Submissions
Every form submission is stored as a FormSubmission record with the respondent's data, timestamp, and optional user association.
Data Structure
Submission data is stored as JSON in the data column:
{
"custom_fields": {
"name": "Jane Doe",
"email": "jane@example.com",
"category": ["option1", "option2"]
}
}
Sequential Numbers
When the SUBMISSION_SEQUENTIAL_NUMBER feature flag is enabled, each submission receives an auto-incrementing number scoped to the form. Useful for human-readable reference numbers (e.g., "Submission #42").
Anonymous vs Authenticated
Submissions track user_id for logged-in users and session_fingerprint for anonymous visitors.
$submission->isAnonymous(); // true if no user_id
Viewing Submissions
Submissions are listed in the admin panel under each form. The table renders dynamic columns based on the form's field schema. Columns are searchable, sortable, and filterable based on each field type's capabilities.
Export
CSV and Excel export is available via Filament's built-in exporter.
Exported files include:
| Column | Source |
|---|---|
| Submission number | Sequential number (if enabled) |
| Submission ID | ULID |
| User | User name or "Guest" for anonymous submissions |
| Submitted at | Timestamp |
| Form field values | One column per form field |
Success and failure notifications are shown with row counts after the export completes.
Submission Limits
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
onePerPerson | Limit to one submission per user. Checks user_id for authenticated users, session_fingerprint for anonymous visitors. |
maxSubmissions | Global cap on total submissions for the form. No new submissions are accepted after the limit is reached. |
Events
The FormSubmitted event is dispatched after each successful submission. It contains the Form and FormSubmission models.
use FilaForms\Core\Events\FormSubmitted;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Event;
Event::listen(FormSubmitted::class, function (FormSubmitted $event) {
$form = $event->form;
$submission = $event->submission;
// Custom processing logic
});
Submission Processing
ProcessFormSubmissionAction handles the full submission lifecycle inside a database transaction:
Validate and Store
The submission data is validated against the form schema and stored in the form_submissions table.
Transform Field Values
Field types can transform raw input via processSubmissionValue(). For example:
- Signature fields convert base64 data to an image file on disk
- File upload fields move temporary uploads to permanent storage paths
Dispatch Events
The FormSubmitted event is dispatched, triggering notifications and integrations.