Navigating Data Transfer, 4 Options to Move Your Form Data

Discover how to seamlessly integrate Cognito Forms with your software systems using powerful tools like Webhooks, APIs, and built-in integrations. Unlock the potential of real-time data flow and sophisticated automation to optimize your workflows and enhance business operations.

We can all agree, moving data manually is a slow and laborious process - one no one should consider as a scalable solution. There are four options to move your form data to the software you use every day: integrations built into the platform by Cognito Forms, automation tools like Zapier, JSON Webhooks, or the Cognito Forms API.

Either webhooks or APIs power all four options. The key difference is in how and who sets it up. Webhooks and APIs are powerful tools that significantly enhance how data is managed and utilized across various systems. Understanding their roles can help you make informed decisions about how to best integrate form data into your workflows.

What Are Webhooks and APIs, and How Do They Relate to Form Builders and Data Integration?

Webhooks and APIs each play crucial roles in integrating form builders with other systems, offering unique benefits catering to different data handling aspects. Webhooks excel in real-time data transfer and automation, ensuring critical actions are taken immediately following a form submission. Conversely, APIs provide flexibility and control for more complex data retrieval and integration tasks. Understanding and leveraging both tools can create a more efficient, responsive, and integrated data management system that enhances your overall business operations.

Webhooks and Form Builders:

Webhooks are particularly valuable in scenarios where you need to automate form data transfer to other applications immediately after a form is submitted. For example, consider a situation where your business relies on quickly capturing and responding to new customer inquiries. When a user fills out a contact form on your website, a webhook can automatically push that data to your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. This instant transfer ensures that no time is lost in capturing potential leads, allowing your sales or customer support teams to act quickly, which can improve response times and customer satisfaction.

Moreover, webhooks can be used to trigger multiple actions simultaneously. For instance, the same webhook that sends form data to your CRM can notify your email marketing platform, adding the new contact to a mailing list and initiating a welcome email sequence. This level of automation streamlines processes that would otherwise require manual data entry and multiple steps, thereby reducing the risk of errors and ensuring consistency and speed across your systems.

APIs and Form Builders:

APIs offer different but equally important capabilities when integrating form builders with other systems. Instead of pushing data immediately, APIs allow you to pull or request data from the form builder as needed. This flexibility is particularly useful when you need to retrieve and work with form data in a more controlled or customized manner.

If your organization needs to generate detailed reports based on form submissions, an API can pull data from the form builder at specific intervals or on demand. This data can then be integrated into your reporting system, providing up-to-date insights into customer behavior, feedback, or other critical metrics. Additionally, APIs can sync form submission data with your CRM or customer database, ensuring that your records are accurate and comprehensive.

Combining Webhooks and APIs for Enhanced Integration:

In many cases, the most effective approach to form data integration involves using both webhooks and APIs. Webhooks can handle real-time, event-driven data transfers, ensuring key actions are triggered immediately when a form is submitted. Meanwhile, APIs can retrieve additional data, perform more detailed processing, or integrate the form data into other systems on demand.

For example, a webhook might send basic form data to a CRM system as soon as a submission occurs. Then, an API could be used later to fetch more detailed information from the form builder, such as any updates or additional submissions, and integrate this data into your analytics or reporting tools. This combination allows you to benefit from the immediacy of webhooks while taking advantage of the flexibility and control offered by APIs.

Why Use a Form Builder vs. the One Included in Your Software?

While it might seem easier to use the included form builder in your software, leveraging a dedicated form builder, like Cognito Forms, and connecting it via an API or Webhook offers a significantly better solution. Building online forms with a specialized form builder allows you to harness superior features for data collection while the Webhook or API integration seamlessly transfers that data into your software.

Here are some key reasons to consider this approach:

• Ease of use and speed: Cognito Forms features an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, allowing users to create complex forms quickly without needing deep technical knowledge. This speeds up the deployment process and reduces the learning curve compared to coding a custom form.

• Advanced integrations: Cognito Forms supports seamless integrations through APIs and webhooks, enabling the forms to easily connect with other software systems like CRM tools, databases, and marketing automation platforms. This automates data transfers, enhances workflow efficiencies, and eliminates manual data handling errors.

• Cost efficiency: Developing custom forms can be resource-intensive. Cognito Forms provides a cost-effective alternative with a variety of pricing tiers to suit different needs, from individual users to large enterprises. This scalability in service helps manage costs while still offering robust form-building capabilities.

• Security and compliance: Cognito Forms is committed to high security standards, offering features like encryption and compliance with regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA. This built-in security and compliance support relieves your team from having to implement and maintain these critical aspects on your own.

• Rich feature set: Cognito Forms includes features that might be complex and costly to develop in-house, such as conditional logic, payment processing, and multi-page forms. These features allow for the creation of highly customized forms that can adapt to various user responses and integrate payments securely.

• Maintenance and updates: With Cognito Forms, the maintenance, hosting, and updates are managed by the provider, ensuring that the platform remains reliable and up-to-date without any additional effort from your IT staff. This includes regular updates to keep up with the latest web technologies and security patches.

• Scalability: The platform is designed to handle a wide range of use cases, from simple contact forms to complex, multi-stage applications. It can efficiently manage varying loads of form submissions, making it suitable for both small projects and large-scale operations.

Getting Data From Here to There With Cognito Forms

1. Built-In Integrations

Cognito Forms offers built-in integrations with popular software applications and platforms that allow seamless data transfer with tried-and-true integrations. Our engineering teams develop and test these integrations, ensuring simple setup and consistent operations across all supported platforms.

How It Works

• Configuration: Click on the links below for configuration instructions.
  PayPal | Square | Stripe | Google Address Auto Complete | Google Analytics
• Direct data transfer: Data from form submissions is automatically sent to the connected software.

Benefits

• Ease of use: Simple setup with user-friendly interfaces.
• Reliability: Maintained and supported by Cognito Forms + our integration partners.
• No coding required: Ideal for non-technical users.

Considerations

• Limited flexibility: You may be constrained by the options provided.
• Dependency on updates: Any changes or updates to the native integrations could affect your workflow and require updates. We work hard to minimize any disruptions and are ready to help if needed.
• Cognito Forms plan level: Square and PayPal are available on the Team and Enterprise plan levels. Google Address Auto Complete and Google Analytics are available on the Pro, Team, and Enterprise plan levels. Stripe is available on all plan levels.

Best For

• Organizations looking for quick and easy setup.
• Scenarios where your company uses one of the built-in integrations Cognito Forms supports.

2. Automation Tools or Integration Platforms

Automation tools like Zapier, Make, or Microsoft Power Automate facilitate integrations with thousands of applications through pre-built connectors and workflows.

How It Works

• Create workflows: Set up “Zaps” in Zapier (or equivalent workflows in other tools) that trigger actions based on form submissions.
• Webhook configuration: Automation tools often use webhooks to instantly transfer data when a form is submitted.

Benefits

• User-friendly: No need for extensive coding knowledge.
• Flexibility: Supports a wide range of applications and complex workflows.
• Rapid setup: Quickly connect multiple apps and automate data flow.

Considerations

• Subscription costs: Automation tools usually have subscription fees that can add up with increased usage.
• Rate limits: Be aware of any rate limits that could affect the frequency of data transfer.
• Complexity for advanced workflows: While user-friendly, very complex workflows may still require some technical expertise.
• Cognito Forms plan level: This feature is available to organizations on the Pro, Team, and Enterprise plans.

Best For

• Small to medium-sized businesses looking for quick integration solutions.
• Users needing to connect multiple apps with minimal coding.
• Scenarios where frequent changes to workflows are anticipated.

3. JSON Webhooks

Our Post JSON webhooks tool makes sending data you’ve collected using Cognito Forms to third-party systems and internally developed applications easy.

That data will be received in the popular and easy-to-use JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format, making it easy to integrate with other systems downstream.

JSON webhooks allow you to push real-time form data (and attachments) to your native software via HTTP POST requests, providing a lightweight and customizable integration option.

How It Works

• Webhook setup: Within the builder, configure your form to send data to a specified endpoint (URL) in your software whenever a form submission occurs.
• Data Handling: Your software receives the JSON payload and processes it according to your specific requirements.

Benefits

• Real-time data transfer: Instantly pushes data as soon as a form is submitted.
• Flexibility: Customizable to handle various data structures and processing needs.
• Lightweight: Minimal overhead compared to full API integrations.
• No limits: There are no limits to the number of fields you can send.

Considerations

• Cognito Forms plan level: This feature is available to organizations on the Pro, Team, and Enterprise plans.
• Technical expertise required: Requires knowledge of webhooks and how to handle incoming HTTP requests.
• Maintenance: You may need to manage and update the endpoint to ensure it remains secure and functional.
• Error handling: Ensure proper error handling and logging to troubleshoot issues with data delivery.

Best For

• Organizations needing real-time data updates.
• Scenarios where the form builder’s native integrations are insufficient or too rigid.
• Businesses with some technical resources to manage webhook endpoints.

4. Cognito Forms API Integrations

Using Cognito Forms API, you can programmatically access form data and integrate it with your native software. This method offers the most flexibility and control.

How it works

• API requests: Your software makes API calls to the form builder to fetch data at specified intervals or on demand.
• Custom endpoints: Set up endpoints in your software to handle data retrieval and processing.

Benefits

• Customization: Tailor the integration to meet specific business needs and workflows.
• Detailed data handling: Access and manipulate detailed form data as required.
• Scalability: Suitable for large-scale and complex integrations.

Considerations

• Technical expertise required: Requires development resources and technical know-how.
• Maintenance: Ongoing maintenance and updates to the integration code may be needed.
• Security: Ensuring secure data transfer and handling becomes your responsibility.
• Cognito Forms plan level: This feature is available to organizations on the Pro, Team, and Enterprise plans.

Best For

• Large organizations with specific and complex integration needs.
• Businesses with in-house development teams.
• Scenarios requiring high levels of customization and control over data handling.

Choosing a Data Transfer Method

Whether you choose the simplicity of built-in integrations, the flexibility of automation platforms like Zapier, the immediacy of JSON webhooks, or the customization of Cognito Forms API, each method offers distinct benefits to meet various business needs. Selecting the right method depends on your organization’s technical expertise, the complexity of your workflows, and how you need to interact with the data.

Sometimes, the best approach to navigating data transfer is not choosing just one option but combining multiple methods to maximize your integrations. For example, you can use Cognito Forms’ built-in integrations to connect directly with platforms like PayPal or Google Analytics for a quick and easy setup. Then, for more complex workflows, you can layer in automation tools like Zapier or use JSON webhooks to push data to custom systems or applications in real time.

By blending these integration methods, you gain the simplicity of out-of-the-box solutions and the flexibility of custom data flows, ensuring that your data moves seamlessly across all your platforms. This hybrid approach allows you to create a robust and adaptable system tailored to your business’s needs, maximizing efficiency and scalability.

Integrate your Form Data

Navigating data transfer with Cognito Forms offers a range of powerful integration options to streamline your workflows and optimize efficiency. By leveraging these integration options, you can automate data flow, reduce manual entry, and ensure your systems stay updated in real time. Ultimately, embracing these tools allows you to move data precisely, making your operations more efficient, responsive, and scalable.