok assigns randomly build ID's to usernames which were stored in a csv txt file) -> (The user/pass pairs were displayed on a Page) -> (Users pick their user/pass pair from the page and login(NOT in WP)) - (The login was checked against the csv txt file) and then there should be the forwarding including the user/pass pair to the payment procedure with formidable)

I think your way with passing URL params is the right one to follow. I will look for a possibility to collect the parameter and pass them by URL. Another problem is the php issue that you can't call php header(url) after an output is done, but I have ideas for that.

Thank you very much

Godie

Hello again,

next wall to screw through :(

I now was able to catch the parameters into an url and it works outside wordpress to use the parameter in a page. But when I try to call the wordpress page containing the formidable form WP deleted the parameter and displayed a search result page, stating that the requested page cannot be found.

Example:

URL to WP/FormidableForm: https://mydomain.eu/myformidableform/?name=XX&ID=00

WP changes the URL to : https://mydomain.eu/?s=%3Fname%3DXX%26id%3D00&search_404=1

What is the key to come into Wordpress?

Any help appreciated and thx in advance.

Godie

try changing /?name= to something less generic like /?firstname=

there are a number of reserved words that cannot be used as URL parameter names in Wordpress

Wow Rojaco,

this hits it. Thank you very much. Now after a long way the variables are in the formidable form the way I want it.

Many greetings, Godie

BTW: is there probably somewhere a list with the WP reserved words which prevent parameter passing?

Scroll down to the post by Julian Egelstaff (it's an old post but it helped me when I first came across this issue):

https://binarym.com/2009/wordpress-kinda-404s-with-get-parameters/

Thank you Rojaco and Victor, I think I can close this topic.